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By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Contributor
Follow along by checking out the previous part in this series with Part Four: The Japanese MMA Scene.
It’s time to take a look at the lightweight division (155 lbs). To be frank, the Lightweight division is a mess right now. Each of the three different organizations based in the USA feature Lightweight Champions with a justifiable claim to the title of best Lightweight in the world. Lightweight is the only division where that is the case. In each of the other four divisions, The UFC champ is the best fighter in the world at that weight class.
But lightweight is a mess. Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce), Eddie Alvarez (Bellator), and Frankie Edgar (UFC) all can make a compelling case to be called the best Lightweight in the world. And until April 17, 2010, a fourth (Shinya Aoki) had his fair share of deluded followers as well. But the best lightweight fighter in the world hasn’t even been listed yet. Oh the drama. I can’t take it anymore.
THE BEST LIGHTWEIGHT IN THE WORLD
B.J. Penn (15-6-1)
Fights for: UFC
Next fight: vs. UFC LW Champ Frankie Edgar, UFC 118, August 28
Synopsis: B.J. Penn is the best lightweight MMA fighter the planet has ever seen, and is the best LW currently fighting. And in his most recent fight, he dropped the UFC LW title to Frankie Edgar (UFC 112, April 10). In January of 2002, “The Prodigy” lost a majority decision to Jens Pulver at UFC 35. From that time until the Edgar fight, he went 9-0-1 at 155 lb. He also won the UFC Welterweight Championship during that spell.
Penn started training in 1997, and in the year 2000 he won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships held in Brazil, where he became the first non-Brazilian to win a world title. Three years of training, that's all he had. He’s also unanimously regarded as the best boxer in the division. His Achilles heel in years past (cardio) has seemingly been cured in his recent performances.
Notable Victories: Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Matt Serra, Takanori Gomi, Matt Hughes (Welterweight), Rodrigo Gracie (Middleweight), Renzo Gracie (Middleweight), Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson (for vacant LW Championship), Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez
Conclusion: Physically, athletically, and by resume, the man simply has no peers in the division. If he loses to Edgar in August, then it will be fair to wonder if age has caught up to him. Until then, he had a bad night. You know, like he gets every 99 months or so.
THE UFC CHAMPION
Frankie Edgar (12-1)
Fights for: UFC
Next fight: vs. B.J. Penn, UFC 118, August 28
Synopsis: So if Penn is the lovechild of Chuck Norris and Superman (if Superman had ovaries), why isn’t he the UFC LW Champion, and who the hell is Frankie Edgar? He sounds like some goombah from Jersey or something.
Good questions, and, you’re right. “The Answer” is indeed from Jersey. He also won a decision versus B.J. Penn in April of this year at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi (yes, THAT Abu Dhabi). Edgar was the more active and aggressive fighter, consistently punching at the air two inches to the side of or in front of Penn, and he outpointed Penn to win a disgustingly bad decision victory. Had the fight been Frankie Edgar vs. The Air Two Inches to the Side of or In Front of B.J. Penn, Edgar would have won easily, considering how often he threw and missed. To be fair, Frankie Edgar is a fantastic wrestler, an active boxer, and has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has beaten a slew of great lightweights, and is certainly one of the best lightweights in the world
Notable Victories: Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek, Spencer Fisher, Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn
Conclusion: The man is a legitimate talent, and is rightfully regarded as one of the best lightweights in the world. And he’ll always be known as the first LW in eight years to defeat B.J. Penn.
STRIKEFORCE CHAMPION
Gilbert Melendez (18-2)
Fights for: Strikeforce
Next fight: TBA
Synopsis: Gilbert Melendez is the best fighter in Strikeforce. “El Nino” has been with Strikeforce since 2006, and has only fought outside of the organization three time since. Melendez is a wrestler/boxer hybrid, with the ability to both finish fights with knockout power, or on the ground with vicious ground and pound. He might be even more successful if he were to leave Strikeforce, as the organization does not allow elbows on the ground, a seriously advantageous tool for ground and pound oriented wrestlers. Melendez trains with Cesar Gracie’s camp in San Jose, but doesn’t use much jiu-jitsu in his bag of tricks. A consensus top 5 LW, he may need to find a way out of Strikeforce, as there is very little competition for him right now.
Conclusion: Melendez is phenomenal, and possesses great hair. He needs to get out of Strikeforce and into the UFC so that he can truly test himself
BELLATOR CHAMPION
Eddie Alvarez (20-2)
Fights for: Bellator Fighting Championships
Next fight: TBA
Synopsis: Casual fans don’t know much of Eddie Alvarez, but they are missing out on an elite fighter. “The Silent Assassin” built much of his resume in Japan, including thrilling victories in the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix in 2008. Alvarez is a fantastic boxer who has also won his last five fights via one form of choke or another. He is definitely a finisher, as only two of his twenty victories have gone to judges scorecards. There is plenty of buzz that Bellator and Strikeforce are trying to put together a superfight between Alvarez and Melendez. If this does come to fruition, you owe it to yourself to drop everything you’re doing and watch that fight.
