Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Lightweight

1. Benson Henderson (19-2)

After a dominant victory over Nate Diaz in December, “Smooth” returned to his habit of winning closely contested decisions at UFC on Fox 7. Paired with former Strikeforce titlist Gilbert Melendez, Henderson outstruck his foe just enough to earn a razor-thin split verdict. There will be no immediate rematch for “El Nino,” however, as Henderson will next defend his crown against new top contender T.J. Grant.

2. Gilbert Melendez (21-3)

At UFC on Fox 7, Melendez proved he belonged among the division’s elite by giving reigning UFC 155-pound champion Benson Henderson all he could handle in the headliner. It was not enough to get the nod from two of the three cageside judges, however, as the Skrap Pack member’s pace slowed slightly down the stretch en route to losing a controversial split decision. The narrow nature of the defeat means “El Nino” will not be too far removed from title consideration.

3. Anthony Pettis (16-2)

Following a vicious liver-kick knockout of Donald Cerrone on Jan. 26, Pettis decided to take matters into his own hands. Rather than wait for the victor of the April 20 bout between Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, “Showtime” elected to try his hand at 145 pounds. He will get a title shot against Jose Aldo in his first featherweight appearance on Aug. 3.

4. T.J. Grant (21-5)

Grant staked his claim as the No. 1 contender to Benson Henderson’s UFC lightweight throne by pummeling Gray Maynard in a first-round blowout at UFC 160. The 29-year-old Canadian has been unstoppable since dropping to 155 pounds in 2011, notching five straight wins, three of them finishes.

5. Michael Chandler (11-0)

Chandler continues to justify every bit of the significant hype surrounding him. While the Bellator title around his waist means significantly more time between bouts than when he first entered the promotion in 2010, the former University of Missouri Tiger is making each fight count. On Jan. 17, Chandler handed judo Olympian Rick Hawn the second defeat of his career via second-round rear-naked choke. Next, he will face resurgent World Extreme Cagefighting alum Dave Jansen on June 19.

6. Gray Maynard (11-2-1, 1 NC)

After missing a bout with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155 due to a knee injury, Maynard happened into a No. 1 contender bout with T.J. Grant at UFC 160. Grant came out with guns blazing and became only the second man to defeat Maynard, sending “The Bully” down the lightweight ladder for the time being.

7. Josh Thomson (20-5, 1 NC)

When fully healthy, “The Punk” remains a formidable opponent for anyone in the lightweight division, as he proved by becoming the first person to stop the durable Nate Diaz with strikes at UFC on Fox 7. With one resounding victory under his belt, the former Strikeforce titlist figures to receive another contender for his next Octagon appearance.

8. Nate Diaz (16-9)

Diaz’s second consecutive defeat at lightweight came in devastating fashion. The Stockton, Calif., native fell victim to a vicious head kick and follow-up punches from Strikeforce veteran Josh Thomson at UFC on Fox 7. Diaz was recently suspended 90 days and fined $20,000 for violating the UFC’s fighter code of conduct in a tweet.

9. Pat Healy (29-16, 1 NC)

Healy made his long-awaited return to the Octagon count, putting divisional stalwart Jim Miller to sleep with a third-round rear-naked choke in UFC 159’s “Fight of the Night.” The Strikeforce import did not get to enjoy his victory for long, however, as the bout was changed to a no-contest after Healy tested positive for marijuana, costing him $130,000 in bonus money.

10. Donald Cerrone (20-5, 1 NC)

Cerrone used effective takedowns and brutal ground-and-pound to outpoint former Strikeforce champ K.J. Noons at UFC 160. The win saw “Cowboy” rebound from a nasty knockout loss to Anthony Pettis in January and moved the Jackson’s MMA representative to 7-2 in the Octagon.

Other contenders:

Eddie Alvarez, Shinya Aoki, Rick Hawn, Jim Miller, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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