411's MMA Rankings 12.15.09: Lightweight Division
Posted by Jonathan Solomon on 12.15.2009
411mania is hitting you with the BJ Penn lightweight rankings this week. After being dominated at UFC 107, is Diego Sanchez a top-five fighter? Can Kenny Florian return to the top-three after choking out Clay Guida? Check out where lightweight champions Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson rank before their big Strikeforce fight. All that and much more in this healthy dose of 411 MMA Rankings .
We are shutting down the year with the final rankings of 2009 this month. BJ Penn will be one of four champions to maintain their #1 ranking for the entire year. He answered any questions and removed all doubts this past weekend when he battered Diego Sanchez through five rounds. If nothing else, it's clear the distance between Penn and every other lightweight in the world is massive. As Joe Rogan alluded to, it's tough to think of any UFC lightweight who can challenge Penn. Sadly, we won't be able to see guys like Shinya Aoki, Eddie Alvarez or Joachim Hansen challenge Penn although I doubt they would have much success.
This weekend there is another lightweight title fight and it will unify the Strikeforce belts when Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson finally meet. This rematch is literally months in the making and the winner may have a date with Shinya Aoki in 2010. Their first fight was a fantastic brawl so we should be in for an explosive outcome either way.
Who is the next rightful challenger to BJ Penn in the UFC? The obvious answer would be Frankie Edgar, but what about Gray Maynard. Edgar beat Matt Veach earlier this month to build on his big win over Sean Sherk months ago. Maynard remains undefeated and has wins over Edgar and Roger Huerta. Maynard fights Nate Diaz next month so a win there would make UFC matchmaker Joe Silva's job that much more difficult.
The other big lightweight fight before the year is over will take place on New Year's Eve in Japan. Shinya Aoki will fight Tatsuya Kawajiri, both are two of the best lightweights in the world and Aoki has a target on his back. It is assumed Aoki will make his way to Strikeforce in 2010 so can he come to the United States with a fresh win under his belt?
FEEDBACK to Last Week's Light Heavyweight Rankings
i understand that anderson silva is ranked 5th on the mere fact that he hasnt really fought alot of people in LHW.. but its funny to remember this..
Ranked #1 - machida -anderson probably spares with him and they both kno hes better
Ranked #3 -Rampage - hasnt fought since march.. but anyway silva never fought him, but the one person they have in common is Griffin.. which rampage lost to in a 5 round war... silva destroyed/toyed with him in 3 mins
Ranked #4 -Evans- i give him more respect/credit due to his more athletic ability but seriously, if he couldn't beat machida.. u think hes better than anderson silva?
Posted By: wylun Yes, Anderson Silva is indeed GRRRRRREAT~!
Rampage at 3?
He beat Jardine who's 1-3 in his last 4 and Wandi who's 1-5 in his last 6. What has he done recently to show that he's better then most of this list?
Swap Rashad and Anderson, move Rampage down to below Forrest- and everyone up one to fill his space.
Posted By: cyks Yes, Rampage has not beaten any elite competitors since he beat Chuck and Henderson in 2007. Regardless, how can you doubt his skills? If he steps into the octagon tomorrow, he should be able to beat most people on the list. Although, perhaps he should be knocked down a few pegs due to inactivity.
"rampage has said a million time he won't check a leg kick so that mean anyone who does what forest did would win buy that doesn't make them a better fighter"
A million times yes it does. If a guy hands out a deficiancy in his own game and never deals with it...he IS a lesser fighter than the people who use it to beat him. Period.
Posted By: AdamS I agree.
People like to shit on Rampage because of the guys severe Bi-polarism,but you seem to forget not only the ammount but the quality of opponets he has laid out and taken wins over.
And as far as forest goes,man who the fuck knows what forest will show up for what fight,that dude is so random it's retarded.
I personally dont think forest deserves being ranked above gegard or nog,but whatever.
Posted By: Showster Have Mousasi and Lil Nog really distinguished themselves that much over Griffin at this point?
Would love it if the UFC would sign Mousasi. Will obviously be difficult with his situation at the moment, but would love to see him fight anyone ranked above him, plus he's still got time to improve and get used to the cage. Until then, Hendo vs. Mousasi will do nicely thankyou.
Posted By: knoxatron He's so young, we may see Mousasi in the UFC before he turns 30-years old, which is five or six years away.
