8 Best UFC Lightweights of all-time

The ‘stuck in the mud’ Lightweight division is currently one of the hottest weight classes in the UFC and for good measure. The MMA fraternity is still reeling in the aftermath of a highly explosive feud between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Notorious One may have convincingly lost, but in the process helped legitimize one of the most intimidating men on the roster.

The Eagle is the undefeated, undisputed champion and not all that underappreciated anymore. Khabib’s loyal fan base has already opined that the Dagestan grappler could be the greatest lightweight in UFC history, however, there’s still a long way to go before we confer the Lightweight GOAT status on the Russian mauler.

Much before the arrivals of Khabib and Connor, the Lightweight division was considered to be one of the more consistent weight classes in UFC’s history in terms of the quality of fights, champions, and its contenders. The 17-year chronology of the division has seen many great fighters string together an impressive resume which consequentially popularized the division.

This slider lists those standout Lightweights of the UFC.

Honorable Mentions:

Eddie Alvarez (29-6, Former UFC Lightweight Champion)

Anthony Pettis (21-8, Former UFC Lightweight Champion)

Sean Sherk (36-4-1, Former UFC Lightweight Champion)

#7 Donald Cerrone (34-11)

Cowboy is incontestably the greatest fighter to have not won a championship in the UFC. Cerrone made his UFC debut in 2011 at UFC 126 and has since gone on to fight 29 times in 7 years, having accumulated records for the most wins (21) and finishes (15) in UFC history.

A veritable workhorse, Cerrone competed in the Lightweight division for a majority of his career. The Gaidojutsu and Brazilian Jujitsu black belt has amassed 15 wins in the Lightweight division which include victories against elite former champions Benson Henderson and Eddie Alvarez.

He went on an incredible 8-fight win streak before he came up short in the Lightweight title fight against Rafael Dos Anjos. Cerrone moved up to the Welterweight division and is as motivated as ever at the age of 34. So what if he didn’t win the top prize, Cerrone was thoroughly entertaining to watch and has a well-documented record against skilled opponents.

#6 Jens Pulver (27-11-1)

‘Little Evil’ is the first ever UFC Lightweight Champion, having won the strap at UFC 30 in 2001 against Caol Uno. Pulver successfully defended the title against Dennis Hallman and BJ Penn before he left the UFC due to contract issues.

He was stripped of the title and fought in various promotions around the world before returning to UFC in 2006. In his second stint, Pulver could not replicate his earlier success as he lost fights against Joe Lauzon and the rematch against BJ Penn.

There are many reasons why Pulver is considered one of the most important figures in UFC’s Lightweight story. He is the youngest Lightweight Champion in the promotion’s history, had the most defenses record for a decade and at his peak, was a dominant champion who could have had a lengthy reign had it not been for contractual complications with the UFC. Regarded to be the founding father of the Lightweight division in the UFC, Pulver ought to be on this list.

#5 Tony Ferguson (24-3) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0)

I know what you’re wondering, why are Ferguson and Nurmagomedov clubbed together? Isn’t it obvious? Nurmagomedov may be freakishly good but he can’t be termed as the best until he beats ‘El Cucuy’.

Both Lightweight standouts are on an 11-fight win streak in the UFC and are destined to face each other to determine the unequivocal champ. They have essentially cleaned out the entire division barring each other, and every fan knows the next logical step.

The highly-anticipated showdown has been canceled four times in the past but it could finally see the light of the day. Ferguson never lost the interim title and Khabib is the undefeated man of the hour; for god’s sake, BOOK IT UFC!

It doesn’t matter that Max Holloway and Conor McGregor are waiting on the fringes for a shot at Khabib; El Cucuy vs. The Eagle needs to happen.

#4 Rafael Dos Anjos (28-11)

Dos Anjos may not have the same aura about him anymore in the Welterweight division, but during his time in the 155lb division, RDA rose from being a talented contender to a world-class champion.

Many don’t realize Anjos has been in UFC since 2008 and lost his first two fights against Jeremy Stephens and Tyson Griffin. He lost only three of his next 17 fights until 2015, one of those losses coming against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

After his loss to Khabib in 2014, Anjos went on a 5-fight win streak and won the Lightweight Championship from Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 during this period. He defended his title once against Donald Cerrone before losing it to Eddie Alvarez at Fight Night 90 in a first-round TKO finish.

Anjos has wins against Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Evan Dunham, Cerrone and Pettis in the Lightweight division and is currently aspiring to become a multi-divisional champion.

#3 Benson Henderson (26-8)

In terms of title records, Smooth Bendo is one of the most successful Lightweight Champions in UFC history. Henderson joined the UFC in April 2011 and won the Lightweight belt in his fourth fight with the promotion in February 2012. The technical Jujitsu and Taekwondo practitioner scored a unanimous decision win against Frankie Edgar to kickstart a decent reign.

He immediately defended the title against Edgar in a narrow decision win before putting the strap on the line in two more successfully fights against Gilbert Melendez and Nate Diaz. After three defenses that ended in relatively close decisions, Anthony Pettis put an end to Bendo’s reign with a first-round armbar finish.

Henderson lost two of his next four fights in Lightweight before moving up to Welterweight, where he notched up two straight wins before leaving the UFC to join Bellator.

The Arizona native was the best in the world in 2012 and won the Fighter of the Year accolade that year from many publications. His held the title for 522 days and is one of the most well-rounded Lightweights to have graced the Octagon.

#2 Frankie Edgar (23-6-1)

Edgar is an all-out babyface with an eminent underdog feel his persona. ‘The Answer’ is a true veteran of the sport and is still going strong at 37 years old in the Featherweight division. However, the highlight of his career was his time in the Lightweight division.

Edgar used his speed, all-round skill, tenacity and toughness to dominate BJ Penn at UFC 112 to become the Lightweight Champion. Out of his 13 Lightweight fights in the UFC, 6 were title fights.

He defeated Penn twice at Lightweight, had a cliff-hanger of a draw followed by an emphatic knockout win against Gray Maynard. He lost both title fights to Benson Henderson before going straight after Jose Aldo in his Featherweight debut.

Edgar never won another title despite coming close on two occasions but will forever be remembered for his enjoyable run amongst the immensely proficient Lightweights.

#1 BJ Penn (16-12-2)

Don’t let Penn’s record and recent form mislead you as 'The Prodigy' was absolutely unstoppable in his prime and a principle chunk of it was from his supremacy in the Lightweight Division.

Penn became a household name in MMA circles after he ended Matt Hughes’ 820-day Welterweight Championship reign at UFC 46 with a rear-naked choke in the very first round. He would be stripped off the title after making the jump to K1, however, Penn would return to UFC’s Welterweight division after four fights with the Hong Kong-based promotion.

Penn would lose both his return fights against GSP and Hughes at Welterweight and made the right call of dropping down to Lightweight. He went on a five-fight streak in the 155lb division while becoming the second multi-divisional champion in UFC history.

He destroyed Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez, Joe Stevenson, Jens Pulver, and Kenny Florian before coming face-to-face with his Achilles heel in Frankie Edgar -- who he lost against in two consecutive title fights. Penn won just 1 of his next seven fights and is expected to announce his retirement unless he isn’t over his obsession of winning his third title.

He may have partly wrecked his legacy with his recent slump but it’s tough to debate against Penn being the greatest Lightweight ever. He built the 155lb division and made it a mainstream success. One of the greatest of all time.