411's MMA Rankings 01.10.12: Lightweight Division

Posted by Jonathan Solomon on 01.10.2012

See where Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson rank before they clash in Japan next month! Nate Diaz beat Donald Cerrone, is he a top 5 fighter? Michael Chandler upset Eddie Alvarez, where is he ranked? We rank all the top MMA lightweights in the latest 411 MMA Rankings!



Welcome back to the 411mania MMA Rankings and we have a lot to look at in our second week into 2012. It's been over six weeks since we last checked in with the lightweight division and a LOT has transpired. From defeated champions to new contenders emerging and former contenders dropping by the wayside. Let's get to it!

The biggest 155-pound fight on tap is none other than Frankie Edgar's upcoming fourth UFC championship defense set for Japan against Ben Henderson. The latter of whom earned the opportunity by dismissing Clay Guida in their fight on Fox (which you saw live if you either lived outside the United States or live on Fox Deportes). The fight in question turned out to be one of the best of 2011 and Henderson, who is known for being among the most active and dangerous lightweights around, poses a thorny match-up for the champion. Since jumping up to the UFC in 2011, Henderson has fought a pair of strong grapplers to establish himself (Jim Miller and Guida) and has arguably never looked as strong. However, the last glimpse of Edgar we had was of him knocking out the then-undefeated Gray Maynard. Lesson learned, expect the unexpected.

Speaking of such, how about that Michael Chandler? The former University of Missouri wrestler (following the foot steps of welterweights Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren) had a fight of the year candidate in 2011 of his own against Bellator's best in Eddie Alvarez. To the surprise of many, Chandler was able to unleash his boxing arsenal and land strike after strike on the champion. Even more, with Alvarez's usual striking advantage rendered null, when the fight was determined on the ground, it was Chandler pushing the pace and finishing. Thus, we have a new Bellator champion for the first time and Chandler makes his rankings debut this week.

If it's top lightweights falling to the side that interests you, look no further than Cowboy Donald Cerrone. After extending his 2011 record in the UFC to 4-0, he stepped into the octagon at UFC 141 with a ton of fire against Nate Diaz. Only, that emotion did not translate well into actual fighting. Diaz picked him apart for three rounds and won the unanimous decision. There went the obvious next title contender and now the field is wide open for the UFC to determine who will get the first crack at either Edgar or Henderson as early as the spring (perhaps more realistically, the summer).

---

Feedback to Last Week's Middleweight Rankings

From Royce:
in the video clip with Sonnen he says he will be challenging either Jones or GSP with a win against Munoz...he is serious or is this just a joke?
He's just talking. If he defeats Munoz, he will challenge Anderson Silva.

From Royce:
I agree with your rankings, I just cant stand seeing Hector ranked before Vitor. Not taking away any credit from him, I just feel Vitor's last 5 fights (aside from his fight with Silva) look so much better on paper than Hectors. Maybe I just hate that he really hasnt proven himself fighting much smaller names.
Since moving to middleweight almost four years ago, Belfort is 3-1 (wins against Terry Martin, Matt Lindland and Sexiyama). I don't see how some of Hector Lombard's opponents are so worse than any of those three at middleweight. Plus, Lombard has fought at middleweight for longer and is still overall just 31-2.

From Blode:
No love for Mamed Khalidov? Dude hasn't lost since 08 to Jorge Santiago (who was ranked 7th at the time according to fightmatrix) and before that since 2005. In fact, since that 05 loss he's 21-1-2.
The loss was in 2010, not 2008. Since then, he's 4-0-1 (wins over Yuki Sasaki, James Irvin, Matt Lindland and Jesse Taylor). Maybe he should receive at least an honorable mention but I'm not sure he'll be able to overtake guys like Tim Kennedy, Rousimar Palhares or Jacare just yet. If Khalidov fights someone of relevance again, he shouldn't have a problem gaining some publicity. Remember that Sasaki, Lindland and Irvin have lost more than they have won recently.

From Alex:
Is Siva 29-4 or 31-4?
It depends. The UFC lists him as having a 29-4 record. Other outlets say 31-4. The two fights in question would be the first two professional fights of his career in Brazil.

From Jonathan Deuce:
Kennedy is really getting shit on in this list. Better than Stann and should really be in his spot.
Tim Kennedy should be at #8 instead of Stann? The only top 15 fighter Kennedy has beaten was Lawler (who at the time was ranked). His other fight against a legit top 10 fighter was against Jacare and although it was close, he lost. Meanwhile, Stann beat a pair of ranked fighters in 2011 between Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago, before losing to the #2 middleweight.

