By Matt Molgaard
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

Throughout the years we’ve witnessed some unearthly talent within the light heavyweight division. In fact, I may step out on a limb and say the 205 pound division has been the most scintillating weight class in the history of the sport. While the heavyweights are a blast to watch, they can often be plodding and a little rough in the technique department. Middleweight is certainly a solid division, but Anderson Silva has destroyed every legitimate contender, which provides a false idea that the division is weak. Like Silva at middleweight, long time champion Georges St. Pierre has made the welterweight division appear a joke, disposing of – virtually – the entire lineup of “should be” contenders. There are fantastic fighters campaigning at 170 pounds, but GSP obliterates them in one sided fashion, making the division seem far weaker than it truly is. The lightweight division is shark infested waters, and arguably the most challenging weight class in which to compete, but the constant rematches and cluttered upper echelon often see the title switching hands with the frequency of currency transfer. Featherweight seems to be a near-pointless division, as longtime champ Jose Aldo simply outclasses every challenger thrust in front of him. The bantamweight is a blossoming division with plenty of talent, but few truly elite competitors and featherweight is, quite simply a division too young to sort the good from the great.

Given the 205 pound division’s abundance of highly polished fighters, that’s where we’ll be placing emphasis in this specific article. There are, quite simply put, too many stars to leave these gentlemen without proper acknowledgement and praise. Check out our list of the greatest light heavyweights to ever compete in this sport.