Fantasy UFC Tournament: Lightweight Division, Round One

Welcome to the B/R fantasy UFC tournament.

For those of you that were not proud members of Bleacher Report one year ago, I created a concept under which the top fighters in each division would compete in a tournament. Winners would be decided by your votes and advance until one fighter was left standing in each weight class.

None of the champions are competing in the tournament; this is basically to crown the fighter everybody thinks is the true contender for the title.
 
Each week, a new article will be written with the winners advancing; this will be done for each division. Please leave your votes in the comment section, as this concept will depend on you and you alone to determine the winners.
 
We will  start things off with the lightweight division.

Since BJ Penn is champion, he will not compete.

I took the top eight fighters in the division to fill out the tournament. As you all know, the lightweight division is stacked and choosing only eight fighters wasn't an easy decision, but I truly believe these are the most deserving fighters in the division.
 
With that said, let the fun begin.

First Round, Fight No. 1: Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi
 
"The Fireball Kid," Takanori Gomi, was signed to the UFC on Jan. 1, 2010. It is already rumored that his first fight will be against Kenny Florian. Before the fight actually takes place, we have it here.
 
The hardcore MMA fans know Gomi very well. He is the last lightweight title holder in PRIDE and has had wars in the past with Marcus Aurelio, Duane Ludwig, and BJ Penn.
Gomi was widely considered one of the greatest lightweight fighters in the world and has some big wins to prove it. A very well-rounded fighter, Gomi has very good hands, good wrestling, and some impressive submissions to boot.
 
Kenny Florian is one of the best lightweights in the UFC. His stand-up skills have improved a lot, and he's always had very good submissions. Since his loss to Sean Sherk, Florian has worked hard to cement his place as a top draw in the UFC. His wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida have certainly help him achieve that.
 
A fight between Gomi and Florian would create a lot of excitement for sure. You have two well-rounded fighters, each with a lot of heart and experience, trying to prove they are still the best in the division. It's hard to say who would have the advantage where, and maybe that's the reason this fight would be so interesting.
 
Who wins?

First Round, Fight No. 2: Jim Miller vs. Frankie Edgar
 
People said he was too small, that he should drop down to 145, and that he could not compete with the lightweight fighters, but Frankie Edgar silenced the critics when he defeated a much larger Sean Sherk. Sherk had fought at 170 in the past, but Edgar still managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in 2009. He now stands atop the lightweight division, waiting for his shot at Penn for the crown of champion.
 
Jim Miller is coming off an impressive first-round submission win over Duane Ludwig at UFC 108 and now seems ready for the big names. He has good skills on the ground and standing up, plus good wrestling. It's safe to say that Miller is dangerous wherever the fight takes place.
 
Since coming to the UFC, Miller and Edgar have lost to the same guy, Gray Maynard. Miller and Edgar have fought in the past out of the UFC with Frankie getting the unanimous decision win. A fight between these two at this point would certainly cement one's place as a contender for the title. Both men have good boxing and good wrestling skills, and it would certainly be a chest match not to miss.
 
Who advances to the next round?

First Round, Fight No. 3: Gray Maynard vs. Sean Sherk
 
Gray Maynard and Sean Sherk could possibly be the two most evenly matched fighters in this tournament. They have similar styles in the Octagon as wrestlers who like to bully their opponents throughout the fight. Sherk is the only former UFC lightweight champion in this tournament, but Maynard is the only undefeated fighter in this tournament.
 
Saying that this would be a close fight wouldn't even sum it up well enough. Both men have very good boxing skills, and, quite possibly, this fight could take place right there. Maybe they would cancel each other out on the ground, each not being able to take down the other.
 
Maybe this would come down to who has the better cardio. Sherk's made a career of always being in shape and never being gassed in a fight. The same can't be said about Maynard, who gassed in his fight with Nate Diaz on The Ultimate Fighter and got choked out (somewhat undermining his official undefeated status).
 
This is probably the toughest fight to pick a winner, because of the similar styles and skills of each fighter.
 
Who wins?

First Round, Fight No. 4: Tyson Griffin vs. Diego Sanchez
 
When Diego Sanchez dropped down to lightweight, he was thought to be the top guy behind BJ Penn. His wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida earned him a title fight against Penn.

With that said, Sanchez was never able to finish Stevenson or Guida and was dominated by Penn. Diego is a mad man—he is wild in that Octagon and seems to have unlimited cardio. His striking has improved a lot since his days on The Ultimate Fighter, as he proved in his past fights. Diego is also really scrappy and has a good chin and a good ground game.
 
Tyson Griffin has been making his way up the ladder in the division slowly but surely. When looking at his past fights, he has a list of very impressive wins over the top names like Duane Ludwig, Urijah Faber, and Clay Guida.

Griffin seems to improve every time he enters the Octagon. He is known as a talented wrestler, but he has been working hard on his striking and it got him the win at UFC 103. Hermes Franca had never been stopped in the UFC, until his fight with Griffin. At the young age of 25 yeas old, Griffin is finally using his tools the right way, and is possibly better then ever.
 
This would be a war and a certain Fight of the Night. You have two great fighters with a ton of heart and a ton of cardio with good, well-rounded skills. This fight could have the potential to go forever. Sanchez would most likely be the favorite, but Griffin is hungrier than ever.
 
Who would pull off the win?

There you have it, your first four fights in the lightweight tournament. Please leave your votes for each fight in the comment section, because this concept depends on all of you. The next article will be posted seven days later.