16 MMA Fighters for a Lightweight Tournament We Would Love to See

Yes, we all know it’s true: the days of the eight-man, one-night tournaments are long gone, at least in the UFC. They were great in their own way, but the sport seems to have evolved beyond that, for good or bad.

Winning a tournament has always seemed more about equal measures of luck and endurance rather than a true telling of who the best really is: Steve Jennum won UFC 3 as an alternate, stepping into the final fight.

But still, there is something about a tournament that just seems...fitting for MMA. Maybe it’s all in one night or maybe a string of events that see a winner crowned over a series of cards, but tournaments are really special events; the people at Pride FC knew this well, and they put on some of the best megaevents based on big tournaments the sport has ever seen.

So, in keeping with the idea of tournaments, one begins to wonder who would emerge victorious in the lightweight division, especially if it was a 16-man tournament; that seems fair given how deep the division is.

For the sake of argument, I have written a list that I think would make a dandy of a lightweight tournament. You will notice that the current reigning champion, Benson Henderson, is not included.

He would be sitting this one out, waiting for the time when he, as UFC lightweight champion, could face the winner of the UFC lightweight tournament (which would have its own special belt, of course) and they would fight for the title, which is as it should be.

Also, you will notice the alternates listed first. All of those chosen on the list were based in part due to their records and current standing in addition to their styles and of course past performances that cast some doubt over how they would fare: Clay Guida is one example, based on his last fight with Gray Maynard.

Of course, no list can ever be fully complete: someone is always left off, but still, I think those included would make for one hell of a tournament.

Alternate: Clay Guida

Nationality: American

Record: 29-13

Height: 5’7”

Reach: 69 inches

Age: 30

Strengths: Grappling, endurance, aggression

OK, let’s get this out of the way quickly.

Many will be shouting from the rooftops that it is totally unfair to have Clay Guida as nothing more than an alternate, and perhaps they have a point.

But given his less-than-stellar performance against Gray Maynard, to say that he needs to find the fire again seems like an understatement. He employed a radically new style (for him) that was almost all defense and what little offense he offered seemed tentative to me, and that costs him in this list.

Still, if someone fell injured and he got the call, he could prove me wrong, and I would be delighted.

But until his next bout, I am doubtful that he will recapture that aggression that makes inclusion to such lists a given.

Alternate: Jamie Varner

Nationality: American

Record: 20-7-1 with 2 no-contests

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 72 inches

Age: 28

Strengths: Striking, submissions, well-rounded

Even though he defeated Edson Barboza, Varner is a fighter on the verge.

He has won fights via submission in nearly equal measure to the fights he has won via KO/TKO, but if there is a hole in his game (at least on paper), it is his submission defense.

Still, he is a gamer and would probably do his damndest to make the most of a chance to step into such a tournament. Anyone who slugged it out with Donald Cerrone and won a split decision shouldn't be counted out.

Alternate: Ross Pearson

Nationality: English

Record: 14-6

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 69 inches

Age: 28

Strengths: Tenacity, punching power, striking

Coming off a beautiful KO win over George Sotiropoulos, Ross Pearson is once again “up” in his current run of up-and-down performances.

But one thing is for sure: Pearson is one fighter that should never be discounted.

He’s the kind of man that seems to be waiting for the right training camp or big moment, and given his love of fighting and durability, he could take off on an impressive win streak at any time.

He’s also great in the role of spoiler or dark horse, and he could take an opportunity in a tournament like this and make it golden.

Alternate: Melvin Guillard

Nationality: American

Record: 30-11-2 with 1 no-contest

Height: 5’9”

Reach: 71 inches

Age: 29

Strengths: Punching power, speed, athleticism, striking

I’ve said it many times before and I will say it again: Melvin Guillard has all the god-given gifts to be a champion in the UFC’s lightweight division, but where the train starts to come off the tracks is in the dedication and preparation.

He’s a much better fighter than his record suggests, and if he ever comes full circle and realizes his potential, he’s going to go from gatekeeper to king-crusher in a hurry.

Sometimes men like Guillard need a golden opportunity, and a title shot could be just the ticket he needs to turn the corner and find what he’s looking for.

