Tony fights Conor. Conor fights Khabib. Khabib fights Tony. Tony fights Cowboy. Cowboy fights Conor… What is going on right now in the UFC Lightweight Division?!
The Three Kingpins
The UFC lightweight division is arguably the most talented division in the UFC. The division hosts THREE top 15 fighters in MMA. That’s right, three. Khabib Nurmagomedov is the champion of the weight class, sporting an undefeated 27-0 record. He is by far the best grappler in the UFC, while having a ground and pound arsenal similar to that of Jon Jones. He is the best pressure fighter in MMA.
Tony Ferguson is the number one contender of that weight class. He is the only fighter in Khabib’s weight range that can match his volume and pressure. Not to mention Tony’s Jiu-Jitsu is about as elite as possible, which serves as a defense against Khabib’s wrestling. Tony is the only fighter in that weight class that has anything for Khabib’s pressure.
Conor McGregor is the final pound-for-pound namesake in the UFC lightweight division. He is the sport’s biggest star even after his peak and is looking to get a rematch against Khabib. He does not have the tools to match the pressure of Khabib, however he has the boxing to stun the world and hand the Dagestani kingpin his first loss. He is the game’s biggest name.
Now we have Dustin Poirer’s name thrown into the mix, as he is now the UFC interim champion after beating Max Holloway at UFC 236 for Khabib’s interim belt. This means that a matchup between Dustin Poirer and Khabib Nurmagomedov is inevitable in the near future to unify the titles.
Poirer has come a long way from his loss to Conor. He has put together a string of wins over big names including a historical fighter like Max Holloway. Wins over Justin Gaethje and Anthony Pettis validate this title shot for “The Diamond.” However, his willingness to bite down on his mouthpiece and trade blows is what separates him susceptible in fights.
His jaw has taken some damage throughout his career. He’s been knocked out a couple times and he’s been dropped in some of his wins as well. To his credit, Poirer is a very well rounded fighter who’s looking more technically sound each fight. He has a puncher’s chance against any of the three perennial superstars in that division.
Now… we have Cowboy’s name thrown into the mix. And by Cowboy, I mean Donald Cerrone. And by Donald Cerrone, I mean the fighter with the most fights inside the UFC octagon. Cerrone has never won the title, but he has gone on run after run throughout the course of his career, coming up short every time.
Cerrone is a Muay Thai specialist who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His kicks are lethal as he has created a highlight reel inside the cage from just head kick knockouts. His wrestling can be exposed against an elite level wrestler however. That right there is probably what as kept him outside that tier 1 category of fighters throughout his career. But he is still a dangerous matchup for Tony Ferguson at UFC 238.
That division holds a handful of other elite fighters as well. Justin Gaethje, Al Iaquinta, Edson Barboza, and Nate Diaz being some of them.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is lighting the UFC on fire right now. He is dominating opponent after opponent, looking to cement himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time when he retires.
There are two superstars on his trail, who believe they have the tools to beat him. Both of these superstars have the potential to be top 30 all time.As if that wasn’t enough, Dana White and company loaded the front of that division with beasts hungry to earn their respect. Every fight in that top 10 is pure violence. Sean Shelby might have the easiest job in the world with that division. How can he NOT put together a good fight?
History is around the corner for one of these gentlemen. It’s just a matter of who.
