KENNY: Excluding the guys fighting for the lightweight title on the 19th and excluding myself, I think the top five, in no particular order, are Sean Sherk, Frankie Edgar, Roger Huerta, Tyson Griffin and Din Thomas. I base this on the quality of their wins and based on their skills at this point in the careers. Sherk has some great all around skills and does what he wants when he wants to do it. He is a game and very experienced fighter. Frankie Edgar has great takedowns, good stand up and always finds a way to win. Huerta is a tough, tough guy who has great cardio and a well rounded game. Tyson Griffin is very well rounded and tough as nails. He has quality wins over tough fighters and is always dangerous. Din Thomas is a guy who has beaten some of the toughest guys around and is from a great camp. Expect him to come back and challenge for the title.
I'd say Florian is just about spot on with his assessments, which should also be an indication of how fractured the top talent area in this weight class across the various organizations. Among all divisions, the UFC has the most work to do in locking up the "strays". But given how many are Japanese - and how reluctant they might be to leave Japan to fight elsewhere - it's safe to assume 2008 will still be a year of parity among the top promotions with regard to their lock on this division's elite talent pool.