MMA What-Ifs Part One: UFC Lightweight Tournament

This is Part One of a five-part tournament series. I've been pretty bored, so this is what I've come up with.

Enjoy, and feel free to come up with your version of this tournament—if you don't agree, that is!

First Round

1. BJ Penn
8. Nate Diaz

4. Tyson Griffin
5. Joe Stevenson

3. Sean Sherk
6. Roger Huerta

2. Kenny Florian
7. Hermes Franca

BJ Penn vs. Nate Diaz

I see this fight going one round, with Penn winning by TKO.

Tyson Griffin vs. Joe Stevenson

This will be more of an even match. First round, I see Griffin out-striking Stevenson; at the end, Stevenson tries for a take-down and gets denied. Second round, Stevenson gets a lucky take-down and ends up submitting Griffin. Stevenson wins by submission.

Sean Sherk vs. Roger Huerta

Opening round, Sherk is landing ferocious punches on Huerta, then takes him down. After 15 seconds of some beastly ground and pound, the ref comes and stops it. Sherk wins in the third round on a ref stoppage.

Kenny Florian vs. Hermes Franca

Florian gets taken down early on, but manages to stand back up. He then takes Franca down and beats him senseless with those infamous elbows, the ref comes over and stops it. Florian wins in the first round on a ref stoppage!

Semifinals

So, here's who we have left:

1. BJ Penn
5. Joe Stevenson

3. Sean Sherk
2. Kenny Florian

I don't want this to be a marathon article, so I'll keep it simple.

BJ Penn over Big Daddy by submission (again) in the third round.

Muscle Shark over Ken-Flo by TKO in the second round.

Finals (Five Rounds)

BJ Penn over Muscle Shark by KO in the fourth round

Keeping it simple, my explanations are that Penn is just an overall beast, and I believe that Sherk is a better and more tested (no pun intended) fighter than Ken-Flo. And Big Daddy isn't even close to Penn.

Parts Two and Three tomorrow: Welterweights and Middleweights