From KSti:
Lombard at five is a joke. The comments section has been a slow lately and that was there to stir things up, right? Shlemenko shouldn't even be ranked.
Your problem with Lombard is the fact he does not get the opportunity to fight top 10 talent being in Bellator, correct? That's fair, but it's tough to argue with his performances over the past several years. You would assume UFC middleweights would fill up the top 5 since they get to fight each other. However, nobody outside of Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz and Yushin Okami have been able to consistently win against top competition. Belfort has not fought enough at the weight to be in the top five. Bisping is on a four fight win streak, but none of those opponents are ranked. Brian Stann just lost to Chael Sonnen in a fight where he was never even in it. Demian Maia is 3-2 in his last five fights and the best of those fighters was Jorge Santiago. Luke Rockhold beat a top 5 guy in Jacare, but thet's it. Do you want to see Alan Belcher in the top 5?

As for Shlemenko, since returning to the United States in 2010, he's 10-1 and lost a decision to Hector Lombard. He won two Bellator tournaments knocking off Jared Hess (10-1-1 record at the time), Bryan Baker (13-1 at the time), Brian Rogers (8-2 at the time) and Vitor Vianna (12-1-1 at the time). At 44-7 overall, you cannot even make an argument for him to be ranked towards the bottom of the list (#13 is where we had him)?


From MPMoore:
Munoz/Okami should be flipped.
I still feel Okami is overrated. Munoz wins that fight 6-7 times out of 10 and he has more wins since that fight.
Lombard needs to hurry up and finish whatever agreement he has in Bellator and jump ship to the big leagues. I wanna see what he's made of against top competition. Dude's a beast, but anyone looks violent smashing cans...
Perhaps Munoz should be above him because he does have wins over Demian Maia and Chris Leben most recently. However, Okami's win over Munoz is still relatively recent to still be worth considering. We'll see what happens in 18 days when Munoz fights Chael Sonnen with the number one contender spot on the line behind Anderson Silva.

From Baron Skinny:
It's difficult to disagree with the rankings. I'd say that Bisping is the gatekeeper for fighters being considered a top ranked fighter as he doesn't tend to beat anybody better than him or lose to inferior opponents.
On a side note, I don't get why Bisping is fighting Maia whilst Sonnen fights Munoz. If Sonnen isn't fighting Silva (the biggest money fight that UFC has right now) then he should be up against Bisping. The promo's would be great and I'm sure it would draw a big rating. If both Sonnen and Bisping lose (which is quite possible) then UFC have pi$$ed away millions of dollars.
You touched on something very real there in that the UFC is risking a lot of money with the two main fights on Fox. If Rashad Evans loses to Phil Davis, they cost themselves a big PPV main event between Jon Jones and Evans. Likewise, if Munoz beats Sonnen, then the HUGE main event is Brazil is all of a sudden not so huge.

As to why Bisping is in the position he's in, I believe it's because he still is a step away from title contention. While he does have four consecutive wins, none of the four would be considered top middleweights. Meanwhile, Munoz's four fight win streak is more impressive (Maia and Leben).

Plus, he was healthy coming off the Mayhem fight and why not give him the opportunity to fight on Fox? This way, if he wins, he gets some publicity and over 5 million viewers get to see a future challenger to Anderson Silva down the road. Of course, if Maia upsets him, it's all for naught.

Some gambles are being placed on the Fox show (and while the UFC obviously does not cheer for one fighter or the other), to maximize business in 2012, Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen must win and stay healthy.

From K. Bett:
Wow I really didn't expect to see Lombard that high, I like the guy and all but five is a little high when the top name he's beaten is barely a consensus top twenty.

Didn't realize how old this division is until now. Anthony Johnson and Belcher should both have a good year
The problem is if not Hector, who takes the final spot in the top 5? Nobody has emerged and claimed that spot through fighting top guys. Anthony Johnson could be on his way if he can upset Vitor Belfort this weekend, though.

From rodeo:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Bisping is ranked 7th due to fighting zero ranked fighters? Is that right? It's not like the guy is fighting in Strikeforce. What's the justification for including him on this list??
Bisping is ranked #7 because he's won four fights in a row and has not lost in nearly two years. Justification for including him? What's your beef with Bisping?

Remember, over the same stretch (Bisping's 4-0 run), Stann is 3-1, Maia is 3-1, Belcher is 2-0 and Palhares is 2-1.



Thanks for all the comments, questions and whatever else you sent our way. It is always appreciated and welcome!

