Last week, I promised to make ‘The Week in Rankings’ column a weekly feature. Without any major events taking place since our last update, there is not much to report on this week. We did a maintenance realease that caused some minor fluctuations mostly due to data clean-up; other than that things have been quiet in MMA this past holiday week.
Since there has been no major ranking changes to discuss, instead lets take a look at the UFC’s recently expanded lightweight division. The 155 lbs weight class has got a recent influx of new blood from the UFC/WEC merger. The division is further bolstered by the additions of Antonio McKee and Willamy Freire, and the welterweight veteran Marcus Davis making a move to the lower weight class.
Here are some of the upcoming matchups we can look forward to:
UFC 125, 1/1/2011
- [#1] Frankie Edgar (C) vs. [#4] Gray Maynard for the UFC & FightMatrix Lightweight Championship
- [#12] Clay Guida vs. [#9] Takanori Gomi
- [#20] Antonio McKee vs. [#49] Jacob Volkmann
- [#46] Jeremy Stephens vs. [#64 WW] Marcus Davis
UFC Fight Night 23 (UFC Fight For The Troops 2), 1/22/2011
- [#21] Evan Dunham vs. [#38] Melving Guillard
- [#48] Cole Miller vs. [#58] Matt Wiman
- [#54] Willemy Freire vs. [#204] Waylon Lowe
- [#18] Yves Edwards vs. [#160] Cody McKenzie
UFC 126, 2/5/2011
- [#44] Sam Stout vs. [#70] Paul Kelly
- [#187] Gabe Ruedigger vs. [#116] Paul Taylor
UFC 127, 2/27/2011
- [#7] George Sotiropoulos vs. [#40] Denis Siver
- [#83] Maciej Jewtuszko vs. [NR] Curt Warburton
- [#64] Spencer Fischer vs. [#96] Ross Pearson
UFC on Versus 3, 3/3/2011
- [#47] Shane Roller vs. [#82] Thiago Tavares
UFC 128, 3/19/2011
- [#27] Gleison Tibau vs. [#28] Curt Pellegrino
- [#122] Edson Barboza vs. [#149] Anthony Njokuani
Date TBA
- [#14] Antony Pettis (C/WEC) vs. winner of Edgar/Maynard (C/UFC) for the title unification.
Keep reading for a combined ranking of the UFC’s lightweight division.
The following ranking is comprised of all the FightMatrix Top 250 ranked Lightweights who fought their last bout in UFC or WEC. There are a few exceptions:
- Antony McKee and Willemy Freire, who are signed to make their UFC debuts.
- Welterweight Marcus Davis, who will be fighting his next bout at 155 lbs. His lightweight ranking is approximated.
- [#50] Caol Uno and [#73] Dustin Hazelett have been released from the UFC since their last fights.
- [#185] Dustin Porrier will be making his UFC debut at 145 lbs.
The hightlighted fighters will be making their UFC (or in Davis’ case, divisional) debut. Most of the WEC fighters have not yet been signed to UFC bouts, and I expect that some of the fighters ranked outside of Top 100 and coming off a loss in WEC will not be signed. Most at risk are Jamie Varner, Chris Horodecki, Will Kerr, and Ed Ratcliff.
| Rank [Overall] | Fighter | Record | |
| 1 [1] |
 Frankie EdgarLast Fight: 8/28/2010 [UFC] |
13-1-0 | |
| 2 [4] |
Gray Maynard Last Fight: 8/28/2010 [UFC] |
10-0-0 | |
| 3 [6] |
Jim Miller Last Fight: 12/11/2010 [UFC] |
19-2-0 | |
| 4 [7] |
 George SotiropoulosLast Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
14-2-0 | |
| 5 [8] |
Kenny Florian Last Fight: 8/28/2010 [UFC] |
13-5-0 | |
| 6 [9] |
 Takanori GomiLast Fight: 8/01/2010 [UFC] |
32-6-0 | |
| 7 [12] |
Clay Guida Last Fight: 8/07/2010 [UFC] |
27-11-0 | |
| 8 [14] |
Anthony Pettis Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
13-1-0 | |
| 9 [17] |
Sean Sherk Last Fight: 9/25/2010 [UFC] |
33-4-1 | |
| 10 [18] |
Yves Edwards Last Fight: 9/15/2010 [UFC] |
39-16-1 | |
| 11 [20] |
Antonio McKee Last Fight: 9/10/2010 [MaximumFC] |
25-3-2 | |
| 12 [21] |
Evan Dunham Last Fight: 9/25/2010 [UFC] |
11-1-0 | |
| 13 [25] |
Ben Henderson Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
12-2-0 | |
| 14 [26] |
Mac Danzig Last Fight: 12/11/2010 [UFC] |
20-9-1 | |
| 15 [27] |
 Gleison TibauLast Fight: 9/15/2010 [UFC] |
21-7-0 | |