I believe Keith Jardine stays on the list so we don't have to see Chuck or Tito.
And Rampage at #3? C'mon...
Posted By: Ramsey What is that? Reverse Jardine hate? People sure have soured on Rampage since his "retirement."
Anderson Silva should be #2. He destroyed Forrest while the current #2 and #3 lost to him.
Forrest should be #6. Every time he wins a big fight people find a way to discredit his win for some reason. I would love to see Forrest vs. Lil Nog.
The guy who discredited Forrest's winning because he exposed Rampage's weakness is hysterical. Exposing your opponent's weakness is the main concept in MMA......
I really want to see Bones Jones in there with a contender now. He looked awesome versus Hamill. Maybe Bones vs. Lil Nog or Forrest......
Posted By: MJH I'm not sure the UFC will be putting Bones in there with a top contender so quickly. It looks like they are easing him up the ladder. But the kid definitely showed a lot of talent in the DQ loss to Hamill. He's almost the total package.
Out of curiosity, why do people rank Anderson Silva so high at LH? He's only beaten a mediocre James Irvin and while he did crush Forrest, that's really only one noteworthy opponent.
I mean Diego Sanchez has been very impressive in his two fights at lightweight and it's arguable that Joe and Clay are better fighters than Forrest and Irvin. However I don't ever see him ranked as high as five.
Furthermore I think people rate Rashad too high. He beat a past his prime Chuck, and had a good win against Forrest. He was not very impressive against Bisping (who was fighting at the wrong weight class) or Tito (who was past his prime by that point.)
What more does Gegard need to do to be ranked higher?
Posted By: Alex Anderson Silva is ranked so high because we have no other reason to think he cannot beat any fighter on this list. Silva dominated the former champion in a fashion that was almost comical.
As a lightweight, Sanchez is a top-ten guy. While Guida and Stevenson are tough opponens, they are not top-ten fighters. Sanchez looked tremendous prior to the Penn fight but Anderson Silva made a top of the weight class guy in Griffin look like a rookie.
Frankly, Mousasi can only go so high fighting outside the UFC in this weight class. Unlike the lightweight division (where besides Penn, a lot of top talent is outside the UFC), except for himself, all of the top contenders are locked in the UFC. I'll give you Dan Henderson however, if you want to talk about him.
For Rashad, how was Chuck past his prime? He beat Wanderlei in that awesome fight months before. Do you think a reason why Chuck is now considered washed up is because of the BIG KO Rashad landed?
Matyushenko is top 10 in my opinion. Only been stopped once and that was as a heavyweight. Bader also deserves some consideration to.
Posted By: flo jo Bader will need fights against bigger names to get some love it seems. As for Matyushenko, it will be tough for him to climb the rankings while fighting on the prelims.
WTF im tired of seeing a.silva in the top 5. WTF has he done in the LHW division other then ko forrest? Shit. And he won't be fighting in the LHW for at least another year, cause middle weight has a couple challengers and he is injured. So get him the fuck off the top 5
Posted By: Its Shogun Nigga Is this Rich Franklin? As per the rules, if he does not fight in the division nor has a fight scheduled at 205 by August 2009, then he will come off that list.
It wasn't that Anderson crushed Forrest- it was that he was able to toy with him while he did it.
Add to that Anderson's 10 fight win streak (9 of which he finished... the sole survivor, Leites, simply refused to fight).
He's not comparable to Sanchez- who had to change weight classes to find success... Silva has shown it where ever he goes.
I'm sure Diego would be ranked completely differently if he didn't have the 2 losses at WW - or, to more accurately compare to Anderson, if he were the WW champ moving down to LW.
As far as Gegard moving up- he has to beat better opponents. Neither Babalu or Sokoudjou were top 5 opponents... and outside of a win over Henderson, which won't happen anytime soon, Mousasi won't be able to move up too much.
Posted By: cyks Reasonable.
I really think Jon Jones will be top 5 this time next year. I don't know if anyone can deal with his stand up... we shall see. Only time will tell.
Posted By: Brian He has the skills, he will just need to put it all together in the cage.
Why is everyone shitting on Rampage at #3? Are Titties' buddies flooding the comments section? Does Rashad actually have nut-huggers now? This is LHW rankings everybody, how you feel about his alleged coaching on TUF should have nothing to do with this.
Posted By: A. Coolman The defense rests.