Alternate: Mac Danzig

Nationality: American

Record: 21-10-1

Height: 5’8.75”

Reach: 70 inches

Age: 32

Strengths: Experience, punching power, endurance

I have always been a fan of Mac Danzig, which has made it hard to not only watch his career stutter along, but it’s also made it hard in the wondering of which loss will see him hand his walking papers.

If there is anything about the career of Danzig that stands out, it’s his ability to rise to the occasion and defeat opponents who seem to have a pronounced advantage over him, like Joe Stevens.

Of course, it is that very thing that also has seen him falter, because as Danzig rises to one occasion, he drowns on another, and that has seen him go from being a potential great to ending up a member of the potential unemployed.

Still, I think he would be a good choice as an alternate for a tournament such as this, and he would no doubt jump on the chance, fighting with the kind of fire that sometimes burns so hot you don’t see it from a distance.

Alternate: Sean Sherk

Nationality: American

Record: 36-4-1

Height: 5’6”

Reach: 67 inches

Age: 39

Strengths: Wrestling, endurance, experience

So, what is a former UFC lightweight champion with an excellent professional record doing on this list as an alternate?

Much of it is due to his time away from the cage and his age. Sherk looks to be at a point in his life where he is asking hard questions, and that makes him a somewhat unknown commodity as of right now.

Still, if he got the call, he might show up and surprise everyone, like Mark Coleman did in 2000.

Main Card Entry: Jim Miller

Nationality: American

Record: 21-4

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 71 inches

Age: 29

Strengths: Well-rounded, passionate, durable

Jim Miller is one of those guys who comes into a fray like a man on fire, and there is no doubt that he would fully expect to win the entire tournament. Given the men he has defeated and the upsets he’s pulled off, that makes him a shoo-in for a main slot.

Miller can submit you on the ground or pound on you enthusiastically for the entire bout, happy as a clam no matter where the fight is fought, and he’s the kind of man who would meet you in the middle of a flood in order to beat you up.

And that is something that a tournament like this needs: unbridled passion and unwavering commitment, especially when you consider the chaotic nature of a tournament format.

Main Card Entry: Edson Barboza

Nationality: Brazilian

Record: 10-1

Height: 5’11”

Reach: 75 inches

Age: 26

Strengths: Striking, youth, desire, KO power

Perhaps best known for his incredible wheel-kick KO of Terry Etim, there is still more than meets the eye to Edson Barboza.

He lost to Jamie Varner via TKO due to punches in his last outing, so we don’t know how he bounces back, but he’s young and terribly talented, so it’s far too early to count him out just yet.

A tournament like this would be the perfect thing for Barboza. It would give him a shot at the title should he win, incredible exposure and name recognition, and a wealth of experience, even if he loses along the way.

Main Card Entry: Takanori Gomi

Nationality: Japanese

Record: 34-8-1

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 70 inches

Age: 34

Strengths: Striking, endurance, experience

Even though “The Fireball Kid” isn’t exactly a kid anymore, he’s still got enough left to perhaps channel the 2005 version of himself that saw a younger man wearing flaming trunks win the Pride lightweight Grand Prix.

Granted, odds are he’d have a tough road to anywhere in a tournament like this, given all the talented grapplers he’d probably face, but still, he’s been there before, and there is something to be said for experience and one-punch, fight-ending power.

Besides, tournaments like this need proven fighters and international appeal, and Gomi provides both.

Main Card Entry: Eddie Alvarez

Nationality: American

Record: 24-3

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 69 inches

Age: 28

Strengths: Striking, submissions, durable, incredibly well-rounded

Eddie Alvarez may be one of the greatest unknown lightweights in the sport today simply because he isn’t fighting in the UFC...yet.

He’s got everything it takes to win the whole damn thing, and that speaks to his skills, natural abilities, his desire and his commitment to fight the fight, no matter how hard or long it goes.

Those same qualities are exactly what a fighter needs to win a tournament like this, and that could see Alvarez take it all the way to the quarterfinals—or more.

Main Card Entry: Diego Sanchez

Nationality: American

Record: 23-5

Height: 5’10”

Reach: 72 inches

Age: 30

Strengths: Grappling, striking, endurance, aggression

Although he’s jumped up and down between weight classes in his UFC career, Diego Sanchez would be a serious threat in a lightweight tournament such as this.

