A new year brings us a new set of rankings in the 155-pound lightweight division in MMA. Perhaps the most stacked division in the entire sport, the lightweights shot into the spotlight in 2011 and appear ready to do so again in 2012.The upcoming UFC …
A new year brings us a new set of rankings in the 155-pound lightweight division in MMA.
Perhaps the most stacked division in the entire sport, the lightweights shot into the spotlight in 2011 and appear ready to do so again in 2012.
The upcoming UFC lightweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson will headline the UFC 144 fight card from Japan in February, a fight which many are calling an early candidate for Fight of the Year.
That fight is expected to settle the debate of who the best 155-pounder in the world is, but there are a number of other fighters who will be attempting to stake their claim to the lightweight throne in 2012.
These 10 lightweights are all on track and maybe only a fight or two away from their own chance at being No. 1 in the world.
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.
At UFC 141, Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann made it five in a row with his unanimous-decision win against Efrain Escudero.The NCAA Division I standout utilized his exceptional wrestling to grind out a victory, which now places him on the periphe…
At UFC 141, Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann made it five in a row with his unanimous-decision win against Efrain Escudero.
The NCAA Division I standout utilized his exceptional wrestling to grind out a victory, which now places him on the periphery of the top 10 lightweights in the MMA and the UFC.
It also positions him amidst the top grapplers in the division.
With that said, let’s take a look at where his wrestling ranks in the lightweight class.
It looks like Gray Maynard will be eating Brazilian kicks and punches for Christmas in the delicacy’s native land.
The former number one UFC lightweight contender will be in Rio de Janeiro for the next few weeks to help UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo prepare for his January 14 UFC 142 bout with Chad Mendes. Aldo invited “The Bully” to Brazil as his style is very similar to Mendes’. Gray arrived on Wednesday and will stick around until after the event in three weeks.
(Photo courtesy of Combate.TV)
It looks like Gray Maynard will be eating Brazilian kicks and punches for Christmas in the delicacy’s native land.
The former number one UFC lightweight contender will be in Rio de Janeiro for the next few weeks to help UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo prepare for his January 14 UFC 142 bout with Chad Mendes. Aldo invited “The Bully” to Brazil as his style is very similar to Mendes’. Gray arrived on Wednesday and will stick around until after the event in three weeks.
Maynard has become a Ronin of sorts since breaking away from Xtreme Couture following his loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 136 in October, training at several gyms including American Kickboxing Academy where he is rumored to be settling at full time. Maynard maintains, however that he is still testing the training waters and hasn’t decided where he’ll set up shop for his next camp.
Until then, he’ll have to endure the third world country of Brazil where they have no Internet or buses.
Given their frequency within the sport, we oft discuss the rematch here at CagePotato: we’ve mentioned a few that we’d like to see, we’ve mocked the possible occurence of others, and we’ve even gone as far as to predict how future ones would go down. And with 2011 featuring over 10 in the UFC alone, we decided to take a look back at at a year that both showcased and disgraced the awesomeness that is the rematch. Join us on this trip down memory lane, won’t you?
The Ones We Needed to See
#5 – Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami at UFC 134 (Silva v. Okami, though this image could be from just about any of Silva’s fights.)
Why it had to happen: Because the first fight marked the last time Silva had lost…at anything, and even if it was by way of illegal upkick DQ, it was enough to convince some people that Okami had his number. Plus, Okami had earned his shot by this point, and we were getting pretty damned tired of debating this old issue.
How it happened: Absolute. Domination. In typical fashion, Silva toyed with Okami like he was wrestling with his 4 year old nephew, letting the audience know that the fight would end when he decided it would. A head kick that rocked Okami at the end of the first round reinforced this belief, and Silva mercifully finished him off in the second. Cut. Print. TKO.
Given their frequency within the sport, we oft discuss the rematch here at CagePotato: we’ve mentioned a few that we’d like to see, we’ve mocked the possible occurence of others, and we’ve even gone as far as to predict how future ones would go down. And with 2011 featuring over 10 in the UFC alone, we decided to take a look back at at a year that both showcased and disgraced the awesomeness that is the rematch. Join us on this trip down memory lane, won’t you?
The Ones We Needed to See
#5 – Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami at UFC 134 (Silva v. Okami, though this image could be from just about any of Silva’s fights.)
Why it had to happen: Because the first fight marked the last time Silva had lost…at anything, and even if it was by way of illegal upkick DQ, it was enough to convince some people that Okami had his number. Plus, Okami had earned his shot by this point, and we were getting pretty damned tired of debating this old issue.
How it happened: Absolute. Domination. In typical fashion, Silva toyed with Okami like he was wrestling with his 4 year old nephew, letting the audience know that the fight would end when he decided it would. A head kick that rocked Okami at the end of the first round reinforced this belief, and Silva mercifully finished him off in the second. Cut. Print. TKO.
