I've written before that the Lightweight division has the potential to be UFC's top drawing division. With an awesome guy like BJ on top, and a nearly endless line of talented challengers, BJ could defend 3 times a year for 3 years without coming close to finishing off all the talent. Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Mac Danzig, Roger Huerta, Clay Guida, Frankie Edgar, Tyson Griffin, and many others would make for fantastic defenses down the line if the division is built right. For a long time the UFC has treated lightweights as a simple novelty, as just a way to keep live crowds interested. I think that is finally changing now.
One of the biggest prospects on the horizon is Corey Hill. At 6'4 with a strong amateur wrestling base, he has the potential to be a destructive force in the division. In this piece, Hill talks about the high hopes his coach and team have for him:
. There are a lot of great guys out there and I'm still far away from where we're trying to go, but we're looking for me to be the Anderson Silva of the lightweights. There's not that standout, terrible guy that everybody's afraid of, and I essentially want to be that guy.
Hopefully the UFC brings him along slowly. I kind of feel like internet pressure forces the UFC to expose guys to tough competition too early. If Hill wins 2 quick easy fights, the mma community will be filled with people hailing him as the next coming and those demanding he fight non-cans. In reality, he should probably fight easy opponents and build experience for 2 years.
Looking at Michael Bisping, there was really no reason to do a fight with Rashad as early as they did. He was way over with fans in live audiences well before he fought his last two fights, and another year of experience with easy wins probably would have done a lot more to help his career than the last two performances. It's hard to recover from losses in the UFC, when they have young guys there's no reason to rush things.