MMA30 Rankings Debut Featuring Stacked Lightweight Division

By Mikal
276 days ago

Welcome to the first ever MMA30 Fighter Rankings. In light of UFC Live on Versus this past weekend, we’re going to make our focus on the stacked lightweight division. So without further ado, here we go.

There’s no question that the UFC is filled with much deeper talent than any other promotion. For that reason we didn’t have to look any further than the current UFC champion, Frankie Edgar atop our list, with unbeaten UFC lightweight challenger, Gray Maynard a very close second. One could argue that Maynard belongs on top delivering Edgar his only career loss; however, Edgar easily handled Sherk enroot of a title opportunity and then not only beat lightweight legend B.J. Penn for the title, but he beat him twice. Edgar now holding the belt will need to be dethroned before we can dethrone him as the top lightweight MMA fighter. Fortunately for Maynard, he will have that opportunity at UFC 136 where he will rematch Frankie Edgar for the lightweight championship (their last bout ended in a draw at UFC 125).

While Edgar and Maynard slug it out for the first and second place ranks, the third and fourth rankings go to champions of other promotions with Strikeforce’s Gilbert Melendez and Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez respectively. After that is where it gets difficult to gauge. Had we published this article last week, UFC lightweight, Jim Miller would have had a strong case for third behind only Edgar and Maynard (who coincidentally were Miller’s only two losses of his two previous matches.) However, this past weekend’s UFC card had Jim Miller run into a buzz saw named Ben Henderson. Henderson not only took the victory by unanimous decision, Miller’s near future title hopes, but also his MMA30 ranking; with that impressive win, Henderson claimed a fifth place lightweight ranking.

Melvin Guillard on a five fight win streak, finishing three of them by first round KO/TKO, earned our sixth spot as he prepares for his UFC 136 fight against Joe Lauzon in October. Guillard has won eight of his last nine holding victories over other notable lightweights like Shane Roller, Jeremy Stephens, Evan Dunham, Dennis Siver and Gleison Tibau. With a decisive win over Lauzon, Guillard may find himself a title shot soon after.

Previously mentioned Jim Miller didn’t fall off the list losing to a reputable fighter like Henderson; instead, Miller claimed number seven. Miller has still won twenty of his twenty-three career fights, losing only to first second and fifth MMA30 ranked lightweights.

Clay Guida, on a four-fight win streak, earned our eight place ranking by exposing Anthony Pettis with a dominant victory over the former WEC champion. Pettis, however, didn’t sink too far as he took our ninth rank having lost only twice in his career fifteen fights, both by decision, one of them a split in addition to him owning a win over previously mentioned MMA30 fifth ranked lightweight, Ben Henderson.

Donald Cerrone closes out our top ten currently on a five-fight win streak and having won four fight-night-bonuses of his last seven fights.

MMA30 LIGHTWEIGHT RANKINGS: