As great as the January fight between UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn and UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre is going to be, I don't much like what it does to the lightweight division.There are several guys I'd like to see get a shot at Penn's belt, but because Penn has had a long layoff since his last title defense and will now move up to welterweight for at least one fight, we might go more than a year between UFC lightweight title fights.
But there is one piece of good news: By the time Penn moves back down to lightweight to defend his belt, we should have a pretty good idea who the No. 1 contender is.
One fight that will go a long way toward determining the No. 1 contender is Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk at UFC 90. Griffin is 12-1 and on a four-fight winning streak, while Sherk is the former champ who lost to Penn at UFC 84. I don't think Sherk is going to get another shot at the title any time soon, but he can serve as a gatekeeper in the division, and I do think Griffin can make a strong case that he deserves a title shot if he beats Sherk.
Except that it's hard to see Griffin getting a title shot before Frankie Edgar, since Edgar beat Griffin last year. Edgar is supposed to fight Matt Wiman at the "Fight for the Troops" event on December 10, and if Edgar wins that, he'll have a pretty good case that he deserves a title shot, too.
And then there's the Kenny Florian-Joe Stevenson fight at UFC 91. The winner of that one can make a pretty good case that he deserves the next title shot.
So where do we go with all this? I'm not sure. I know that Griffin vs. Sherk is the start of a good run of UFC lightweight fights. I just wish we didn't have to wait a year between title fights.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I disagree somewhat about the depth of the lightweight division. Of all the names you mentioned, I think Kenny is the only one with the skill set to compete with BJ. It is going to take refined striking skills to give BJ problems, and Tyson and Frankie don't possess those skills.
Gomi and Alvarez (good strikers) would be great acquisitions for the UFC to compete at lightweight, but that is unlikely to happen.
Same here
for me BJ is number 1 and all others are fighting for second place.
I dont mind the break let all the pretenders fight themself to see who is number two
Good points. There's no doubt that B.J. Penn has distanced himself from the pack, and that there are a lot of good lightweights in other promotions -- Gomi, Alvarez, Joachim Hansen, Shinya Aoki. I guess I just feel like in addition to the good lightweight fights like Griffin-Sherk and Florian-Stevenson, I wish we'd have a lightweight title fight some time reasonably soon.
I agree. I'm all about the best fighters fighting the best fighters, but having Penn move up to fight GSP kind of puts a wrench in the lightweight division. Personally I think BJ is going to win that fight ... and then what? He won't be able to defend both belts, and GSP will want a rematch ... messy.
After Penn's landslide win over stevenson, Daddy wont be getting another chance at a titleshot for a long long time and that is if he can even handle the competition of a stack weight class. I dont think he can.
I can't believe Gray Maynard isn't in the discussion. He's a beast at 155... I know he only has one big win, but it was a convincing one against Frankie Edgar, who holds a win over Tyson Griffin in the UFC. If Tyson wins, he should have to get past Maynard before he gets a shot at the belt. If Sherk wins, I'd like to see Maynard get the crack at Nate Diaz, with the winner a marquee fight away from being a top contender.
Gray is a strong fighter, but he only has 5 fights ... one of which was against a good fighter (as you mentioned). He only won that fight by being stronger, I didn't think it was a very impressive victory. I would put him on the same level as Frankie, Tyson, and Stevenson.
I think that Kenny and Sean are a step above the aforementioned fighters.
From above:
"I do think Griffin can make a strong case that he deserves a title shot if he beats Sherk."
All I was saying is that if Griffin beats Sherk, I believe there's still a fight out there for him before he gets a title shot.
And as for Sherk being in the upper echelon of the UFC LW's, that's a technicality. He is been on a downward spiral ever since he made a mockery of the LW belt by testing positive for steroids and then refusing to come clean... He hasn't finished anyone in a long time, is a boring fighter & will lose to Griffin by KO.
I also think there's a possibility he's gone with a loss to Griffin. D. White hates people that give bad press to the sport as much wrestlers who win fights by the lay-&-pray, & Sherk has a huge history of both... I mean, what's the point in him staying? Anybody want to see BJ-Sherk II? