Ennis' Take
ENNIS: Lay of the Land - The UFC's Lightweight Division (August 2012, Part One)
Aug 16, 2012 - 2:05:27 PM ENNIS: Lay of the Land - The UFC's Lightweight Division (August 2012, Part One)

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By: Shawn Ennis, MMATorch Senior Columnist

This will be the first of two parts breaking down the UFC's lightweight division.

It's that time again. Time to break down one of the deepest, if not the deepest division in all of MMA: the lightweight division. It's starting to get a little more complicated here at 155 pounds. Owing to the fact that the last six Lightweight Title fights have featured only four fighters, the rest of the division has had quite some time to sort itself out. Sometimes when that happens, you end up with a rogue's gallery of guys who could potentially contend for the title. In this case, it has actually panned out quite well for the immediate future of the Lightweight Title. There is one clear contender, a couple of guys who can realistically contend for the next title shot, and then we know absolutely nothing. So even though we've only had a couple of title contenders since April 2010, there's no one fighter about whom fans are lamenting that he didn't get his shot when he should have had it. But enough with the preliminaries. Let's get started.

THE CHAMP

Ben Henderson (17-2): You figured that whenever Frankie Edgar lost the title, the new champion probably wouldn't have quite the same underdog reputation that Edgar dealt with throughout his reign. The new champion doesn't have that same status, but it's not far off either. Henderson bested Edgar in two straight fights, but neither was what one would call a resounding victory. In fact, the second fight was a hotly-disputed decision in which most viewers scored the fight for Edgar. And so, despite having won 15 of 16 fights, his most recent loss coming via the infamous "Showtime kick" in 2010, Henderson did not exactly galvanize the fan base in support of his title reign. What Henderson has going for him, though, is an exciting, kinetic style and a fantastic next opponent with whom he's likely to put on a memorable title fight on network TV.

THE CONTENDER

Nate Diaz (16-7): Ah, the Diaz brothers. Remember Nate Diaz's brief foray into Nick's territory at 170 pounds? When Rory MacDonald hit him with the Three Amigos? (Viva la Raza!) So do I, but since Diaz decided to come back to lightweight, he's been straight up dominant. He crushed the corpse of Takanori Gomi, followed by a prolonged beatdown of Donald Cerrone in which he set the record for most strikes landed in a three round UFC fight, and most recently he out-grappled Jim Miller to the point of being the first fighter to submit Miller in his 25 fight career. Not too shabby, and certainly enough to earn him a title shot in a division where very few have shone brighter than the crowd in recent months. It's not hard to see Henderson's potential path to victory, as Miller was able to land several leg kicks even en route to being choked out, and Henderson is likely going to be a bit more elusive than Miller. But at this point am I going to be against Diaz? Nope. And that may just be because I want to live in a world, even if it doesn't last long, where a Diaz brother is UFC Champion. On the other hand, I really do think that the younger brother in Stockton's first family has a legitimate shot at pulling it off. Either way, the fight is destined to be a must-see spectacle.


A STEP OR TWO AWAY

Anthony Pettis (15-2): Though the "Anthony Pettis Number One Contender" train was derailed a bit with a lackluster loss to Clay Guida in June of last year, "Showtime" has rebounded nicely with a workmanlike decision win over Jeremy Stephens and a crushing head kick knockout of Joe Lauzon earlier this year. Those two wins won't be enough to earn Pettis back his contendership, but one more win will probably seal the deal for a title shot. Pettis is well-rounded enough to get the job done in his rumored contender fight with Donald Cerrone, but it's far from a sure thing that the 25-year-old will indeed pull it off. Like the title fight at the top of the division, though, that fight is not to be missed.

Donald Cerrone (19-4, 1 NC): In December of last year, Donald Cerrone was on a hot streak. He had rattled off six victories in just over a year, most recently brutalizing both Charles Oliveira and Dennis Siver, which convinced each man that he had seen enough of 155 pounds and would have to look for greener pastures at featherweight. I know I wasn't the only one who foresaw Cerrone running through Nate Diaz at UFC 141, and those who thought like I did couldn't have been more wrong. Diaz thoroughly out-fought Cerrone for three rounds, famously extending two middle fingers before the final round as Cerrone nodded in what seemed to be agreement. But as is often the case in mixed martial arts, things change quickly. Two victories later, Cerrone is right back into what could be a title eliminator fight with Anthony Pettis. I say it could be a title eliminator for Cerrone, but I wouldn't call it a sure thing. If Pettis wins, there's little doubt he'll be challenging for gold. If Cerrone wins, however, I wouldn't speak so soon. Cerrone has lost only twice in his last 10 fights, but the two men who bested him just happen to be the two men fighting over who will call himself the best lightweight in the world come December 8. It could prove especially tough to sell a Diaz-Cerrone rematch if it comes down to that, as it was just a year ago that Diaz went through Cerrone like a hot knife through butter.

