2012 MMA To-Do List for Each Top 10 Lightweight

As we approach the halfway point of the 2012 calendar year, we check in on 10 of the world's best 155-pound mixed martial artists.

Here, we will examine what each top-10 lightweight star needs to accomplish before New Year's Eve in order to classify 2012 as a success.

For some, it is UFC gold or bust; for others, it is reclaiming a once-untarnished name. Still others will attempt to achieve legitimacy by the year's end, while some will attempt to round their abilities.

Let's get started.

Donald Cerrone

Cerrone's To-Do List:

Beat a contender

Cerrone's UFC record stands at an impressive 5-1. Accomplishing a mark like that cannot be discounted, but there is a reason why it has not garnered him a ranking better than 10th.

Cerrone has beaten a collection of tough fighters in the UFC, including Charles Oliveira, Dennis Siver and Jeremy Stephens, but he has never defeated a true title contender. In fact, the two best names on his UFC hit list—Oliveira and Siver—now reside in the featherweight division.

The one time Cerrone has tussled with a contender was when he took on Nate Diaz last December, and that was a real bad night for "Cowboy."

It's time for Cerrone to take the next step in his UFC career, and defeating a top-ranked lightweight in the next six months would do wonders for that movement.

Keep a steady career pace

Cerrone has historically been a very active fighter. Case in point: He competed five times in 2011.

Halfway through 2012, however, Cerrone has had just one bout and none scheduled for the immediate future. Chances are he will fight one or two more times this year, and it would benefit him as a fighter if he can squeeze in two.

Not only do more fights mean more opportunity, Cerrone is the kind of fighter that can really get on a roll, and the more active he is, the more dangerous he gets.

Test the takedown waters

Cerrone has racked up submission wins throughout his career, an impressive feat regardless of how you look at it, but all the more so considering he very rarely initiates grappling.

Instead, most of Cerrone's recent submission wins have been a product of an opponent looking to score some points with a takedown.

While he is certainly capable on the feet, Cerrone would be wise to look for some takedowns of his own as he continues to develop as a fighter. If you need an explanation as to why his strategy of "strike until they take me down" is imperfect, check out Cerrone's 2011 loss to Nate Diaz.

Michael Chandler

Chandler's To-Do List:

Prove that the Alvarez win was no fluke

It isn't that there are a whole lot of people accusing Michael Chandler of being lucky, but until he begins terminating high-level opponents on a regular basis, there will be a ceiling on his ranking.

And no, defeating Akihiro Gono does not count towards defeating top competition.

Wins over Patrick Freire and Lloyd Woodward (before he beat Alvarez) do Chandler some credit, but if he wants to start hearing his name in conversations about the Frankie Edgars, Gray Maynards and Nate Diazes of the 155-pound division, he will need to add some brighter feathers to his cap.

Just keep winning

Chandler cannot get ahead of himself. Bellator cannot provide the best competition in the world on a regular basis, so there will be instances when Chandler will have to settle for mid-level guys.

When that happens, there is always the risk of putting in a letdown performance, and that is something Chandler will have to avoid. If he cannot avoid it, then he may not even get a crack at achieving the first bullet on this list.

Work on avoiding the counter right

While it may be nitpicking to dissect an undefeated fighter's flaws, Chandler took a ton of damage in his win over Eddie Alvarez last November. Most of that damage came from Alvarez throwing straight rights and right uppercuts in response to Chandler throwing his jab.

Winning consistently in MMA is all about avoiding mistakes. If Chandler wants to mitigate the risk he faces each and every time he fights, finding out how to avoid right hands from the orthodox stance would be a good place to start.

Jim Miller

Miller's To-Do List

Put the Diaz loss behind you

There are no two ways about it—Jim Miller got utterly destroyed by Nate Diaz. It was the kind of beating that can take confidence away from the recipient and leave him floundering around for the rest of his career. 

Miller needs to get that defeat out of his head and look forward to beginning his title run anew.