| 16 [28] |
Kurt Pellegrino Last Fight: 7/03/2010 [UFC] |
17-5-0 | |
| 17 [29] |
Nik Lentz Last Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
20-3-2 | |
| 18 [32] |
 Mark BocekLast Fight: 12/11/2010 [UFC] |
9-3-0 | |
| 19 [33] |
Tyson Griffin Last Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
14-5-0 | |
| 20 [35] |
Yuri Alcantara Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
24-3-0 | |
| 21 [38] |
Melvin Guillard Last Fight: 9/25/2010 [UFC] |
25-9-2 | |
| 22 [39] |
Donald Cerrone Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
13-3-0 | |
| 23 [40] |
 Dennis SiverLast Fight: 11/13/2010 [UFC] |
17-7-0 | |
| 24 [41] |
Joe Stevenson Last Fight: 12/11/2010 [UFC] |
33-12-0 | |
| 25 [44] |
Sam Stout Last Fight: 10/23/2010 [UFC] |
16-6-1 | |
| 26 [46] |
Jeremy Stephens Last Fight: 9/25/2010 [UFC] |
17-6-0 | |
| 27 [NR] |
Marcus Davis Last Fight: 8/28/2010 [UFC] |
17-8-0 | |
| 28 [47] |
Shane Roller Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
9-3-0 | |
| 29 [48] |
Cole Miller Last Fight: 9/15/2010 [UFC] |
17-4-0 | |
| 30 [49] |
Jacob Volkmann Last Fight: 8/01/2010 [UFC] |
11-2-0 | |
| 31 [57] |
Kamal Shalorus Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
7-0-2 | |
| 32 [54] |
Willamy Freire Last Fight: 5/30/2010 [Shooto] |
18-3-0 | |
| 33 [58] |
Matt Wiman Last Fight: 6/12/2010 [UFC] |
12-5-0 | |
| 34 [61] |
Joe Lauzon Last Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
19-6-0 | |
| 35 [62] |
Rafael dos Anjos Last Fight: 8/07/2010 [UFC] |
14-5-0 | |
| 36 [63] |
Bart Palaszewski Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
35-14-0 | |
| 37 [64] |
Spencer Fisher Last Fight: 10/16/2010 [UFC] |
24-6-0 | |
| 38 [65] |
Charles Oliveira Last Fight: 12/11/2010 [UFC] |
14-1-0 | |
| 39 [66] |
 Paul SassLast Fight: 10/16/2010 [UFC] |
11-0-0 | |
| 40 [69] |
Terry Etim Last Fight: 4/10/2010 [UFC] |
14-3-0 | |
| 41 [70] |
Paul Kelly Last Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
11-3-0 | |
| 42 [74] |
Ricardo Lamas Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
9-2-0 | |
| 43 [75] |
Fabricio Camoes Last Fight: 3/27/2010 [UFC] |
10-5-1 | |
| 44 [80] |
Danny Castillo Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
10-3-0 | |
| 45 [82] |
Thiago Tavares Last Fight: 9/25/2010 [UFC] |
15-3-1 | |
| 46 [83] |
 Maciej JewtuszkoLast Fight: 8/18/2010 [WEC] |
8-0-0 | |
| 47 [84] |
Jonathan Brookins Last Fight: 12/04/2010 [UFC] |
12-3-0 | |
| 48 [96] |
Ross Pearson Last Fight: 9/15/2010 [UFC] |
11-4-0 | |
| 49 [104] |
Jamie Varner Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
16-5-1 | |
| 50 [116] |
Paul Taylor Last Fight: 10/23/2010 [UFC] |
10-6-1 | |
| 51 [117] |
Aaron Riley Last Fight: 5/29/2010 [UFC] |
29-12-1 | |
| 52 [122] |
Edson Barboza Last Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
7-0-0 | |
| 53 [127] |
Andre Winner Last Fight: 11/13/2010 [UFC] |
11-5-1 | |
| 54 [147] |
Michael Johnson Last Fight: 12/04/2010 [UFC] |
8-5-0 | |
| 55 [149] |
Anthony Njokuani Last Fight: 11/11/2010 [WEC] |
14-4-0 | |
| 56 [154] |
John Makdessi Last Fight: 12/11/2010 [UFC] |
8-0-0 | |
| 57 [160] |
Cody McKenzie Last Fight: 12/04/2010 [UFC] |
12-0-0 | |
| 58 [162] |
Darren Elkins Last Fight: 8/01/2010 [UFC] |
12-2-0 | |
| 59 [170] |
Chris Horodecki Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
16-3-0 | |
| 60 [177] |
T.J. OBrien Last Fight: 11/20/2010 [UFC] |
16-4-0 | |
| 61 [187] |
Gabe Ruediger Last Fight: 8/28/2010 [UFC] |
17-6-0 | |
| 62 [190] |
Daniel Downes Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
7-1-0 | |
| 63 [202] |
Kyle Watson Last Fight: 12/04/2010 [UFC] |
13-6-1 | |
| 64 [204] |
Waylon Lowe Last Fight: 9/25/2010 [UFC] |
9-3-0 | |
| 65 [220] |
 Tie Quan ZhangLast Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
12-1-0 | |
| 66 [229] |
Will Kerr Last Fight: 12/16/2010 [WEC] |
9-3-0 | |
| 67 [236] |
Ed Ratcliff Last Fight: 9/30/2010 [WEC] |
7-3-0 |