His sheer size, strength, aggression and high endurance could see him keeping all his opponents on the defensive while he racks up points with the judges and takes the decision train all the way to the final.

Of course, the man has more ways than that to win; Sanchez, in a tournament like this, would be a sight to behold, and given how well known his name is, many would want to behold it.

Main Card Entry: Michael Chandler

Nationality: American

Record: 10-0

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 69 inches

Age: 26

Strengths: Wrestling, conditioning, youth, desire, strength

Ah, to be young again; or, to live vicariously through the young and, in the case of Michael Chandler, the hungry.

Chandler is new to the sport and hardly anyone knows who he is: an excellent wrestling-based fighter who is quickly growing into a fine submission artist.

Wrestlers have always had a tournament mindset, and it is no wonder as to why. They train to win many matches in a single day and they live and die on a second's notice, demanding of them a dedication to each and every precious moment and a clarity of what victory demands.

Chandler is, in my opinion, a lock for a semifinal spot, and if anyone has any doubts, just remember he defeated Eddie Alvarez, which should tell you a great deal.

Main Card Entry: Yves Edwards

Nationality: Bahamian

Record: 42-18-1

Height: 5’9”

Reach: 73 inches

Age: 36

Strengths: Striking, submissions, experience, KO power

Once upon a time, when BJ Penn had left the UFC for any other pastures available and there was no lightweight division champion, Yves Edwards was the king of the hill, and even though many years have passed, he still has all the necessary skills and ability to break out and shock us all.

He’s had some rough runs, to be sure, but he keeps bouncing back, and when he finds his groove, there’s really no one that can contend with him, be it standing or on the floor. It is his potential that puts him in for the main card, which is in contrast to his age; after all, not many thought he'd be the man to hand Jeremy Stephens his first-ever KO loss, but he was.

The question of late for Edwards has been consistency, and that would provide the drama the tournament would mine in the name of Edwards—can he be great from start to finish in such a deep pool?

I would love to find out.

Main Card Entry: Josh Thompson

Nationality: American

Record: 19-5 with 1 no-contest

Height: 5’10”

Reach: 71 inches

Age: 34

Strengths: Striking, durability, experience, submissions

When you look at the lightweight division in depth, there are many very good to great fighters out there who continue to go unsung without the spotlight that comes with fighting under the UFC banner.

Josh Thompson is one such fighter, and he would be a great addition to the main card.

He’s only been stopped once in his professional career (against Yves Edwards due to a flying head-kick KO), and he’s been in some fantastic fights, most notably his wars with Gilbert Melendez, which were very close.

Fighters get main card draws for a variety of reasons, but Thompson would get one here because he’s earned it.

Main Card Entry: Donald Cerrone

Nationality: American

Record: 19-4 with 1 no-contest

Height: 6’0”

Reach: 73 inches

Age: 29

Strengths: Striking, aggression, fortitude

Every tournament could use a fighter like Donald Cerrone for obvious reasons: he’s quite capable of defeating anyone on any given night by KO or submission, he’s exciting as hell, and his in-cage attitude is very much akin to the 209 brothers of note, Nick and Nate Diaz.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, he seems to be getting better.

When considering a tournament like this, the question isn’t “Why should Cerrone be in the main card?” but “Why wouldn’t he?”

Besides, every epic drama needs a cowboy.

Main Card Entry: BJ Penn

Nationality: American

Record: 16-9-2

Height: 5’9”

Reach: 70 inches

Age: 34

Strengths: Submissions, punching power, athleticism

Yes, I know, I get it: you are all tired of hearing about BJ Penn, especially from me.

Well, too bad, my friends.

Yes, his record is not all that great, but he’s one of those fighters who’s far better than his record, and yes he’s been fighting at welterweight, but I don’t care because the proof is available for all those with eyes: Penn is his best at lightweight, which is honestly where he belongs.

Like Sean Sherk, Penn gets into the main card based on the strength of his past accomplishments: former UFC welterweight champion, former UFC lightweight champion, etc.

He’s also wrecked Diego Sanchez, Takanori Gomi and Sean Sherk from this list, not to mention countless others, and he did it all when he was around the lightweight range.

Were this a hypothetical about the welterweight division, Penn wouldn’t even be in the same galaxy as others for consideration.

