This week we'll take a look over the flyweight rankings, which have shifted a little bit, but first off, a few more changes.
Click here for the full rankings!
Bantamweight: Vusi Malinga (8) is out due to a year of inactivity. In at No. 10 this week is Christian Esquivel (24-2, 18 KO), who faces ninth-ranked Shinsuke Yamanaka (14-0-2, 10 KO) on November 6 in Tokyo.
Junior Flyweight: Ivan Calderon (4) drops out after moving back down to 105 pounds, and despite a win on Saturday, the "Iron Boy" doesn't make the 105-pound rankings this week. He struggled against a bad fighter and came out with a split decision. I have a hard time imagining Calderon beating any of the really quality guys at 105 or 108 from here on, so he's just out. If I'd been doing this for a long time, this would mark the first time in almost a decade that Calderon wouldn't be a ranked fighter. In at No. 10 is Mexican veteran Sammy Gutierrez (30-6-2, 21 KO).
Flyweight rankings after the jump.
1. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (83-3-1, 45 KO)
The RING Magazine champion is still the world's top flyweight until someone proves otherwise. The last two times he's faced what were perceived to be legit threats, he's defeated Koki Kameda and Edgar Sosa cleanly and clearly. And his win over current super flyweight titlist Suriyan Sor Rungvisai looks better now than it did at the time, too.
2. Hernan Marquez (32-2, 25 KO)
The Mexican bomber isn't the prettiest fighter in the world, but he's tough and powerful, and he's got two great wins this year over Luis Concepcion, plus a good win over Edrin Dapudong. He's proving to be no fluke -- he's the real deal.
3. Moruti Mthalane (28-2, 19 KO)
Mthalane, like Marquez, won big this weekend. But Mthalane wasn't facing the same level of competition. Like Marquez, he is a past victim of Nonito Donaire, and has proven since then to be a very good fighter. Both of those wins on Donaire's record are aging very nicely.
4. Giovani Segura (28-1-1, 24 KO)
The former junior flyweight champion will likely make big waves, but he's become a bit inactive. He's talked about a fight with Brian Viloria in the recent past.
5. Edgar Sosa (43-7, 26 KO)
Still up here because a loss to Pong isn't a bad loss by any stretch, and he's done nothing but win for the past eight years otherwise, excluding a controversial TKO-2 loss to Rodel Mayol in 2009.
6. Wilbert Uicab (33-5-1, 18 KO)
The WBC silver titlist is a young veteran at 27, and he's won his last 14 decisions, with a no-contest in there. He fights next on November 6, facing Toshiyuki Igarashi in a WBC eliminator.
7. Brian Viloria (29-3, 16 KO)
Viloria, who seems old at 30, remains one of the most frustrating fighters in the sport. He really is good -- when he's good. But he's still got issues. Realistically, I believe he owes Pingo Miranda a rematch, but we'll see what happens. Viloria hasn't defended the WBO belt he won in July in Hawaii.
8. Rocky Fuentes (29-6-2, 17 KO)
With all the Filipino fighters who do get pub and press, it seems like the 25-year-old Fuentes sort of falls through the cracks. But he's better than a lot of guys who get the attention. Hasn't lost since 2007.
9. Julio Cesar Miranda (36-6-1, 29 KO)
Came back two months after his loss to Viloria with a stay-busy fight in Mexico. He's still in title discussions.
10. Luis Concepcion (23-3, 18 KO)
When the year began, I was wondering if, RING title or not, Concepcion deserved to be ranked as the world's best flyweight. At the time, he was rolling, with a TKO-1 win over Denkaosan Kaovichit, and Pongsaklek wasn't looking so hot. But we've learned a lot more about Concepcion this year. He's wild, he's aggressive to a fault, and he can be hurt. He's still a pretty good fighter, but he's going to need the right circumstances or some serious improvements to get back to the top of the division.