Top UFC Lightweights

Maynard is relatively young in the fight game with only eight professional fights. However, he uses superior strength and suffocating wrestling to overmatch his opponents. The only blemish on his record is a no contest from his first UFC bout in which he knocked himself unconscious with a slam that caused Rob Emerson to tap out.

The undisputed top-ranked lightweight in all of mixed martial arts. Penn has decimated his lightweight challengers since returning to the division in 2007. When “The Prodigy,” meets challenger Kenny Florian at UFC 101 in August 2009, he will most certainly be a heavy favorite. The only question about Penn is whether he will continue to be drawn to fights in the UFC’s welterweight division, where he has lost his last three bouts (two of those being for the welterweight championship).

With a similar game to Maynard, Edgar’s wrestling will lead to a loss for all but the elite of this weight class. With a signature win over former champion Sean Sherk, Edgar has shown true relevance in the lightweight division with athleticism and the ability to game plan.

Talented enough to be ranked in the second spot, Sanchez is a relatively new addition to the lightweight class. In his first two fights he has wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, pushing a frenetic pace in both fights. Sanchez was the original winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, scoring a brutal first round stoppage of Florian at 185 pounds.

Has victories over top opponents. Only career losses are to gray maynard and frankie edgar.

Former WEC champion and UFC contender

“KenFlo,” 9-1 in the UFC’s lightweight division, will get his second shot at the title in August 2009 versus B.J. Penn. A star pupil of renowned coach Mark DellaGrotte, Florian partners a high-level grappling background with solid muay thai skills.