The Top 5 Challengers for Frankie Edgar

Frankie Edgar is the current UFC lightweight champion, and is coming off a great win over rival Gray Maynard. He has jettisoned himself into the pound-for-pound rankings and now has successfully defended (including the retained draw) his title three times. 

But now that he is still the champion, where does his career path lie?

This list is the top five guys for Frankie Edgar to face in the coming future. Most of the people mentioned have fights by the end of the year, and will help thin out who is worthy of the title shot, but for now, the 155 division is stacked. Now that Melvin Guillard is temporarily out the picture, here are the five that are waiting their turn. 

No. 5: Gray Maynard

Not waiting his turn just yet, but still a huge opponent for Edgar. While coming off his redemption against “The Bully," the two still have unfinished business. Frankie Edgar proved once again that in a rematch, he will make sure to leave no doubt he is the better fighter.

But Maynard still has a victory over the LW champion. It is Edgar’s only loss, but now the stats are tied. Frankie has a win over Gray, Gray has a win over Frankie and both have a draw on each other. Therefore the rubber match of Edgar vs. Maynard IV is inevitable down the road. However, by the time this comes around, Edgar may or may not be the champion still. 

No. 4: Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone is on a tear of his own since coming to the UFC. He is riding on a five-fight winning streak, and will be looking to make his statement for a title shot against Dennis Siver at UFC 137. Along with Cerrone on this list, this spot is shared with Siver and will be more definitive after their bout. Cerrone takes the lead however, due to Siver only being on a four-fight winning streak. 

Cerrone is a tough fighter who not only has a nice striking game, but excels in his ground game. His ability to submit his opponents has brought him great success in his career, and poses a different threat to Edgar. Edgar, in his recent fights, has not had to worry much about submissions, but would be faced with a difficult challenge in Cerrone.  

Cerrone is an exciting fighter that wouldn’t shy away from Edgar, and his notable size advantage over the current UFC champ would play a big role in how effective Frankie’s in-and-out game is applied. 

No. 3: Clay Guida

Guida is known for his exciting style of fighting. He is certainly a fan favorite, and has played “gatekeeper” for a long time. He has fought some of the toughest guys around 155 lbs and is now on a four-fight winning streak. When Clay Guida fights, you can always guarantee two things: He will put on a great fight, and he will probably start bleeding in the process. This streak is a feeling Guida has not experienced since 2005, but now looks to finally break free of the middle ground and go for the belt. 

His fast-paced style would match up very well with Edgar, and the size difference is a little bit closer than with Cerrone. Guida’s reach is a little shorter than Edgar's, in fact. 

In such a talent-rich and staked division, losing his next fight could be devastating for his career path. However, if he can beat Ben Henderson in November, he will finally be truly a part of the upper echelon of the lightweight division and could very possibly be given a title shot soon. 

No. 2: Benson Henderson

One thing you can definitively say about “Smooth” is that he is a tough guy to put away. He has had only one loss via finish, and that was a submission loss back in 2007. Since then he has won 12 of his last 13 fights, many by submission himself. 

Standing a little taller than Edgar, the two have a similar reach. The difference of styles is that Henderson’s leg strikes and ground game pose a dangerous fight for Edgar. 

A former champion of the WEC, he is no stranger to the title scene and the championship rounds. His recent win over Jim Miller astonished many, ending Miller’s seven-fight winning streak and giving him his third loss of his career. If he can outlast Guida, or finish him, he is another that could be given a title shot soon. After establishing the club of “Feet to the Face," later joined by Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture, Henderson wants to erase his fight with Pettis from people’s minds and show he is worthy of UFC gold. 

No. 1: Gilbert Meledez

It seems the UFC fans will have to wait a little longer for El Niño, but the wait will be worth it. If Melendez can run through Jorge Masvidal, he will be coming to the UFC in stunning fashion. Almost certainly, he will be given an immediate title shot with whomever is the champion by then. Being the Strikeforce LW champion, his reputation cut him into line ahead of the rest. 

Edgar could very well have an issue with Melendez’s style, given “The Answer” takes care of his own problems in the meantime. After fans watched two fights of Gray Maynard beating Frankie down with some decent striking, people are starting to wonder how Frankie’s chin will last against some of these other power strikers who make Gray’s striking look terrible. 

Edgar has shown great heart in his fights, but his quickness in getting dazed could be a big problem for him. Melendez comes from a great team of diverse techniques, and is definitely a well-rounded fighter. We haven’t seen much of his submission game —but training with Cesar Gracie, Shields and the Diaz brothers makes you think about the saying, “Iron sharpens iron.”

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