Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Lightweight

1. Conor McGregor (21-3)

Around and around we go with the McGregor-Floyd Mayweather Jr. drama. The latest wrinkle is a series of reports out of Ireland stating that “The Notorious” one and the “Money” man have come to agreements in principle regarding their potential super clash, even as UFC President Dana White continues to throw cold water on the idea. In the meantime, McGregor has made tabloids for his recent partying in Liverpool, England, including a public beef with a luxury car rental service and a hotel room that was thoroughly trashed by the lightweight champion and his crew.

2. Tony Ferguson (22-3)

Ferguson has been scheduled to meet Khabib Nurmagomedov three times, and three times it has fallen apart. Ahead of UFC 209, issues with Nurmagomedov’s weight cut led to his hospitalization and cancellation of their interim lightweight title contest. While “El Cucuy” has taken to calling out undisputed champion Conor McGregor, as well as Nate Diaz, what comes next for Ferguson is anyone’s guess.

3. Eddie Alvarez (28-5)

The lightweight division is a hard place to find an easy fight, and few fighters have thrived in the weight class as long as Alvarez. Suffice to say, it was a no-brainer that Alvarez was not going to get a softball fight, even after the destructive blowout loss to Conor McGregor that saw him drop the UFC lightweight title in November. Alvarez has verbally agreed to a showdown with fellow action-minded 155-pounder Dustin Poirier come UFC 211 on May 13 in Dallas.

4. Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0)

Brutal luck again struck Nurmagomedov ahead of UFC 209, nixing his slated bout with Tony Ferguson for a third time; and this time, it was for an interim lightweight title. With six pounds to go in his weight cut, Nurmagomedov’s team took him to hospital and his medical issues forced the bout’s cancellation, breaking fans’ hearts one more time.

5. Rafael dos Anjos (25-9)

After losing the UFC lightweight title to Eddie Alvarez and dropping a 25-minute unanimous decision to Tony Ferguson, dos Anjos said he would only return to 155 pounds for a major payday. The Brazilian will now step up to 170 pounds to ply his trade. In his first welterweight appearance inside the Octagon, dos Anjos will face former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine at a UFC Fight Night event in Singapore on June 17.

6. Edson Barboza (19-4)

Barboza on March 11 authored perhaps the best knockout so far this year, clattering Beneil Dariush with a phenomenal flying knee. With consecutive wins over Dariush, Gilbert Melendez and former UFC champ Anthony Pettis, the 31-year-old Brazilian is now trying to throw his weight around and atone for his last defeat, lobbying for a five-round main event against Tony Ferguson, who choked him out in the second round of their rollicking December 2015 clash.

7. Michael Chiesa (14-2)

Chiesa could not secure the bout he wanted with former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, but he will still get a decent fight next time out. In fact, he will headline a UFC Fight Night bill opposite Kevin Lee on June 25 in Oklahoma City in a bout with serious contendership implications at 155 pounds.

8. Michael Chandler (16-3)

The first time Bellator MMA went on pay-per-view with Bellator 120, Eddie Alvarez pulled out and Chandler wound up losing an interim lightweight title bout to Will Brooks. “Iron Mike” will hope things go a little better in his second PPV appearance, as he makes the second defense of his second Bellator reign against undefeated 7-0 Brent Primus on June 24.

9. Beneil Dariush (14-3)

At UFC Fight Night 106 on March 11 in Fortaleza, Brazil, Dariush looked fantastic against Edson Barboza for a round. Unfortunately for the Kings MMA product, Barboza went vertical in the second stanza, knocking Dariush senseless in highlight-reel fashion with a flying knee. Dariush is now 2-2 over his last four bouts.

10. Kevin Lee (15-2)

A winner in eight of his last nine outings, Lee has captured the gaze of the MMA world with his candor and trash talk, but he truly caught the public’s attention in March, when he rolled into Fortaleza, Brazil, and choked out Francisco Trinaldo in style. The 24-year-old’s skill -- and perhaps his mouth -- has been rewarded with a main event slot and a major opponent, as “The Motown Phenom” heads to Oklahoma City on June 25 to face Michael Chiesa in a UFC Fight Night headliner.

Other Contenders: Nate Diaz, Evan Dunham, Justin Gaethje, Michael Johnson, Dustin Poirier.

Continue Reading » Featherweight