Get back in the win column

Moral victories are great, but beyond putting the Diaz loss behind him Miller needs to snatch a W in his next fight. 

Between July 2009 and August 2011, Miller went on a seven-fight win streak. Since then, he has put together a 1-2 record. If he drops his next contest, most of the credit he earned during that impressive run will evaporate in its entirety.

Find yourself some big, lanky training partners

Miller's two UFC defeats have come at the hands of Ben Henderson and Nate Diaz. In both cases, length and size were decisive factors in the outcome of the fight. In each of those losses Miller struggled to get in range of his opponent to do damage or get deep on a double-leg. 

Unless he hits on an unprecedented adult growth spurt, he best figure out how to deal with bigger, longer guys. And soon. 

Anthony Pettis

Pettis' To-Do List

Learn how to stop a shot and learn how to get up when you cannot stop the shot

Pettis is a supremely talented fighter whose athleticism permits him to succeed in any and every aspect of MMA. So what's with the wrestling issues? 

Pettis struggled to handle his opponent's wrestling in each of his first two UFC fights, losing to Clay Guida and winning a tight split decision over Jeremy Stephens.

Regardless of what has stunted Pettis' ability to compete against tough takedown specialists, he needs to rectify the problem.

Replicate your last performance

If you missed Pettis' last performance, just check the box score. A 1:21 knockout over Joe Lauzon says it all.

I'm not saying Pettis needs to literally reenact his last performance next time he fights, but what he needs to do is come out and go for the kill in the exact same way.

Pettis is one of the most dynamic fighters on the planet, and there is no good reason why he shouldn't be able to put on shows like that more regularly.

After all, his nickname is "Showtime."

Remind everyone who won that last WEC fight

With a healthy lineup of title contenders at 155, it is improbable that Pettis wins his way into a title fight before New Years' Eve. But if he keeps winning and Ben Henderson remains the champion, how can the UFC not fast-track him?

The first time Pettis combated Henderson, it was an instant classic. Oh, and Pettis won.

Clay Guida

Guida's To-Do List

Stop using the UFC as a venue to try out for the U.S. Olympic 4x100m Men's Relay Team

Guida drew the ire of fans, Dana White and opponent Gray Maynard for channeling his inner Kalib Starnes at UFC on FX 4. 

Olympic fever is starting up, but bringing a track meet to the Octagon just didn't mesh well.

Make damn sure you fight like the Guida of old next time out

Guida sacrificed several years of goodwill from fans and the UFC brass with his literal hit-and-run tactics last Friday night. Whether he is able to recover that, and if so, how quick, remains to be seen.

One thing is certain: not trying to recover that goodwill is akin to career suicide. 

Win, win, win

Lost in the barrage of criticism Guida currently faces is the fact that he has dropped back-to-back contests inside the Octagon.

A pink slip may not be imminent even if he loses three straight, but Guida's last fight left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, so you never know.

To be on the safe side, Guida needs to win his next fight. To be really secure, he needs to win a couple in a row.

Nate Diaz

Diaz's To-Do List

Keep doing what you are doing

Diaz has looked phenomenal since making a necessary return to the lightweight division. His striking has been superb, his Jiu-Jitsu has looked as sharp as ever and his takedown defense has been immaculate.

He just needs to stay consistent.

Win the UFC lightweight title

This, of course, is only pragmatic advice if his shot comes in 2012. If it indeed does, win it.

Anything less would mean the otherwise spectacular two-year run Diaz has been on ends in crushing disappointment.

Put any thought of a welterweight return out of your head

If Diaz gets his shot at lightweight gold and comes up short, the temptation may exist for him to once again test the waters at 170 pounds.

The first foray into the welterweight division was ill-advised and another would be outright idiotic. Regardless of the outcome of Diaz's next fight, he needs to stick it out at 155.

Gray Maynard

Maynard's To-Do List

Put your name into title conversations with another win

How far from yet another title shot can Gray Maynard really be? Sure, he has only won once since his last opportunity went awry, but who is there ahead of him? Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar and...who?

