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Lightweight

1. Ben Henderson (16-2)

Henderson became the only man to hold both the WEC and UFC lightweight titles by wrestling the latter belt from Frankie Edgar in a fantastic five-rounder at UFC 144. The pair will have a chance to produce a second “Fight of the Year” contender when they rematch for the belt in August at UFC 150.

2. Frankie Edgar (14-2-1)

The bad news for Edgar: despite displaying his usual gutsiness, “The Answer” had no solution for Ben Henderson on Feb. 26 and dropped his belt after five rounds in Saitama, Japan. The good news: Edgar won’t have to wait long for a chance to win the strap back, as the pair are set to dance again come Aug. 11.

3. Gilbert Melendez (21-2)

It may not have been as definitive as he would have liked, but Melendez won his rubber match against former sparring partner Josh Thomson with a five-round split nod on May 19. Despite persistent calls from fans and pundits for a jump to the Octagon, UFC President Dana White says “El Nino” will remain the big fish in Strikeforce’s shallow waters.

4. Gray Maynard (11-1-1, 1 NC)

In a rather bizarre outcome, Gray Maynard emerged not only a split decision victor against Clay Guida on June 22, but the fan favorite. In a 25-minute bout marked mostly by Guida’s running, it was Maynard’s dogged pursuit and crowd-pleasing sensibilities that helped earn him a crucial and well-deserved win on the judges’ scorecards.

5. Nate Diaz (16-7)

On May 5, Diaz did what 23 men before him failed to do -- he stopped Jim Miller. His second-round submission of the hard-nosed New Jerseyan coupled with his masterful decision win against Donald Cerrone have cemented Diaz’s status as one of the top dogs in the ever-deepening 155-pound class.

6. Jim Miller (21-4)

After going more than two years between losses, the younger of New Jersey’s fighting Miller brothers has dropped two of his last three starts. The latest loss came May 5 at the hands of Nate Diaz, who forced Miller to submit to a second-round guillotine choke.

7. Clay Guida (29-13)

Some might have expected Clay Guida to lose his June 22 bout with Gray Maynard, but probably not to lose fans. The widely-beloved lightweight put together a stinker of a gameplan for his bout with “The Bully,” staying on his bicycle and avoiding any real contact. However, the plan nearly worked for “The Carpenter,” who lost a close split decision.

8. Anthony Pettis (15-2)

Frank Edgar and Benson Henderson might have stolen the show at UFC 144 in the main event, but Anthony Pettis wasn’t content to let his 155-pound brethren get all the shine. “Showtime” showed up in sizzling style in Saitama, kicking Joe Lauzon upside the head and knocking out the respected “J-Lau” early in the first frame.

9. Michael Chandler (10-0)

Bellator’s lightweight ace did exactly what was expected of him in his May 5 non-title bout, sending Japanese vet Akihiro Gono into retirement with a 56-second demolition. Chandler will get a much stiffer test in his as-yet-unscheduled first defense, which will see the NCAA wrestling standout clash with Olympic judoka and sixth-season tourney winner Rick Hawn.

10. Donald Cerrone (18-4, 1 NC)

Having dropped a surprisingly uneven decision to Nate Diaz in December, Cerrone turned around to lay a similarly lopsided beating on Jeremy Stephens in his May 15 return to the cage. Following the unanimous nod, the Greg Jackson-trained “Cowboy” lobbied for an Aug. 11 booking when UFC 150 rolls into Denver.

Other contenders:

Shinya Aoki, Eddie Alvarez, Pat Healy, Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau.

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