Quickly establishing itself as the sport’s most stacked division, mixed martial arts’ lightweights look to continue putting on exciting fights now that 2012 is in full gear.
Later this month, three current or former lightweight champions will test their skills in Japan as the UFC returns to the land of the rising sun for UFC 144. Headlining the card will be current UFC champion Frankie Edgar, who will defend his belt against former WEC champion Benson Henderson.
Also on the card will be a battle between 155 lb. warriors, as former WEC champion Anthony Pettis looks for his second straight UFC win against veteran Joe Lauzon.
With so many great fighters looking to climb the contender ladder and claim the top spot, each of them deserves their placement as a top-10 lightweight.
These rankings are the combined effort of some of Bleacher Report MMA‘s best writers as we continue to try to provide you with the best content on the web.