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[TeddyDaBear]

UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Many believe it is the most exciting division in mixed martial arts.

But not many guys walking around at 155 pounds have truly devastating, one-punch knockout power like Chuck Liddell or Tim Sylvia. Not many of them can fire a high kick like Mirko Cro Cop or Gabriel Gonzaga. So, what makes the little fellas so exciting?

It can be summed up with three words: blazing, nonstop action.

Stated differently, a lightweight bout is like watching the other weight classes on fast forward. From lightning quick punches that come in rapid-fire succession to amazing scrambles to crazy transition jiu-jitsu, the little guys know how to thrill the crowd.

Who is the division kingpin? Who is next up to challenge for the title? And what marquee names round out the list of true division contenders?

The King

B.J. Penn: After almost four years spent fighting at 170-lbs and above, Penn returned to the lightweight division last June to avenge a loss earlier in his career to Jens Pulver. He was more dominant than ever, seemingly toying with the former 155-lb champion before finally putting him away with a rear naked choke at the 3:12 mark of the second round. Joe Stevenson met with the same fate seven months later as Penn took the UFC Lightweight Championship, his second UFC title in as many weight classes. “The Prodigy” has explosive hands and possibly the best jiu-jitsu of any American athlete. But his weakness has always been a lackadaisical approach to conditioning. Penn claims a new found dedication to training and conditioning will forever resolve any questions surrounding his cardio. That new found dedication will be put to the test later this year when Penn defends against former champion Sean Sherk in what could be the defining fight of Penn’s lightweight career to date.

The Muscle Shark

Sean Sherk: No fighter packs more explosive muscle into a 5-foot-6 frame than Sherk. And he uses his freakish strength, impressive wrestling skills and seemingly endless cardio to dominate opponents. In 38 professional fights, he has only lost twice – once each to former champion Georges St-Pierre and to the greatest welterweight of all time, Matt Hughes. And he is undefeated as a lightweight. Despite Hermes Franca and Kenny Florian getting completely dominated in their bouts with Sherk, the “Muscle Shark” wasn’t able to finish either fighter. With Penn’s legendary submission skills, will Sherk be able to safely grind out a five round decision? Or, will he be able to rebound from a suspension that caused Zuffa to strip him of the title to beat possibly the most talented fighter of this generation?

Rounding Out the List of Top Contenders (in no particular order)

Roger Huerta: Not many fighters in the UFC can boast a 17-fight stretch without a loss, including six consecutive wins in the Octagon. Then again, Huerta isn’t just another fighter. He quickly elevated himself from a hot prospect to a legitimate title contender with his impressive 2007. Over the last 12 months, only Leonard Garcia lasted the distance with “El Matador,” and that was one of the most exciting bouts of the year. He is an in-your-face fighter who loves to throw punches and kicks in fan-friendly exchanges. He is also very adept at pounding out guys from the top position and a good scrambler if someone has good enough wrestling to put him on his back. The only question surrounding Huerta is whether he can truly hang with the division’s superstars. He has dominated all others, so it’s time to find out.

Kenny Florian: Kenflo personifies the adage: you can’t judge a book by its cover. He is not physically imposing, either in frame or muscularity. He doesn’t get into an opponent’s head with a lot of pre-fight banter. Instead, he is a polite, articulate young man who seems to view fistic combat as a cerebral sport no different than chess. But when the bell sounds, everyone who faces Kenflo realizes that he is in with a bona fide killer with ice in his veins. He has developed a remarkably effective Muay Thai game over the past few years to go along with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Kenflo needs to improve his wrestling to compete with dominant ground-and-pound grapplers, but he seems to do just fine against all others. His upcoming bout with Joe Lauzon should be another step toward him getting back into title contention at some point in 2008.

Frankie Edgar: How does one go from prospect to legitimate Top Ten lightweight in less than a year? Beat Tyson Griffin and Spencer Fisher in the same calendar year. Edgar is a dominant wrestler with fast-improving standup. His best trait, however, is his ultra deep gas tank. “The Answer” uses effective takedowns, relentless ground-and-pound assaults and his cardio to wear down opponents. Most thought he wouldn’t survive bouts with Griffin and Fisher. It’s time for experts to stop questioning Edgar and start talking about him as a serious threat to anyone at 155 pounds. One more marquee win and Edgar’s place within the division will be hard to ignore.

Joe Stevenson: Joe “Daddy” is certainly a Top Five lightweight by any legitimate ranking system. Last month he had the opportunity to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he belonged among the sport’s elite, as he stepped into the Octagon to face Penn for the vacant 155-lb title. Joe Daddy showed flashes of brilliance in the fight, particularly on the ground, where he was very hard for Penn to control due to his tremendous physical strength, excellent wrestling base and even better jiu-jitsu. Nevertheless, an elbow to the head late in the opening stanza left him bleeding profusely, something that absolutely guaranteed that the fight would end sooner rather than later. Did that force him to take unnecessary chances, creating an opening for Penn to score a submission win late in the second round? Was he simply overwhelmed by a better fighter? Only Stevenson can answer that question. He has the skills to beat (or at least compete aggressively with) anyone in the division. Yet, questions still hover over his chin – something that Penn seemed to expose in the opening seconds of the fight. If Stevenson truly is “chinny,”
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then he will struggle to remain among the elite. If not, then he could be a major player for years to come.

