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1.
Gesias Calvancanti
Even though the fight was ruled a no-contest, JZ’s handling of Shinya Aoki at DREAM 1 officially set him up as the world’s best lightweight. It’s hard to imagine any other fighter outlasting him in DREAM’s lightweight tournament, and getting the belt will cement his place at the top — at least until B.J. Penn cleans out the UFC’s 155-pound division.
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2.
B.J. Penn
As a welterweight (and as a bloated 185- and 205-pounder), B.J. Penn was susceptible to laziness in the gym and a loss of focus in the cage. As a lightweight with a renewed sense of purpose, he’ll be able to fulfill the potential of a masterful skill set that earned him the name “The Prodigy.” Penn has more sheer talent than nearly every other fighter in the world. If he continues to harness it, he’ll be unstoppable.
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3.
Takanori Gomi
Due to all his accomplishments, there are many who’d rank The Fireball Kid even higher than #3. We can’t get past the fact that Nick Diaz made him look like a bitch for 11 minutes before catching him in one of the most difficult-to-perform subs in MMA – and Diaz was baked at the time. But against Duane Ludwig at Sengoku 1, Gomi proved that the vacation is over and he’s ready to get back to work.
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4.
Sean Sherk
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5.
Vitor Ribeiro
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6.
Mitsuhiro Ishida
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7.
Gilbert Melendez
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8.
Tatsuya Kawajiri
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9.
Joachim Hansen
Norway-bred “Hellboy” is the only fighter in the world who can boast victories over both Gesias Calvancanti and Takanori Gomi. Though he’s 4-4 in his last eight matches, he looked impressive in a submission victory at K-1 Premium Dynamite on New Year’s Eve, and has all the tools to climb back up the world rankings.
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10.
(tie) Roger Huerta, Kenny Florian
This is the match that needs to take place in order to establish the next contender to the UFC’s 155-pound throne; not to mention that it’s a Fight of the Year waiting to happen…
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