How they happened: Things didn’t go so well for “Bad Boy” the second time around; after falling prey to Jung’s Submission of the Year earning twister at UFN 24, Garcia would be upended by Phan in a Fight of the Night earning performance at UFC 136. Though detrimental to Garcia’s career, it did restore the balance between the sacred realms that had been thrown into chaos as a result of his previous “victories.” And hey, at least he took it with class.
What they proved: That MMA judging has not followed the sport’s rapid evolution over the past ten years, and perhaps it was time for a change. We’ve already discussed what needs to be done, but are still waiting for our lawyer to draft up the official documents. Anyone else got an idea?
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting ExclusiveThe night of Oct. 8, 2011 is likely to be Frankie Edgar’s defining moment as a fighter. On that evening, Edgar authored the most triumphant comeback Houston had seen since the landing of Apollo 13, overcoming a d…
The night of Oct. 8, 2011 is likely to be Frankie Edgar‘s defining moment as a fighter. On that evening, Edgar authored the most triumphant comeback Houston had seen since the landing of Apollo 13, overcoming a disastrous first round before knocking out challenger Gray Maynard in the fourth.
Edgar is not a fighter who likes to watch much tape on himself, but he’s watched and re-watched his UFC 136 performance a few times with his coaches and family, and likens it to an out-of-body experience.
In fact, when he discusses it, he does so in a way that makes it sound like he wasn’t there that night, that he was just another fan watching two fighters. A smile forms on his face and he shrugs his shoulders, an unintentional participant in history.
“I was in awe of it myself,” he told MMA Fighting. “I was in awe of what I’d done, just like everyone else.”
That candid reaction almost comes as a surprise from the usually soft-spoken champion.
Most people who’ve seen him interviewed know that he speaks quickly and efficiently, an economy of words that mirrors his speedy and effective style in the cage. Sometimes, you have to pull the words out of him.
But his thoughts on that fight are fully formulated, even though it’s taken him a few viewings to get there.
“I don’t like the first round,” he said. “I have two young kids. They’ll be watching it, and they don’t like the first round either.”
He laughs at that before going on.
“Everyone asked how did you make it through the round?” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it is. I guess I’ll attribute it to how I prepare myself, and my will to win. When I watched it, it’s like I became a fan of myself, too.”
Edgar probably made many new fans that night. After the bout, UFC president Dana White equated his heart and late-round ferocity to that of the late boxing warrior Arturo Gatti. After spending most of the last two years focused on Maynard and BJ Penn, Edgar can finally look forward to a new challenge when he faces Ben Henderson at UFC 143 in Japan in February 2012.
For now, Edgar’s in the early stages of planning for the fight. He says he’s been impressed with Henderson’s tenacity and improvement in romping past Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida in consecutive fights. He also knows he’s likely as always to be at a size disadvantage. Henderson recently said he would look to add on a few pounds of muscle to give himself the biggest edge possible.
Edgar says he doesn’t worry about things he can’t control, and he certainly can’t control Henderson’s diet. Instead, he will focus on what he does well. And he’ll eventually walk to the cage knowing that even if seemingly everything goes wrong, he can summon the will to rebound.
“As far as technique goes, [Ben] is a tough kid,” he said. “We’ve both fought great opponents and he’s been impressive. But I’d say my edge is my experience in title fights. I know he was a champ in the WEC, but it’s a different animal in the UFC. The media, the lights, the crowd, everything. I don’t know if he’s sure about all that, but I am. I’m comfortable with it. I’m comfortable with everything.”
UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will defend his title at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan early next year, and his previous opponent, Gray Maynard, is hoping Ben Henderson doesn’t make it past the man who he is 1-1-1 against.“Hopefully he …
UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will defend his title at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan early next year, and his previous opponent, Gray Maynard, is hoping Ben Henderson doesn’t make it past the man who he is 1-1-1 against.
“Hopefully he holds on to the belt, because there’s got to be a part four, I think, to make it a true trilogy,” Maynard told TATAME. “Now he has one and I do too, so that’s a draw. So, we gotta do it again. Hopefully, he holds on the belt and I can work back up there.”
Maynard and Edgar fought to a hard-fought draw in January, and a third bout between the two took place at UFC 136, where Edgar won by a fourth-round knockout. After another first round that saw Maynard punishing his opponent with power shots, Edgar survived to come back and finish off his undefeated opponent in one of the year’s best fights.
“Obviously it was not the outcome that I was hoping for,” Maynard continued. “It happened, I had to deal. I gotta improve on some things and gotta be prepared for the next opponent.”
No future opponents have been announced for Maynard’s next bout, but he hopes it’s against a top contender that can get him back into title contention.
Henderson will enter the bout with Edgar as the former WEC lightweight champion. He is riding a three-fight win streak with wins over Clay Guida, Jim Miller and Mark Bocek.
“Well, that’s a lot of stuff up in the air,” Maynard said. “I know (Melvin) Guillard got up against Jim Miller. I know (Donald) Cerrone is going to go up against Nate Diaz, so there’s a lot of interesting stuff that you kinda have to wait to see what happens. I gotta have a place to train, I gotta be prepared.”
The night of Oct. 8, 2011 is likely to be 
UFC lightweight champion 