Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Lightweight

1. Conor McGregor (21-3)

From crashing the cage and beefing with referees to getting in hot water with alleged Irish mobsters and appearing at Versace fashion shows, McGregor continues to find headlines while amplifying his devil-may-care superstar persona. Whether or not any of this leads to his returning to the Octagon anytime soon to face Tony Ferguson -- or anyone else for that matter -- remains to be seen.

2. Tony Ferguson (23-3)

As goes Conor McGregor so goes the fate of Ferguson, at least for now. Despite his claiming the UFC interim lightweight title to presumably set up a showdown with the biggest star in the sport, Ferguson has found McGregor to be elusive. The Irishman has publicly stated he wants equity in the UFC and co-promotional rights before agreeing to a unification bout. As a result, “El Cucuy” is left with an unclear immediate future until McGregor’s demands are resolved or refused.

3. Eddie Alvarez (29-5, 1 NC)

Alvarez’s showdown with Justin Gaethje on Dec. 2 was given “Fight of the Year” consideration months before it even happened. When it finally went down at UFC 218 in Detroit, Alvarez prevailed in a punishing classic, as he finally toppled Gaethje in the third round, handed the former World Series of Fighting champion the first loss of his pro career and claimed one of his greatest victories in the process.

4. Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0)

Something always seems to keep Nurmagomedov from his biggest bouts and from fighting for the UFC lightweight crown, whether it is timing, weight cut-related illness or just a slew of injuries. After his weight cutting debacle nixed an interim lightweight title bout with Tony Ferguson earlier this year, “The Eagle” was not just going to waltz back into the Octagon in a title fight. Instead, he will get a tough, dangerous fight at UFC 209 but one that will certainly give him a title opportunity if he proves victorious. Nurmagomedov has signed on to face surgical Brazilian striker Edson Barboza on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas.

5. Edson Barboza (19-4)

Barboza’s dynamic talents have never been questioned. However, throughout his seven-year UFC tenure, each time the Brazilian striker starts to build momentum towards a title shot, he falters in a critical fight. Can Barboza ever win the big one? We certainly have another case for examination on our hands now, as he will face the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 219 on Dec. 30. A win over “The Eagle” will put Barboza on the doorstep of that elusive UFC title shot.

6. Kevin Lee (16-3)

First, he had to battle the scale, and heaven only knows how he was allowed to get in the Octagon with such a gruesome staph infection. However, Lee made it to UFC 216 and for 10 minutes, “The Motown Phenom” gave Tony Ferguson a ton of problems. However, as his fitness slipped and Lee slowed, he saw his chance at the UFC interim lightweight title go out the window courtesy of a third-round Ferguson triangle. Following the defeat and the drama surrounding his prefight health, Lee is contemplating a move to 170 pounds.

7. Justin Gaethje (18-1)

Gaethje eventually succumbed to Eddie Alvarez’s strikes in the third round at UFC 218 but not before helping to author one of the best fights of 2017. The knockout loss to Alvarez marked the first defeat of Gaethje’s career, but in his first two Ultimate Fighting Championship appearances, “The Highlight” has produced perhaps the two frontrunners for “Fight of the Year.”

8. Dustin Poirier (22-5, 1 NC)

Poirier may well have been bamboozled out of his biggest career win against Eddie Alvarez in May, due to the illegal knee incident that ended their contest prematurely. However, “The Diamond” fought with something to prove in his UFC Fight Night 120 headliner on Nov. 11, dominating former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis over 12 minutes of blood-soaked brawling before earning a submission victory and calling out the winner of Alvarez-Justin Gaethje. Could we really be so lucky to see Poirier-Alvarez 2?

9. Michael Chiesa (14-3)

Chiesa might have been bummed three years ago when he was unceremoniously stopped on a cut against Joe Lauzon in an exciting, competitive bout. However, after referee Mario Yamasaki completely botched the conclusion to Chiesa's bout with Kevin Lee, the disappointment must be magnified tenfold. “The Maverick” carried consecutive wins over Mitch Clarke, Jim Miller and Beneil Dariush into his June 25 bout with Lee but did not get much of a chance to extend his winning streak, as Yamasaki handed Lee the technical submission via rear-naked choke. Chiesa’s appeal to the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission was denied.

10. Beneil Dariush (14-3-1)

Looking to erase the memories of his “Knockout of the Year” loss to Edson Barboza in April, Dariush came out on fire in his UFC 216 bout with Evan Dunham, nearly stopping him with vicious strikes in the first round. However, the Kings MMA product could not put away Dunham, and the American fought back to even the scores over 15 minutes, resulting in a majority draw.

Other Contenders: Nate Diaz, Evan Dunham, Al Iaquinta, Francisco Trinaldo, James Vick.

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