While few fans are clamoring for Maynard to get another title shot in the near future, another win on his resume would make a fairly strong case for him to get one. 

Work for a finish

I'm usually not one to criticize a fighter for winning decisions (nor will I be here), but earning a stoppage would really do wonders for Maynard.

Some of the reluctance to see Maynard in another title fight espoused by the UFC's fanbase is a product of his inability to finish his opponents. He has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can be successful without scoring knockouts and submissions, but if it helps him wriggle into a title fight sooner, it may be worth pursuing.

Keep the cardio where it is

Maynard gassed in the third round each time he fought Frankie Edgar. This prompted well-founded concerns over his ability to last for the entirety of a five-round fight. 

Maynard's last fight, however, gave hope that he can indeed go a full 25 minutes. In fact, his last fight gave proof that he can do it. 

Hopefully, he can do it consistently.

Gilbert Melendez

Melendez's To-Do List

Avoid Josh Thomson like he has the plague

This may be a personal bias seeping through, but I truly believe the list of people who want to see another fight between Melendez and Thomson is shorter than Bob Sapp's average fight length.

Physical-to-temporal witicisms aside, just concentrate on crushing the dreams of some other lightweights on the Strikeforce roster.

Slip Dana $5 so he will let you into the UFC

It isn't that every single worthwhile opponent resides inside the UFC, but for a fighter to prove that he is truly one of the best in his weight class, he must consistently defeat other members of that group.

Where better to do this than in Zuffa's bigger, more influential venue?

Also, Josh Thomson is not in the UFC.

Tighten up that striking

Melendez is well-rounded, and his striking has come a long way over the years, but he still gets a bit sloppy with it at times.

If No. 2 on this list becomes a reality, then No. 3 is necessary to avoid a career crash.

Frankie Edgar

Edgar's To-Do List

Purchase a "What to do after catching your opponent's foot" manual

In his first fight against Ben Henderson, Edgar caught nearly every one of his opponent's kicks. Unfortunately, once he gained this position of strength, he appeared bewildered and consistently gave up the advantage.

Whether he finds a way to step in and strike or work for a sweep, Edgar cannot squander the opportunities presented by grabbing Henderson's kicks in the rematch. Bendo's length changes things, but Frankie really needs to figure this conundrum out if he wants to even the score.

Recapture the lightweight title

Becoming an undisputed champion should be every fighter's primary goal. For those as close as Edgar, failure to achieve that goal is truly devastating.

But if Edgar does fail to check off this task, he can always try his hand at the next one.

If No. 2 doesn't work out, consider dropping to featherweight

Next time Edgar enters the Octagon with Ben Henderson, look closely at the two. You may be able to spot a very small 20-plus-pound weight difference.

Edgar has proven that he can compete as an undersized lightweight to great success, but if Henderson proves too big a challenge to overcome for a second straight outing, it may be time for Edgar to start looking for the answer at featherweight.  

Ben Henderson

Henderson's To-Do List

Show that beating Edgar wasn't a fluke

The first contest between the two was close—close enough for the UFC to award Edgar an immediate rematch.

Henderson's first and clearest order of business over the next six months is to put any doubts about his championship legitimacy to rest. 

Put your stamp on the division

Beating Edgar for a second time is technically a title defense, but doing so means that Henderson is still yet to play keep away with the lightweight belt with anyone except the man who he took it from.

His fight against Edgar is set for August, and given that Nate Diaz is an established contender already waiting in the wings for a shot of his own, a second title defense in 2012 is a very reasonable goal for this year.

Look for a finish

How long will it be before people start getting on Henderson for decisioning all of his opponents? 

To date, Henderson has yet to score a stoppage in four UFC fights despite a 4-0 record. Fans hold champions to a higher standard than common fighters, and expectations are that the kingpins should not only win fights, but win them in style.

A finish against Edgar or the waiting Diaz would help Henderson quiet criticisms before they gain any momentum whatsoever.