Spencer Fisher: Fisher is the embodiment of a fan-friendly fighter. This guy has a warrior spirit that would make Arturo Gatti proud. A lot of guys claim that they will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere. Fisher means it, accepting a March 2006 bout with Sam Stout on just a few days notice. Fisher is a lights-out striker who can end a fight with his destructive left hand, a very mean right hook or, as we saw against Matt Wiman, a flying knee pulled from thin air. But as good as Fisher is on the feet, he has struggled recently with dominant grapplers, dropping a decision loss to Edgar and getting stopped by Hermes Franca in 2007. Can he reverse that trend in 2008? It is tough to say because guys who sit down on power strikes (something the fans absolutely love) typically struggle to stop takedowns. That may be his big hurdle at getting to a title shot anytime soon. Nevertheless, he is such a thrilling, crowd-pleasing fighter that I’ll certainly plunk down $50 each and every time his name graces a pay-per-view card, because win or lose, Fisher always puts on an amazing show.

Tyson Griffin: Griffin has the distinction of being the only man to beat WEC featherweight czar Urijah Faber, scoring a stunning knockout seconds into the final round. That win put Griffin squarely in the spotlight for hardcore fans, so his Octagon debut in September 2006 was filled with lofty expectations. After dominating David Lee, Griffin ran into a buzz saw named Frankie Edgar to start 2007 and tasted defeat for the first time in his young career. But the sign of a great fighter (or someone with the potential to be great) is the ability to bounce back from a loss. Griffin got right back on the horse and ran off three consecutive wins following the Edgar loss. The long-time Cesar Gracie student is now training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas with one of the deepest crop of sparring partners anywhere in the country. Look for great things from Griffin in 2008, particularly as he continues developing his standup game.

Thiago Tavares: Tavares knows a thing or two about winning fights inside the distance. He was on a nine-fight stoppage streak heading into his UFC debut against Naoyuki Kotani back in April 2007. He didn’t stop Kotani, but he was dominant enough to make a statement to those watching. He is an excellent submission fighter with solid Muay Thai skills. His hurdle to true greatness is the lack of a solid wrestling base. He does not defend the takedown well. Accordingly, dominant wrestlers with top submission defense are his current form of kryptonite. The good news is that Tavares is only 23 years old. He has plenty of time to beef up those skills in preparation for a run at the division’s marquee players.

Next up in our lightweight survey, we will take a look at the division’s hottest prospects, the division’s gatekeepers, a few names that seem to be stuck in neutral and more.

[Gurry]

wheres din thomas?, he better than half of the guys on that list...

[jlruthven84]

Originally Posted by Gurry

wheres din thomas?, he better than half of the guys on that list...

I was wondering that too. He'll definitely be on the next installment, but he deserves to be on this one.

[foundstarr]

Din is unfortunately cornered into the gatekeeper role in the UFC. He is so much more talented then people give him credit for.

[Bran]

aside from the exclusion of din thomas, its a good list. i'd take din over fisher anyday

[AngryJohnny]

I don't think Fisher is in the same leauge with rest of the guys on that list...maybe Tavares. Other than that, decent read. I agree Din is more than just a gatekeeper. Even Guida should be up there despite his deceiving UFC record.

[AJL416AZ]

the UFC hype machine rolls along

none of those guys except maybe Sherk and BJ would last 2 rounds with JZ or Gomi. and Joe just showed me why he is not in my top 10.

[TeddyDaBear]

Originally Posted by AJL416AZ

the UFC hype machine rolls along

none of those guys except maybe Sherk and BJ would last 2 rounds with JZ or Gomi. and Joe just showed me why he is not in my top 10.

it's from UFC.com...so thats why JZ or Gomi aren't on the list.

[rivethead]

Originally Posted by Bran

aside from the exclusion of din thomas, its a good list. i'd take din over fisher anyday

I actually don't think much of Fisher at all. I would actually bet on Matt Wiman if they were to rematch.

rh

[integer]

Originally Posted by rivethead

I actually don't think much of Fisher at all. I would actually bet on Matt Wiman if they were to rematch.
rh

Wow, where's all this Fisher hate coming from? I agree his last bout with Edgar was nothing short of dull, but the guy fights with a warrior's heart. Have we already forgotten how he owned Sam Stout in their second meet, or how much of a crowd pleasing fighter he is? Let him work on his wrestling, and he'll definitely be a force to reckon with in 08. If not, I guess it's off to the WEC.