---

Lightweight Rankings from One Year Ago (December 2010)

1. Frankie Edgar

2. Gray Maynard

3. Gilbert Melendez

4. B.J. Penn

5. Eddie Alvarez

6. Kenny Florian

7. Ben Henderson

8. Shinya Aoki

9. Josh Thomson

10. Tatsuya Kawajiri

11. George Sotiropoulos

12. Evan Dunham

13. JZ Cavalcante

14. Lyle Beerbohm

15. Sean Sherk

---

411's MMA Ranking Rules

- 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.

- Use the comments section below to show support or hate on the 411 MMA Rankings.

- 411's MMA Rankings are voted on by the MMA staff of 411mania. So if you're an MMA fighter like Michael Bisping, please aim for the 411mania HQ windows instead of the floor. Lord Csonka just had them buffed. Thank you.








411's Official MMA Rankings

Lightweight Division (155 lbs)





1) Frankie Edgar (14-1-1)

Height: 5'6

Birthday: October 16, 1981

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 6 fights:

- vs. Gray Maynard - Win via KO (punches) - UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard 3 - October 8, 2011

- vs. Gray Maynard - DRAW (split) - UFC 125: Resolution - January 1, 2011

- vs. B.J. Penn - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 - August 28, 2010

- vs. B.J. Penn - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 112: Invincible - April 10, 2010

- vs. Matt Veach - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale - December 5, 2009

Next scheduled appearance:

- vs. Ben Henderson - UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson - February 26, 2012

---

2) Gilbert Melendez (20-2)

Height: 5'9

Birthday: April 12, 1982

Currently Fighting With: Strikeforce

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Jorge Masvidal - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal - December 17, 2011

- vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri - Win via TKO (strikes) - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley - April 9, 2011

- vs. Shinya Aoki - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Nashville - April 17, 2010

- vs. Josh Thomson - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Evolution - December 19, 2009

- vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida - Win via TKO - Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg - August 15, 2009

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Melendez isn't headed to the UFC anytime soon after all, but he did smoke Jorge Masvidal to the extent that their fight was not close at all. In his victory promo, Gilbert called on the UFC to send him some contenders (unlike Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, who questionably called on the UFC to send him contenders so he could become a UFC contender???). It's unclear what the future holds for Melendez in terms of opposition, but he appears to be as complete a lightweight as Frankie Edgar right now.

---

3) Ben Henderson (15-2)

Height: 5'9

Birthday: November 16, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Clay Guida - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos - November 12, 2011

- vs. Jim Miller - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC on Versus: Hardy vs. Lytle - August 14, 2011

- vs. Mark Bocek - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields - April 30, 2011

- vs. Anthony Pettis - Loss via decision (unanimous) - WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis - December 16, 2010

- vs. Donald Cerrone - Win via submission (guillotine choke) - WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber - April 24, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- vs. Frankie Edgar - UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson - February 26, 2012

Comment: Bendo gets his first crack a title since he lost in the WEC finale to Anthony Pettis over one year ago. He may not have a bunch of hype just yet, but Henderson had a tremendous 2011 with wins over Jim Miller and Clay Guida. He took care of business against two difficult lightweights, both of whom were considered among the top five in the division. He will take on Frankie Edgar in Japan and this fight should be an early contender for fight of the year. Neither man is easy to finish. Plus, you mix Edgar's striking ability with Henderson's strength as a grappler and you have a situation where someone is going to be forced to fight their opponent's style of fight.

---

4) Gray Maynard (10-1-1)

Height: 5'8

Birthday: May 9, 1979

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 6 fights:

- vs. Frankie Edgar - Loss via KO (strikes) - UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard 3 - October 8, 2011

- vs. Frankie Edgar - DRAW (split) - UFC 125: Resolution - January 1, 2011

- vs. Kenny Florian - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 - August 28, 2010

- vs. Nate Diaz - Win by decision (split) - UFC Fight Night 20 - January 11, 2010

- vs. Roger Huerta - Win by decision (split) - UFC Fight Night 19 - September 16, 2009

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment:As you can see above, Maynard has been training at Nova Uniao in Brazil with Jose Aldo, helping the featherweight champion prepare for his fight with Chad Mendes this weekend. In reports, Maynard says he has improved a lot by training with the folks down there and this type of fresh exposure may be just what his career needs. Remember, he lost for the first time in October and he is still a dominant wrestler with power in his hands. I would not want to be the man to fight Maynard in his next fight (not that I would want to be any man stepping inside the octagon, but that goes without saying).