UP AND COMERS

Tim Means (18-3-1): I hadn't heard of Tim Means when he made his UFC debut earlier this year, but after watching his first two fights in the Octagon, I'm taking notice. Means left King of the Cage as the Lightweight and Junior Welterweight (160 lb) champion, and he's won nine straight fights. Stats aside, the guy has looked nasty thus far in the UFC. He provided Bernardo Magalhaes with a three round striking clinic in his first bout, followed by an extremely impressive knockout of Justin Salas in his second fight just a couple of months ago. In the Magalhaes fight, Means was able to stop any attempt by his opponent to take the fight to the ground, but he also made Magalhaes pay each time he attempted a takedown. Too often fighters only stop the takedown but provide no consequences for failing to complete it. Means used the proximity of his opponent to clinch, and he repeatedly hurt Magalhaes with short punches and knees. Means's height (6'2") is a great advantage at 155 pounds, and he has been able to exploit that thus far. In the fight against Salas, Means was able to clip "J-Bomb" in the first ten seconds with a beautiful combination that put Salas on his heels for the rest of the fight (it was only a minute long) and spelled the beginning of the end. Means seems to have good takedown defense and good counter-striking, though he could carry his hands a little higher. He'll fight the debuting Abel Trujillo at UFC 151 in a couple of weeks. If Means continues to impress, don't be surprised to see him on a main card sooner rather than later, even in a crowded division. He's fun to watch, and he's got a mean streak. Never a bad combination to have when you're trying to move up the ranks.

Reza Madadi (12-2): I'll admit that this one may be a bit of a reach, but judging by his first fight, Madadi has the makings of a lightweight mainstay. "Mad Dog" made his UFC debut in Sweden back in April, and the way the crowd responded to him was undeniable. Granted, Madadi is from Sweden, but his charisma also shone through as he fought for the first time on the biggest stage in the world. I do worry based on that performance that Madadi may not be well-rounded enough to survive the onslaught that is the UFC lightweight division. He was being outstruck badly by Yoislandy Izquierdo toward the end of the first round, but he was eventually able to secure a fight-ending guillotine in the second. Of course there are variables that come with any UFC debut, and especially when it comes in one's hometown. Madadi may have had the infamous Octagon jitters, or may have suffered from an adrenaline dump that made his striking look bad, but if he wants to get far here, he won't let that happen again. We should get an indicator of how well-rounded Madadi really is when he fights Cristiano Marcello in Rio at UFC 153. Marcello's striking is rudimentary at best, but his grappling is excellent. Will Madadi keep the fight standing? Will he want to? Can he outgrapple a grappler? It should be an interesting test that Madadi will need to pass if he wants to get a serious look from the UFC (also, the guy helped save a drowning toddler not too long ago - what else do you want in an up and comer?).

There are several fighters right on the cusp of being what I'd define as up and comers. I talked about Khabib Nurmagomedov in the last lightweight edition, and he's still on the radar even after a dubious decision win over Gleison Tibau. Justin Salas and Anton Kuivanen were both more highly regarded than Tim Means was when they debuted against each other the same night that Means made his debut, and they still may turn out to be solid prospects, but I'm more impressed with Means at the moment (especially given the fact that he obliterated Salas). Michael Chiesa is intriguing as a story but I'm eager to see him in some non-TUF-related action before I decide what I think of him. Same goes for other TUF guys like Myles Jury and Joe Proctor. Francisco Trinaldo looked good in beating up Delson Heleno, but in all honesty I haven't watched TUF Brazil, so I'll look forward to his fight with Gleison Tibau to make a more informed decision on what I think about him.

Got something to say? Hit me up on Twitter – @shawnennis – or email me: ennistorch(at)gmail.com, or you can leave a comment below.