Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Lightweight

1. Anthony Pettis (17-2)

Pettis needed five rounds and the remarkable “Showtime” kick to take the World Extreme Cagefighting belt from Benson Henderson in 2010, but he required far less time to earn his second victory over “Smooth” and become the lightweight king at UFC 164. The only thing that went wrong for Pettis, who submitted Henderson with a first-round armbar, was a knee injury he suffered while checking a kick. While the ailment was only diagnosed as a sprain, the Roufusport standout was forced to withdraw from a title defense against Josh Thomson when the knee did not heal as quickly as anticipated. Pettis will coach opposite Gilbert Melendez on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” before defending his title against “El Nino” later this year.

2. Benson Henderson (20-2)

In case anyone forgot, the former lightweight champion is a master of the high-wire act. Henderson proved it once again, taking a hotly contested -- and controversial -- split verdict over Josh Thomson in the UFC on Fox 10 headliner. “Smooth” is now 3-0 in UFC bouts that result in split decisions, with triumphs over Thomson, Gilbert Melendez and Frankie Edgar to his credit. Henderson will attempt to add a more decisive victory to his resume when he squares off with surging Jackson-Wink MMA product Rustam Khabilov in Albuquerque, N.M., on June 7.

3. Gilbert Melendez (21-3)

One bout removed from a narrow and controversial loss to then-lightweight champion Benson Henderson, “El Nino” teamed with Diego Sanchez to produce one of 2013’s most memorable fights at UFC 166. Melendez recently flirted with a move to Bellator before re-signing with the UFC. He will coach opposite lightweight champion Anthony Pettis on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” before challenging “Showtime” for his title later this year.

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

The 30-year-old Canadian has been unstoppable in the Octagon since dropping to 155 pounds in 2011, notching five straight wins, three of them finishes -- including a first-round blowout of Gray Maynard at UFC 160. A concussion knocked Grant from a proposed meeting with then-champion Benson Henderson at UFC 164, and a slower-than-expected recovery has further delayed his return to the Octagon.

5. Eddie Alvarez (25-3)

At Bellator 106, Alvarez showed the world why the promotion fought so hard to retain his services by regaining the lightweight title he lost in November 2011 with a hard-fought split decision over Michael Chandler. The rubber match between the two lightweights will take place May 17 on a Bellator pay-per-view card.

6. Michael Chandler (12-1)

Despite suffering the first loss of his professional career to Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 106, Chandler did little to hurt his stock. The rematch of one of 2011’s best fights lived up to the hype -- and then some. In the end, Alvarez edged Chandler in a back-and-forth, split decision triumph, setting up a trilogy at Bellator’s May 17 pay-per-view debut.

7. Josh Thomson (20-6, 1 NC)

Thomson was supposed to get a title shot. Instead, in the minds of many, he was robbed by the cageside judges in a UFC on Fox 10 meeting with ex-champ Benson Henderson. Shortly after his controversial split decision setback, “The Punk” began contemplating the end of a career that was marred by injury. Should Thomson decide to stick around, he figures to remain one of the sport’s top lightweights.

8. Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0)

Nurmagomedov continues to look like the next big thing in the UFC’s lightweight division. “The Eagle” dismantled fellow contender Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 11, grinding down his adversary through takedowns, clinches and ground-and-pound. The surging Dagestani has won six straight bouts inside the Octagon.

9. Nate Diaz (17-9)

Diaz once again demonstrated his ability to entertain by avenging a 2010 loss to Gray Maynard at “The Ultimate Fighter 18” Finale. The Cesar Gracie disciple rocked Maynard with a left and kept “The Bully” on his heels with a flurry of accurate punches to earn a stoppage 2:38 into round one. Diaz recently made headlines for a rant regarding his current contract with the UFC, asking for more money or to be released.

10. Rafael dos Anjos (20-6)

Dos Anjos saw his five-fight winning streak come to a screeching halt at UFC on Fox 11. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt had no answer for the grappling prowess of Khabib Nurmagomedov, as he mounted next to nothing offensively en route to dropping a unanimous decision against the highly touted Dagestani.

Other Contenders: Donald Cerrone, Bobby Green, Myles Jury, Rustam Khabilov, Jim Miller.

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