UFC 141 Results: Where Does Jacob Volkmann's Grappling Rank in the LW Division?

At UFC 141, Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann made it five in a row with his unanimous-decision win against Efrain Escudero.

The NCAA Division I standout utilized his exceptional wrestling to grind out a victory, which now places him on the periphery of the top 10 lightweights in the MMA and the UFC.

It also positions him amidst the top grapplers in the division.

With that said, let’s take a look at where his wrestling ranks in the lightweight class.

5. Jacob Volkmann

For Volkmann, Christmas came twice—once on said day and at UFC 141.

Thus far, Volkmann has amassed a 5-2 record in the UFC, with his wrestling being the most prevalent factor in his five wins.

His latest win now places him amongst the top five grapplers in the lightweight division.

4. Benson Henderson

Former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson’s success in the lightweight ranks and the UFC has been due in part to his remarkable grappling ability.

At present, Henderson is on a three-fight win streak for the Zuffa-based promotion—winning unanimous decisions against Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and most recently, Clay Guida.

His win against the latter has catapulted him to No .1 contender in the division and with that, a shot at Frankie Edgar’s crown at UFC 144.

3. Frankie Edgar

Frankie “The Answer” Edgar captured the UFC lightweight championship against B.J. Penn and again defeated “The Prodigy” in a rematch to retain his title.

It was due to his excellent grappling background that he was able to achieve that feat.

Also, with dominant wins over the likes of Jim Miller, Hermes “The Unreal” França and Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk, Edgar's wrestling pedigree has stood him in good stead.

2. Gilbert Melendez

Second on the list is Strikeforce lightweight champion and No. 2 ranked lightweight in the world Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez.

His supreme wrestling skills have been the catalyst in most of his 20 wins to date.

His most notable wins have been against Josh Thomson, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri and most recently, Jorge Masvidal.

1. Gray Maynard

It’s safe to say that Gray “The Bully” Maynard takes the No. 1 spot in the grappling stakes with regards to the 155-pound assemblage.

The NCAA Division I wrestler has upended the likes of Dennis Siver, Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller and Kenny Florian.

His first fight with Edgar was testament to how good a grinder the former No. 1 lightweight contender is.