I'm surprised Rampage is ranked so high. Out of his last five fights he's lost to Griffin, beat Hendo and beat three guys that guys that are lucky to be employed let alone ranked.
Posted By: K. Bett Hmm...so Rampage is 4-1 and that single loss came by a narrow decision. Get that sucker out of there~!
Umm, he beat Chuck Liddell when Chuck Liddell was on top of the world and the light heavyweight champion. The fact that Chuck went on to drop 3 of his next 4 fights means absolutely nothing as when he and Rampage faced off, Chuck was riding a huge winning streak and was the top 205'er in the world.
Wanderlei Silva was also coming off a win over Keith Jardine and most people figured he'd stop Rampage for the third time.
Posted By: Samer Kadi That win for Rampage was a big deal, getting the proverbial monkey off his back.
Lightweight Rankings from One Year Ago (12/4/2008)
1. B.J. Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Kenny Florian
5. JZ Cavalcante
6. Sean Sherk
7. Takanori Gomi
8. Josh Thomson
9. Gilbert Melendez
10. Joachim Hansen
11. Tatsuya Kawajiri
12. Mitsuhiro Ishida
13. Nate Diaz
14. Jamie Varner
15. Tyson Griffin
Joe Stevenson and Frankie Edgar were "On The Bubble."
THE CREW
The 411 MMA staff is pulling back the curtain to reveal the great 411 Oz. After some consideration, for the the first time in the soon-to-be two-year history of 411 MMA Rankings that you will be able to see which knucklehead put which fighter where.
So here are the nuts and bolts, the breakdown of the rankings from your favorite 411 MMA personalities:
- A fighter must fight at least once within the past calendar year to be ranked. The rule applies to weight classes as well so fighters must stay active inside their native weight class. However, if a fighter has a fight scheduled, they are eligible to be ranked.
- If a fighter appears on just one single ballot, and in the top ten, five points shall be deducted to balance out between other fighters who may have been ranked lower, but appeared on more total ballots.
- If you feel like complaining about a fighter's ranking in the comments section, then please include an objective reason as to why you don't like the ranking. Remember "if u rite lik thiss" then your opinion doesn't matter and everyone will point and laugh.
- 411's MMA Rankings are voted on by the MMA staff of 411mania. If you wish to jump on the bandwagon and throw your hate on top of the pile, be my guest. Just have faith that there will be no backlash, we're writers not fighters. Besides, this is not North Korea. At least, that's what I heard Csonka shout at Ash behind closed doors one time.
* denotes a statistical tie.
411's Official MMA Rankings
Lightweight Division (155 lbs)
1) B.J. Penn (15-5-1)
Height: 5'9
Birthday: December 13, 1978
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Diego Sanchez - Win via TKO (cuts) - UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez - December 12, 2009
- vs. Kenny Florian - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 101: Declaration - August 8, 2009
- vs. Georges St. Pierre - Loss via TKO (corner stoppage) - UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn 2 - January 31, 2009
- vs. Sean Sherk - Win via TKO (knees and punches) - UFC 84: Ill Will - May 24, 2008
- vs. Joe Stevenson - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 80: Rapid Fire - January 19, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
2) Shinya Aoki (22-4)
Height: 5'11
Birthday: May 9, 1983
Currently Fighting With: DREAM
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Joachim Hansen - Win via submission (armbar) - DREAM 11 - October 6, 2009
- vs. Vitor Ribeiro - Win via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 10 - July 20, 2009
- vs. Hayato Sakurai - Loss via KO (knees) - DREAM 8: Welterweight Grand Prix 1st Round - April 5, 2009
- vs. David Gardner - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - DREAM 7: Featherweight Grand Prix 1st Round - March 8, 2009
- vs. Eddie Alvarez - Win via submission (heel hook) - FEG FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 - December 31, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri - K-1 Dynamite!! 2009 - December 31, 2009
Comment: B.J. Penn's camp has noticed the trash talk uttered by Aoki recently and have invited him to come to the UFC. Although that won't happen, does anyone really think Aoki could best Penn?