---

5) Clay Guida (29-12)

Height: 5'7

Birthday: December 8, 1981

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Ben Henderson - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos - November 12, 2011

- vs. Anthony Pettis - Win via decision (unanimous) - TUF 13 Finale - June 4, 2011

- vs. Takanori Gomi - Win via submission (Guillotine Choke) - UFC 125: Resolution - January 1, 2011

- vs. Rafael dos Anjos - Win via submission (Injury) - UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen - August 7, 2010

- vs. Shannon Gugerty - Win via submission (Arm Triangle Choke) - UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones - March 21, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: With all the activity in this division, Guida stabilizes at #5 following his loss on Fox to Ben Henderson. Unfortunately for the Carpenter, Guida has come up short when given a big opportunity to take that next step into the title picture.

---

6) Shinya Aoki (30-5)

Height: 5'11

Birthday: May 9, 1983

Currently Fighting With: DREAM

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Satoru Kitaoka - Win via decision (unanimous) - Fight For Japan 2011 - December 31, 2011

- vs. Rob McCullough - Win via submission (neck crank) - DREAM 17 - September 24, 2011

- vs. Rich Clementi - Win via submission (neck crank) - DREAM: Fight For Japan - May 29, 2011

- vs. Lyle Beerbohm - Win via submission (neck crank) - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley - April 9, 2011

- vs. Yokthai Sithoar - Win via submission (Americana) - Deep: 50th Impact - October 24, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Aoki retained his DREAM championship on New Year's Eve against Satoru Kitaoka in a hard fought decision, making his 2011 a perfect 4-0. It sounds like he plans to fight on a One FC card by March and whether or not he plans to return to the United States before the summer remains to be seen.

---

7) Nate Diaz (15-7)

Height: 6'0

Birthday: April 16, 1985

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Donald Cerrone - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem - December 30, 2011

- vs. Takanori Gomi - Win via submission (armbar) - UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage - September 24, 2011

- vs. Rory MacDonald - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields - April 30, 2011

- vs. Dong Hyun Kim - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 125: Edgar vs. Maynard 2 - January 1, 2011

- vs. Marcus Davis - Win via submission (guillotine choke) - UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 - August 28, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Stockton's own Nate Diaz had arguably the most impressive performance of his career at UFC 141, picking apart Cowboy Cerrone. It is not hyperbole to say the majority of the strikes he threw landed, resulting in Cerrone's face being a bloody mess. With the win, Diaz becomes a legit contender although what's next is uncertain. With the weird beef between B.J. Penn and Cesar Gracie/Nick Diaz on Twitter being rekindled, could we see the Prodigy return to 155 to take on another Diaz?

---

8) Michael Chandler (9-0)

Height: 5'8

Birthday: April 24, 1986

Currently Fighting With: Bellator Fighting Championship

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Eddie Alvarez - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - Bellator 58 - November 19, 2011

- vs. Patricky Freire - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 44 - May 14, 2011

- vs. Lloyd Woodard - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 40 - April 8, 2011

- vs. Marcin Held - Win via technical submission (arm triangle choke) - Bellator 46 - March 12, 2011

- vs. Chris Page - Win via submission (guillotine choke) - Bellator 32 - October 14, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Wow. Talk about unexpected outcomes. Michael Chandler began the year as one of eight men in the Bellator lightweight tournament and he concluded 2011 as THE MAN. It was as if he blasted Eddie Alvarez from the get go at Bellator 58 and did not let up until he secured the rear naked choke late in the fight. Chandler has a stout wrestling base with effective striking and is always improving with just nine professional fights.

---

9) Jim Miller (20-3)

Height: 5'8

Birthday: August 30, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Ben Henderson - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC on Versus: Hardy vs. Lytle - August 14, 2011

- vs. Kamal Shalorus - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones - March 19, 2011

- vs. Charles Oliveira - Win via submission (Kneebar) - UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 - December 11, 2010

- vs. Gleison Tibau - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares - September 15, 2010

- vs. Mark Bocek - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 111: St. Pierre vs. Hardy - March 27, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- vs. Melvin Guillard - UFC on FX: Miller vs. Guillard - January 20, 2012

Comment: Much like Melvin, Miller is looking to fight past his first loss in recent memory. After being handled rather simplistically by current top contender Ben Henderson, the lighter edition of the Fighting Miller Brothers must be eager to get back in the cage. Can he deal with Guillard's explosive striking? You would have to believe yes if he can have success on the ground, which has proven to be Melvin Guillard's weakness.

