With the addition of Strikeforce import Issac Vallie-Flagg to the UFC 156 card ... the UFC's lightweight division is right at 80 fighters. While Lightweight has always been one of the biggest divisions just due to the amount of talented fighters across MMA, this is just crazy. I've taken the liberty of counting Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thompson, Jorge Masvidal, and Pat Healy safely on the roster, and there could easily be three more SF Lightweights coming to UFC after this weekend when the winners of Ryan Couture vs. KJ Noons, Estevan Payan vs. Mike Bravo, and Adriano Martins vs. Jorge Gurgle (Even though I doubt Gurgle would get the shot if he wins)
I'm not counting Sean Sherk on the roster, even though UFC still list him on their web-site, and rumor's of his return pop up every few months. UFC also has a contract offer out to Eddie Alvarez, but that is probably going to be held up in court for a while, but this division could be 85 deep in a few months.
I'd rather see them cut some dead-wood like Tie quan Zhang, Marcus Levesseur, Mitch Clarke, and John Cofer or veterans who are not playing a real role in the division anymore like Spencer Fisher, Aaron Riley, and Paul Taylor to open up spots for the 15 deep Flyweight division that has been largely ignored by UFC since it was officially announced around this time last year.
Below is a look at the UFC's fighters, and how I rank them off hand.
|
Name |
|
Next fight |
Last fight |
|
|
1 |
TBD |
w/ Nate Diaz, 8 Dec |
||
|
2 |
TBD |
w/ Clay Guida, 22 Jun |
||
|
3 |
Gilbert Melendez |
TBD |
w/ Josh Thompson, 19 May |
|
|
4 |
Nate Diaz |
TBD |
l/ Ben Henderson, 8 Dec |
|
|
5 |
6 |
Anthony Pettis, 26 Jan |
w/ Melvin Guillard, 11 Aug |
|
|
6 |
Anthony Pettis |
5 |
Donald Cerrone, 26 Jan |
w/ Joe Lauzon, 26 Feb |
|
7 |
TBD |
w/ Joe Lauzon, 29 Dec |
||
|
8 |
Joe Lauzon |
TBD |
l/ Jim Miller, 29 Dec |
|
|
9 |
28 |
Takanori Gomi, 2 Mar |
l/ Jake Ellenberger, 15 Feb |
|
|
10 |
11 |
TJ Grant, 26 Jan |
w/ Paul Sass, 29 Sep |
|
|
11 |
TJ Grant |
10 |
Matt Wiman, 26 Jan |
w/ Evan Dunham, 22 Sep |
|
12 |
15 |
Thiago Tavares, 19 Jan |
w/ Gleison Tibau, 7 Jul |
|
|
13 |
Gleison Tibau |
19 |
Evan Dunham, 2 Feb |
w/ Francisco Drinaldo, 13 Oct |
|
14 |
Rafael Dos Anjos |
TBD |
w/ Mark Bocek, 17 Nov |
|
|
15 |
Thiago Tavares |
12 |
Khabib Nurmagomedov, 19 Jan |
w/ Sam Stout, 14 Jan |
|
16 |
Josh Thompson |
TBD |
l/ Gilbert Melendez, 19 May |
|
|
17 |
Jaime Varner |
TBD |
w/ Melvin Guillard, 29 Dec |
|
|
18 |
Melvin Guillard |
TBD |
l/ Jaime Varner, 29 Dec |
|
|
19 |
Evan Dunham |
13 |
Gleison Tibau, 2 Feb |
l/ TJ Grant, 22 Sep |
|
20 |
Paul Sass |
25 |
Danny Castillo, 16 Feb |
l/ Matt Wiman, 29 Sep |
|
21 |
54 |
Bobby Green 2 Feb |
w/ Shane Roller, 5 Oct |
|
|
22 |
Jorge Masvidal |
TBD |
w/ Justin Wilcox, 14 Jul |
|
|
23 |
Pat Healy |
Kurt Holobaugh, 12 Jan |
w/ Mizuto Hirota, 14 Jul |
|
|
24 |
Mark Bocek |
TBD |
l/ Rafael Dos Anjos, 17 Nov |
|
|
25 |
Danny Castillo |
20 |
Paul Sass, 16 Feb |
l/ Michael Johnson, 5 Oct |
|
26 |
80 |
Lucas Martins, 19 Jan |
l/ Jaime Varner, 26 May |
|
|
27 |
TBD |
w/ George Sotiropoulos, 15 Dec |
||
|
28 |