3) Eddie Alvarez (18-2)
Birthday: November 11, 1984
Currently Fighting With: DREAM, Bellator Fighting Championship, Strikeforce
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Katsunori Kikuno - Win via submission (arm-triangle choke) - DREAM 12 - October 25, 2009
- vs. Toby Imada - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - Bellator Fighting Championship 12 - June 19, 2009
- vs. Eric Reynolds - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - Bellator Fighting Championship 5 - May 1, 2009
- vs. Greg Loughran - Win via submission (guillotine choke) - Bellator Fighting Championship 1 - April 3, 2009
- vs. Shinya Aoki - Loss via submission (heel hook) - FEG FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 - December 31, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
4) Kenny Florian (12-4)
Height: 5'10
Birthday: May 26, 1976
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Clay Guida - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez - December 12, 2009
- vs. BJ Penn - Loss via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 101: Declaration - August 8, 2009
- vs. Joe Stevenson - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar - November 15, 2008
- vs. Roger Huerta - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 87: Seek And Destroy - August 9, 2008
- vs. Joe Lauzon - Win via TKO (punches and elbows) - UFC: Fight Night 13 - April 2, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
5) Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)
Height: 5'7
Birthday: May 8, 1978
Currently Fighting With: DREAM
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Melchor Manibusan - Win via TKO (strikes) - DREAM 11 - October 6, 2009
- vs. Gesias Calvacante - Win via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 9: Featherweight Grand Prix Second Round - May 26, 2009
- vs. Ross Ebanez - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - DREAM 7: Featherweight Grand Prix First Round - March 8, 2009
- vs. Eddie Alvarez - Loss via TKO (punches) - DREAM 5: Lightweight Grand Prix Final - July 21, 2008
- vs. Luiz Firmino - Win via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 3 - Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals - May 11, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Shinya Aoki - K-1 Dynamite!! 2009 - December 31, 2009
6) Gilbert Melendez (15-2)
Height: 5'9
Birthday: April 12, 1982
Currently Fighting With: Strikeforce
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida - Win via TKO - Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg - August 15, 2009
- vs. Rodrigo Damm - Win via KO - Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz - April 11, 2009
- vs. Josh Thomson - Loss via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson - June 27, 2008
- vs. Gabe Lemley - Win via TKO (punches) - Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le - March 29, 2008
- vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida - Loss via decision (unanimous) - Yarennoka: New Year's Even 2007 - December 31, 2007
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Josh Thomson - Strikeforce: Evolution - December 19, 2009
7) Diego Sanchez (21-3)
Height: 5'11
Birthday: December 31, 1981
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. B.J. Penn - Loss via TKO (cuts) - UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez - December 12, 2009
- vs. Clay Guida - Win via decision (split) - UFC Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale - June 20, 2009
- vs. Joe Stevenson - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson - February 21, 2009
- vs. Luigi Fioravanti - Win via TKO (strikes) - Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale - June 21, 2008
- vs. David Bielkheden - Win via submission (strikes) - UFC 82: Pride of a Champion - March 1, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
Comment: In fashion similar to Jon Fitch (against GSP), Diego Sanchez took a beating from BJ Penn and never quit. Penn should have been able to finish the fight in the first round but somehow, Sanchez continued fighting. His face may be wrecked, but he earned a lot more respect with the loss.
8) Frankie Edgar (11-1)
Height: 5'6
Birthday: October 16, 1981
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Matt Veach - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale - December 5, 2009
- vs. Sean Sherk - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida - May 23, 2009
- vs. Hermes Franca - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin - July 19, 2008
- vs. Gray Maynard - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night 13 - April 2, 2008
- vs. Spencer Fisher - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 78: Validation - November 17, 2007
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
9) Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)
Height: 5'10
Birthday: May 26, 1979
Currently Fighting With: DREAM
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Shinya Aoki - Loss via submission (armbar) - DREAM 11 - October 6, 2009
- vs. Shinya Aoki - Win via TKO (punches) - DREAM 5 Lightweight Grand Prix Final - July 21, 2008
- vs. Kultar Gill - Win via submission (armbar) - DREAM 5 Lightweight Grand Prix Final - July 21, 2008
- vs. Eddie Alvarez - Loss via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 3 Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals - May 11, 2008
- vs. Kotetsu Boku - Win via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 1 Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round - March 15, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
10) Gray Maynard (8-0)
Height: 5'8
Birthday: May 9, 1979
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Roger Huerta - Win by decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night 19 - September 16, 2009
- vs. Jim Miller - Win by decision (unanimous) - UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine - March 7, 2009
- vs. Rich Clementi - Win by decision (unanimous) - UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote - October 25, 2008
- vs. Frank Edgar - Win by decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night 13 - April 2, 2008
- vs. Dennis Siver - Win by decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night 12 - January 23, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Nate Diaz - UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Maynard - January 11, 2010
11) Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
Height: 5'6
Birthday: August 5, 1973
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Frankie Edgar - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida - May 23, 2009
- vs. Tyson Griffin - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote - October 25, 2008
- vs. BJ Penn - Loss via TKO (knees and punches) - UFC 84: Ill Will - May 24, 2008
- vs. Hermes Franca - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 73: Stacked - July 7, 2007
- vs. Kenny Florian - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 64: Unstoppable - October 14, 2006
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Jim Miller - UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva - January 2, 2010
12) Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (14-3-1)
Currently Fighting With: DREAM
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri - Loss via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 9: Featherweight Grand Prix Second Round - May 26, 2009
- vs. Shinya Aoki - Loss via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 2: Middleweight Grand Prix Opening Round - April 29, 2008
- vs. Shinya Aoki - No Contest - DREAM: Heiwa 1 - March 15, 2008
- vs. Andre Amade - Win via submission (armbar) - K-1 HERO'S 10 - September 17, 2007
- vs. Vitor Ribeiro - Win via TKO (strikes) - K-1 HERO'S 10 - September 17, 2007
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
*13) Tyson Griffin (13-2)
Height: 5'6
Birthday: April 20, 1984
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Hermes Franca - Win via KO - UFC 103: Belfort vs. Franklin - September 19, 2009
- vs. Rafael dos Anjos - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann - April 1, 2009
- vs. Sean Sherk - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote - October 25, 2008
- vs. Marcus Aurelio - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin - July 5, 2008
- vs. Gleison Tibau - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 81: Breaking Point - February 2, 2008
Next scheduled appearance:
- Injured
*13) Vitor Ribeiro (20-3)
Currently Fighting With: DREAM
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Shinya Aoki - Loss via decision (unanimous) - DREAM 10: Welterweight Grand Prix Final Round - July 20, 2009
- vs. Katsuhiko Nagata - Win via doctor stoppage (cut) - DREAM 8: Welterweight Grand Prix First Round - April 5, 2009
- vs. Gesias Cavalcante - Loss via TKO - K-1 Hero's Tournament Final - September 17, 2007
- vs. Kazuyuki Miyata - Win via submission (arm triangle choke) - K-1 Hero's Middleweight Tournament First Round - July 16, 2007
- vs. Ryuki Ueyama - Win via submission (triangle armbar) - K-1 Hero's 8 - March 12, 2007
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
15) Josh Thomson (16-2)
Height: 5'10
Birthday: September 21, 1978
Currently Fighting With: Strikeforce
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Ashe Bowman - Win via TKO - Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion II - September 20, 2008
- vs. Gilbert Melendez - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson - June 27, 2008
- vs. Adam Lynn - Win via TKO (strikes) - Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion - September 29, 2007
- vs. Nick Gonzalez - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni - June 22, 2007
- vs. Nam Phan - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Triple Threat - December 8, 2006
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Gilbert Melendez - Strikeforce: Evolution - December 19, 2009
Final Notes: Other fighters receiving votes include Takanori Gomi, Ben Henderson, Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida.
I love Edgar as much as the next guy, but Maynard BEAT him. Dear god it's not that hard to see that Gray should clearly be ranked over Edgar.... And Hansen ranked over both of them.
8) Hansen
9) Maynard
10) Edgar
Simple.
Posted By: Brad (Guest) on December 14, 2009 at 11:31 PM
The demand for the Aoki-Penn matchup will letup soon, probably after Kawajiri beats him.
I like Aoki, but Kawajiri is NOT a good fight for him; I don't think he'll be able to control Kawajiri. Kawajiri would probably be the best fit in the UFC out of any of the DREAM LW's.
Posted By: Guest#7602 (Guest) on December 14, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Also, some of you voted JZ over Kawajiri? JZ's last fight was a loss to Kawa...who hasn't lost since.
Posted By: Guest#6247 (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 12:13 AM
glad to see guida finally drop off this list.. now if you guys would stop voting for cavalcante this list would be okay.
i know eddie alvarez is young and has a solid skill set, but until he beats ANYBODY i wont understand him being ranked so high. i would drop him below kawajiri.
and gray maynard may be one of the most boring fighters in the LW division, but he definitely deserves to be ranked ahead of edgar.
with the upcoming schedule of LW fights, this list could look a lot different by mid january
Posted By: buddha (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 12:27 AM
"i know eddie alvarez is young and has a solid skill set, but until he beats ANYBODY i wont understand him being ranked so high. i would drop him below kawajiri."