But this is about the lightweight division, and Penn still has the tools to shock a lot of people—and possibly win the whole damn thing.

Main Card Entry: Shinya Aoki

Nationality: Japanese

Record: 31-6 with 1 no-contest

Height: 5’11”

Reach: 72 inches

Age: 29

Strengths: Submissions, experience

Drawing on more international flavor, Shinya Aoki would be a good addition to such a tournament simply because he’s notable in Japan and is always a danger on the ground.

Granted, odds are he’d end up taking a pounding from a fighter who could stop his takedowns, but if they faltered even for a second, Aoki could grab victory from the jaws of defeat before you could blink an eye.

Besides, he’s been crying for a long time now that Japanese fighters are every bit as good (if not better) than their counterparts from the globe, and this would be his chance to prove it.

It would also give him a shot at avenging losses to Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez, and revenge is always a good motivator for a fighter as hot-headed as Aoki.

Main Card Entry: Gilbert Melendez

Nationality: American

Record: 21-2

Height: 5’9”

Reach: 71 inches

Age: 30

Strengths: Wrestling, fortitude, striking, experience, endurance

If you don’t know who Gilbert Melendez is by now, you are either new to the sport (and probably calling it “UFC fighting”) or you’ve been living under a rock.

Quite simply, Melendez is the champion workhorse of the lightweight division, very similar to the way Bernard Hopkins was during his reign. Melendez has never fought in the UFC, but not because he didn’t deserve to.

Melendez is one of those guys who won’t quit, and he’s never been knocked out or submitted. He’s faced the kind of fighters who have proven capable of doing those things to just about everyone else.

If Melendez won the whole thing, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

Main Card Entry: Joe Lauzon

Nationality: American

Record: 22-7

Height: 5’10”

Reach: 70 inches

Age: 28

Strengths: Striking, submissions, ferocity

One of the great things about Joe Lauzon is that each and every time he gets in the cage, he’s looking to take your head off, even if on the outside he looks like a cool customer who’s simply doing the math.

Lauzon is a great wild card for a tournament like this: he’s very good on the ground or standing, and he just seems to be waiting for a big break to come exploding out onto the next stage of his career.

I honestly wouldn’t feel at ease rooting for any other fighter on this list if he were facing Lauzon—he’s just that capable.

Main Card Entry: Anthony Pettis

Nationality: American

Record: 15-2

Height: 5’10”

Reach: 72 inches

Age: 25

Strengths: Athleticism, striking, ferocity, submissions

Equally comfortable on the feet or the floor, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis is easily in the top four of the division, and he holds a fantastic win over current champion Benson Henderson, thanks in part to one of the greatest kicks in the history of the sport.

He’s well rounded, mean as hell and scary talented. When you realize that he’s only 25 years old, suddenly the future of the lightweight division, with Pettis as UFC champion, becomes a very real possibility.

To imagine such a tournament without Pettis is damn near a crime.

Main Card Entry: Nate Diaz

Nationality: American

Record: 16-8

Height: 6’0”

Reach: 76 inches

Age: 27

Strengths: Boxing, submissions, endurance

Say what you will about the younger Diaz brother, but he brings action to every fight, and even though he lacks a basic cornerstone in wrestling and takedown defense, he is still a fighter who can beat just about anyone if he is on point.

Fighters like Nate Diaz are what draws fans to the sport—or turns them away. But for certain, he would belong in a tournament like this, if for no other reason than he’s defeated other such entries like Donald Cerrone, Jim Miller and Takanori Gomi.

Like him or not, he’d be a fighter to watch in such a tournament.

Main Card Entry: Gray Maynard

Nationality: American

Record: 11-1-1 with 1 no-contest

Height: 5’8”

Reach: 70 inches

Age: 33

Strengths: Wrestling, physical strength, punching power

Perhaps the strongest lightweight in the division, Gray Maynard has been so close to the belt he could almost taste it.

He’s got massive punching power and a great wrestling base, perhaps greater than anyone else on the list, and he knows how to use it. Should he go back to that wrestling-first formula, he could defeat anyone in such a tournament based on a style clash alone.

He’s experienced a great deal in a short period of time in the UFC, and that kind of experience could translate to a victory in the tournament and in a title fight to follow.