---

10) Anthony Pettis (13-2)

Height: 5'9

Birthday: January 27, 1987

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Jeremy Stephens - Win via decision (split) - UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard 3 - October 8, 2011

- vs. Clay Guida - Loss via decision (unanimous) - TUF 13 Finale - June 4, 2011

- vs. Ben Henderson - Win via decision (unanimous) - WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis - December 16, 2010

- vs. Shane Roller - Win via submission (Triangle Choke) - WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 - August 18, 2010

- vs. Alex Karalexis - Win via submission (Triangle Choke) - WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber - April 24, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- vs. Joe Lauzon - UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson - February 26, 2012

---

11) Joe Lauzon (21-6)

Height: 5'10

Birthday: May 22, 1984

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Melvin Guillard - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard 3 - October 8, 2011

- vs. Curt Warburton - Win via submission (Kimura) - UFC on Versus: Kongo vs. Barry - June 26, 2011

- vs. George Sotiropoulos - Loss via submission (Kimura) - UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida - November 20, 2010

- vs. Gabe Ruediger - Win via submission (armbar) - UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 - August 28, 2010

- vs. Sam Stout - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva - January 2, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- vs. Anthony Pettis - UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson - February 26, 2012

---

12) Eddie Alvarez (22-3)

Birthday: November 11, 1984

Currently Fighting With: Bellator Fighting Championship

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Michael Chandler - Loss via submission (rear naked choke) - Bellator 58 - November 19, 2011

- vs. Pat Curran - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 39 - April 2, 2011

- vs. Roger Huerta - Win via TKO (doctor stoppage) - Bellator 33 - October 21, 2010

- vs. Josh Neer - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - Bellator 17 - May 6, 2010

- vs. Katsunori Kikuno - Win via submission (arm-triangle choke) - DREAM 12 - October 25, 2009

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Alvarez lost his Bellator championship in November in one of the best fights of the year and finds himself outside the top 10 in the division for the first time in years. Michael Chandler brought the fight to the long-time champion and Alvarez was not able to take advantage of his wrestling base. Alvarez found some success during the fight with his boxing but it was Chandler who rocked him, leading to the fight ending rear naked choke. Exactly what is next for Alvarez is uncertain but it does seem like the rumored rematch with Shinya Aoki will not be happening.

---

13) Donald Cerrone (17-4-0-1)

Height: 6'

Birthday: March 29, 2983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Nate Diaz - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem - December 30, 2011

- vs. Dennis Siver - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 137: Diaz vs. Penn - October 29, 2011

- vs. Charles Oliveira - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC on Versus: Hardy vs. Lytle - August 14, 2011

- vs. Vagner Rocha - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin - June 11, 2011

- vs. Paul Kelly - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort - February 5, 2011

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Cowboy's 2011 finally took a turn for the negative when he simply got beat up by Nate Diaz at UFC 141. Disagreeing with his coaches at cage side, Cerrone refused to go to the ground, insisting to fight Diaz in a kickboxing match. Regardless, Cerrone wants to stay active and hopes to get another fight as soon as possible. After going 4-1 in 2011, he has a lot of expectations this year and he will need to start fresh, just as he did one year ago in his UFC debut.

---

14) Melvin Guillard (28-9-2)

Height: 5'9

Birthday: March 30, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Joe Lauzon - Loss via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard 3 - October 8, 2011

- vs. Shane Roller - Win via KO (punches) - UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 - July 2, 2011

- vs. Evan Dunham - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC Fight For The Troops 2 - January 22, 2011

- vs. Jeremy Stephens - Win via decision (split) - UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop - September 25, 2010

- vs. Waylon Lowe - Win via KO (knee) - UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans - May 29, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- vs. Jim Miller - UFC on FX: Miller vs. Guillard - January 20, 2012

Comment: Guillard will attempt to make his October loss to Joe Lauzon a distant memory in 10 days when he fights Jim Miller in the main event on FX. Guillard will have his hands full against a more than capable BJJ fighter who is difficult to finish. Melvin has not lost consecutive fights since 2007 when he was choked out by both Joe Stevenson and Rich Clementi.

---

15) Gleison Tibau (25-7)

Height: 5'10

Birthday: July 10, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

- vs. Rafael dos Anjos - Win via decision (split) - UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson - November 19, 2011

- vs. Rafaello Oliveira - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill - May 28, 2011

- vs. Kurt Pellegrino - Win via decision (split) - UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones - March 19, 2011

- vs. Jim Miller - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares - September 15, 2010

- vs. Caol Uno - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi - March 31, 2010

Next scheduled appearance:

- Unknown

Comment: Tibau makes his 411 Rankings debut in the lightweight mix-up over the past several weeks. On a three-fight winning streak, could 2012 be the year he finally emerges as a legit title contender?




Final Notes: Brian Cobb, Jacob Volkmann and Caros Fodor received additional votes.