By Scott Gilfoid: Instead of taking on the ultra talented unbeaten Adrien Broner or the guy that’s considered to be the very best fighter in the super featherweight division Takashi Uchiyama, WBO title holder Ricky Burns (32-2, 9 KO’s) is targeting 38-year-old former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight champion Mzonke Fana (30-4, 12 KO’s) in a fight where Burns hopes would lead to him being elevated to the Ring’s #1 super featherweight champion.

Fana is currently #2, Burns #3 and the #1 spot vacant. I don’t have any faith in the Ring’s rankings, none whatsoever. I’ve seen Fana, and he just looks like a good old fighter, but not a number #1 guy or even a number #2 guy. I see this as just another fight where Burns is trying to take on a guy that he thinks he can beat instead of stepping up and facing someone like Broner who likely beat him soundly.

Just look at the guys that Burns has fought since he picked up his WBO title in September 2010: Andreas Evensen, Joseph Laryea and Nicky Cook. How disappointing. The last opponent wasn’t even ranked in the top 15, and yet Burns took the fight. It’s pretty clear that Burns isn’t taking any risky fights since he’s been champion, and the fight against Fana would be pretty much along those same lines. I see Fana as a bottom 10, maybe bottom 11 type fighter. No way should he be at number #2.

I rarely see any rankings by The Ring that I even slightly agree with, and this here ranking with Fana at number #2 is a good example. Broner should already be at number #2, with Uchiyama occupying the top #1 spot. I see Burns as a nice No.7 fighter, behind Uchiyama, Broner, Takashiro Aoh, a non-weight drained Roman Martinez, Jorge Solis, and Argenis Mendez.