Alvarez beat Kawajiri.
Posted By: Guest#6591 (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 01:38 AM
Maynard is undefeated and has some wins over tough opponents. Plus he beat Edgar whats going on there. Hansen hasn't won in over a year so he should be below both. Crusher and Melendez are way too high, as is JZ who hasn't won in 2 years and Ribero as well.
Thompson should be higher, Daddy should be at least top 15 as well. Varner should be atleast considered if Henderson is. Other than good list.
Posted By: Guest#7390 (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 06:21 AM
Aoki at #2 is a joke. His stand up is awful. He'd be ranked around 10th on this list if he were fighting in the UFC.
Hopefully Kawajiri puts an end to his hype.
The lightweights in the UFC get ranked lower despite having better skillsets. I don't see how people can watch fighters like Melendez and Maynard, and think Melendez is the better fighter.
And of course Huerta didn't even get a vote, but if he signs with Strikeforce he'll move to around 8th after his first fight against an out-matched opponent.
Posted By: KSti (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 09:54 AM
The rankings for the LW division always remind me of the days I followed wrestling and "smart" fans needing to rank trendy popular indy or Japanese wrestlers ahead of WWF/E guys. In my opinion everyone in the UFC here is underrated.
Florian is #2. Would love top see him fight Aoki. Diego is still top 5 - BJ beats EVERYONE like that at LW. Maynard and Edgar should be in the 6-7 range (how is Frankie ahead of Maynard)? Move Sherk and Griffin up and put Joe Daddy and Clay back in the rankings.
If you think I am nuts answer this - Do you really think Hansen would beat Sherk or Griffin? Also do you really think Punk Thompsen would beat Joe Daddy or Guida? I think those are pretty easy no's.
Posted By: MJH (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 10:05 AM
I gotta think that Ben Henderson should be ranked on here. Maybe I'm biased because watching him fight Cerrone made me shit myself from the awesomeness, but I gotta think he should be on here. Also, I'd put Maynard one spot above Edgar. Another good list overall.
Posted By: guest guest (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 11:09 AM
"The rankings for the LW division always remind me of the days I followed wrestling
and "smart" fans needing to rank trendy popular indy or Japanese wrestlers ahead of WWF/E guys. In my opinion everyone in the UFC here is underrated."
this is a very good point, kenny florian would finish him within the first 2 rounds
Posted By: mae (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 03:09 PM
Are some of you following the UFC hype train so closely that you don't think ANY of the DREAM LW's could have success in the UFC?
Few think Aoki could beat Penn. No other LW in the UFC is on Penn's level...but don't kid yourselves into thinking they couldn't do well in the UFC and that the only good fighters are in Zuffa's promotions.
Posted By: Guest#8810 (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 06:40 PM
honestly with Aoki, and his fantastic gifts in grappling, if he were in the UFC i have a feeling that his ranking would be similar to dustin mclovin... i just think that the wrestlers and weight cutting would be too much for him to control. LW has the landscape wide open where a lot of the perceived top 10 varies wildly after every promotional showcase... this is the last non-monopolized weight class really...
Posted By: jon (Guest) on December 15, 2009 at 07:44 PM
So if Gray beats Nate will he be the next one led to the slaughterhouse?
Posted By: A. Coolman (Guest) on December 16, 2009 at 07:05 PM
"Are some of you following the UFC hype train so closely that you don't think ANY of the DREAM LW's could have success in the UFC?
Few think Aoki could beat Penn. No other LW in the UFC is on Penn's level...but don't kid yourselves into thinking they couldn't do well in the UFC and that the only good fighters are in Zuffa's promotions. "
As the one who posted the original comment I must say that I wasn't saying the Dream guys wouldn't do well in the UFC, but according to these rankings outside of Penn they would dominate. Do you really think outside of Penn 4 of the next 5 best lightweights are not in the UFC? The Dream guys would run through Florian, Diego, Griffin and Edgar? I just don't see it and I watch both all MMA available.
Posted By: MJH (Guest) on December 17, 2009 at 02:58 PM
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