Takanori Gomi |
9 |
Diego Sanchez, 2 Mar |
w/ Mac Danzig, 10 Nov |
|
29 |
44 |
Isaac Vallie-Flagg, 2 Feb |
w/ Jeremy Stephens, 8 Dec |
|
|
30 |
Mac Danzig |
TBD |
l/ Takanori Gomi, 10 Nov |
|
|
31 |
TBD |
l/ Melvin Guillard, 7 Jul |
||
|
32 |
TBD |
w/ Justin Salas, 8 Jun |
||
|
33 |
TBD |
w/ Michael Johnson, 29 Dec |
||
|
34 |
Michael Johnson |
TBD |
l/ Myles Jury, 29 Dec |
|
|
35 |
Jeremy Stephens |
TBD |
l/ Yves Edwards, 8 Dec |
|
|
36 |
John Makdessi |
41 |
Daron Cruickshank, 16 Mar |
w/ Sam Stout, 17 Nov |
|
37 |
76 |
Renee Forte, 16 Feb |
l/ Edson Barboza, 14 Jan |
|
|
38 |
Tony Ferguson |
TBD |
l/ Michael Johnson, 5 May |
|
|
39 |
TBD |
l/ Rafael Dos Anjos, 11 Jul |
||
|
40 |
Sam Stout |
43 |
Caros Fodor, 23 Feb |
l/ John Makdessi, 17 Nov |
|
41 |
Daron Cruickshank |
36 |
John Makdessi, 16 Mar |
w/ Henry Martinez, 8 Dec |
|
42 |
TBD |
w/ Joe Proctor, 8 Dec |
||
|
43 |
Caros Fodor |
40 |
Sam Stout, 23 Feb |
l/ Pat Healy, 3 Mar |
|
44 |
Isaac Vallie-Flagg |
29 |
Yves Edwards, 2 Feb |
w/ Gesias Cavalcante, 19 May |
|
45 |
George Sotiropoulos |
TBD |
l/ Ross Pearson, 15 Dec |
|
|
46 |
Spencer Fisher |
TBD |
l/ Sam Stout, 22 Jun |
|
|
47 |
Justin Salas |
TBD |
l/ Tim Means, 8 Jun |
|
|
48 |
TBD |
w/ Vinc Pichel, 15 Dec |
||
|
49 |
TBD |
l/ Danny Castillo, 5 May |
||
|
50 |
TBD |
l/ Cristiano Marcello, 13 Oct |
||
|
51 |
77 |
C.J. Keith, 19 Jan |
l/ Gleison Tibau, 13 Oct |
|
|
52 |
Anton Kulvanen |
55 |
Michael Chiesa, 23 Feb |
w/ Mitch Clarke, 21 Jul |
|
53 |
TBD |
w/ Marcus Levesseur, 8 Dec |
||
|
54 |
Bobby Green |
21 |
Jacob Volkmann, 2 Feb |
w/ Matt Ricehouse, 18 Aug |
|
55 |
Michael Chiesa |
52 |
Anton Kulvanen, 23 Feb |
w/ Al Iaquinta, 1 Jun |
|
56 |
TBD |
w/ Colin Fletcher, 15 Dec |
||
|
57 |
TBD |
w/ Mike Wilkinson, 15 Dec |
||
|
58 |
Al Iaquinta |
TBD |
l/ Michael Chiesa, 1 Jun |
|
|
59 |
TBD |
l/ Michael Chiesa, 25 May |
||
|
60 |
Joe Proctor |
TBD |
l/ Ramsey Nijem, 8 Dec |
|
|
61 |
TBD |
w/ Tie Quan Zhang, 10 Nov |
||
|
62 |
TBD |
w/ John Cofer, 15 Dec |
||
|
63 |
Vinc Pichel |
TBD |
l/ Rustam Khabilov, 15 Dec |
|
|
64 |
Henry Martinez |
TBD |
l/ Daron Cruickshank, 8 Dec |
|
|
65 |
TBD |
w/ Yoislandy Izquierdo, 7 Jul |
||
|
66 |
Aaron Riley |
TBD |
l/ Tony Ferguson, 24 Sep |
|
|
67 |
Paul Taylor |
TBD |
w/ Gabe Ruediger, 5 Feb |
|
|
68 |
Cristiano Marcello |
79 |
Kazuki Tokudome, 3 Mar |
w/ Reza Madadi, 13 Oct |
|
69 |
TBD |
l/ Colton Smith, 16 Dec |
||
|
70 |
Colin Fletcher |
TBD |
l/ Norman Parke, 15 Dec |
|
|
71 |
Mike Wilkinson |
TBD |
l/ Brendan Loughnane, 15 Dec |
|
|
72 |
Marcus Levesseur |
TBD |
l/ Abel Trujillo, 8 Dec |
|
|
73 |
Mitch Clarke |
TBD |
l/ Anton Kulvanen, 21 Jul |
|
|
74 |
TBD |
l/ Joe Proctor, 1 Jun |
||
|
75 |
John Cofer |
TBD |
l/ Mike Rio, 15 Dec |
|
|
76 |
Renee Forte |
37 |
Terry Etim, 16 Feb |
l/ Sergio Moraes, 13 Oct |
|
77 |
C.J. Keith |
51 |
Francisco Trinaldo, 19 Jan |
l/ Ramsey Nijem, 22 Jun |
|
78 |
Tie quan Zhang |
TBD |
l/ Jon Tuck, 10 Nov |
|
|
79 |
Kazuki Tokudome |
68 |
Cristiano Marcello, 3 Mar |
w/ Kengo Ura |
|
80 |
Lucas Martins |
26 |
Edson Barboza, 19 Jan |
w/ Oberdan Tenorio |
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