Notable Victories: Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri,
Conclusion: See how thin that list of notable victories is? Alvarez is about a gazillion times better than anyone Bellator will ever have at LW, so for a long time he’s going to be fighting guys who have no business being in the cage with him.
THE ELITE
Kenny Florian (14-4)
Fights for: UFC
Next Fight: vs. Gray Maynard, UFC 118, August 28
Synopsis: Kenny Florian fought on the legendary first season of The Ultimate Fighter, losing in the finals to Diego Sanchez. His career has eclipsed Sanchez’s, though. “Ken Flo” (I know, awful, eh?) has had two title shots, losing to Sean Sherk in 2006, and to B.J. Penn last August. Florian is fantastic at both Muay Thai and BJJ, with ever-improving boxing. His bout with Gray Maynard on August 28 will determine who gets the next shot at the LW title.
Notable Victories: Sam Stout, Joe Lauzon, Roger Huerta, Joe Stevenson, Clay Guida, Takanori Gomi
Conclusion: He’s a top 5 LW whose only losses since TUF have been in LW title shots. He’s good enough to constantly be in title contention, but not good enough to become the champion. There’s no shame in consistently being the third or fourth best in the world.
Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 NC)
Fights for: UFC
Next Fight: vs. Kenny Florian, UFC 118, August 28
Synopsis: Another TUF alum (Season 5), Maynard is an undefeated fighter who is the only man to hold a victory over Frankie Edgar, having thoroughly dominated him when they faced off in 2008. Edgar got the title shot in April over “The Bully” because Maynard is kind of boring, and his last couple wins have been unimpressive. He’s a dominant wrestler, and is ever-improving at boxing. If he defeats Florian on August 28, he will get his LW title shot, boring or not.
Notable Victories: Frank Edgar, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz
Conclusion: Maynard’s style has gotten him a 9-0 record, but is also the reason he hasn’t had a title shot yet. It’s been almost three years since he’s finished a fight. Maynard is effective at what he does, and can not be denied a LW title shot if he defeats Florian on August 28.
THE NEXT LEVEL
Shinya Aoki (24-5, 1 NC)
Fights for: Dream
Next Fight: vs. TBA, Dream 16, September 25
Synopsis: Aoki is the best Japan has to offer. Aoki is absolutely lethal on the ground. If he gets a hold of a limb, it is literally tap or snap. His last two victories have seen him go out of his way to break Mizuto Hirota’s arm (Hirota refused to tap) and shred Tatsuya Kawajiri’s leg. Hirota and Kawajiri are the second and third best lightweights in Japan, and they never stood a chance. Aoki’s one foray to the States saw him be humiliated by Gilbert Melendez in April of 2010. Aoki has nothing to offer in the striking game.
Notable Victories: Joachim Hansen (x2), Gesias Calvancante, Caol Uno, Eddie Alvarez, Mizuto Hirota, Tatsuya Kawajiri
Conclusion: It’s unlikely that Aoki could contend with the best lightweights that America has to offer, but he has the opposite of the “puncher’s chance” every time he faces off. There’s no one fighting in Japan who can feel confident going up against him, though.
Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
Fights for: UFC
Next Fight: vs. Evan Dunham, UFC 119, September 25
Synopsis: Sherk is 155 pounds of muscle that never ever gets tired. Unfortunately, in 2007 he was 155 pounds of muscle and a couple grams of Nandrolone. Oops. “The Muscle Shark” (Don’t blame me, I’m not making them up) defeated Kenny Florian to win the vacant LW title in 2006. Sherk followed that up with a win over Hermes Franca in 2007. After the fight, BOTH fighters failed steroid tests. Sherk was stripped of the title and failed to reclaim the belt in his title shot against B.J. Penn in 2008. Constantly plagued by injuries in recent year, Sherk has only lost to the the two best welterweights ever (Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre), the best LW ever (Penn), and the current LW Champion (Edgar).
Notable Victories: Karo Parisyan (x2), Nick Diaz, Kenny Florian, Tyson Griffin
Conclusion: Sherk failing his steroid test after UFC 73 was a black eye for the sport. His adamant denials have won him exactly zero fans. He’s the best wrestler at 155, but lost to Edgar primarily because he decided to box. Sherk needs to stay healthy for the next couple years if he has any hopes of one last title run.
Evan Dunham (11-0)
Fights for: UFC
Next Fight: vs. Sean Sherk, UFC 119, September 25
Synopsis: Dunham exploded on the scene by defeating TUF Season 8 winner Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin in back to back fights earlier this year. Dunham is a BJJ black belt and a fantastic wrestler, but can also acquit himself well in the stand up game. If he defeats Sherk in September, he could be one more win away from a title.
Notable Victories: Efrain Escudero, Tyson Griffin
Conclusion: Sherk will be a huge notch in his belt if he can pull off that win. Both fighters are tremendous wrestlers, so it could come down to the stand up game.
George Sotiropoulos (13-2)
Fights for: UFC
Next Fight: TBA
Synopsis: Sotiropoulos is yet another TUF alum (Season 6) who is making waves in the UFC’s LW division. Sotiropoulos is 33 years old, so it’s not fair to call him a prospect. Having bested Joe Stevenson and Kurt Pellegrino earlier this year, Sotiropoulos is expected to face a contender in his next bout, and could be one more fight away from a title shot. If Sotiropoulos gets on top of a fighter, he is one of the best in the sport at capitalizing. A high level BJJ black belt, the best fighter to come from Down Under is scary good on the ground.
Notable Victories: Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino
Conclusion: It will be interesting to see who Sotiropoulos is going to face off against next.
Jim Miller (15-2)
Fights for: UFC
Next Fight: vs. Gleison Tibau, UFC Fight Night 22, September 15
Synopsis: Miller is constantly overlooked when people think of the top lightweights in the world, and I can’t really figure out why. Maybe it’s because he’s a solid B+ in all categories, but flashy in none. To be fair, he is a BJJ black belt, so that’s not 100% true. Maybe it’s because he lacks a signature victory. Or maybe it’s because the two times he’s been paired with an elite LW, he’s come up a little short in decision losses to Maynard and Edgar (although the Edgar loss was before either man had made their name). Hopefully for Miller he’ll be able to extend his current four-fight win streak and be given a prime time fight.
Notable Victories: Mac Danzig, Mark Bocek
Conclusion: Miller, as even his name would attest, isn’t flashy. Unfortunately, sometimes sizzle sells. He’s incapable of a boring fight, but somehow that gets overlooked when people think of Jim Miller.
THE POOL
Tatsuya Kajiri is the closest thing that Japan has to an American style LW. He’s a boxer-wrestler type. And hopefully when his knee heals from the shredding that Aoki gave it, he can climb back up the ladder. Benson “Smooth” Henderson is the WEC LW Champion. It’s impossible to know just how good he is until he is able to perform against top level competition. All of his fights are entertaining. Tyson Griffin is the gatekeeper of the UFC LW division. A wrestler who thinks he’s a boxer, he’s just too short, both in height and in reach, to ever really contend. He’s a solid top 15 LW, though. Joe Stevenson is the other veteran gatekeeper at 155 lb. in the UFC. Easily one of the best people in the sport, and possesses a never ending gas tank. He also has the best guillotine choke in the LW division. Clay Guida looks like a caveman, but his skills have evolved about as slowly as a caveman. An absolute ball of fire, Guida sets the craziest pace in MMA and never fatigues. He wins by setting tempo and wearing people down. His stand-up game is rudimentary at best. His fights are usually exciting as all hell. Takanori Gomi was one of the two best lightweights in the world for several years, but is now a shell of his former self. Once a feared striker, he has one last shot on August 1 when he faces off against Tyson Griffin on Versus.
MY CURRENT LIGHTWEIGHT RANKINGS:
1. B.J. Penn
2. Eddie Alvarez
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Gray Maynard
5. Kenny Florian
6. Frankie Edgar
7. Evan Dunham
8. George Sotiropoulos
9. Jim Miller
10. Shinya Aoki
UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Jens Pulver
a. Defeated Caol Uno at UFC 30 to become the first UFC LW Champion
b. Defeated Dennis Hallman at UFC 33
c. Defeated BJ Penn at UFC 35 (Stripped of title when he left the UFC)
• Penn and Uno fought to a draw in a fight to determine the next LW Champion. The division was disbanded for several years
2. Sean Sherk
a. Defeated Kenny Florian at UFC 64 to win vacant LW Championship
b. Defeated Hermes Franca at UFC 73 (Stripped of title after UFC 73 fight for failing a drug test)
3. B.J. Penn
a. Defeated Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 to win vacant LW Championship
b. Defeated Sean Sherk at UFC 84
c. Defeated Kenny Florian at UFC 101
d. Defeated Diego Sanchez at UFC 107
4. Frankie Edgar
a. Defeated B.J. Penn at UFC 112 to win UFC LW Championship
[B.J. Penn art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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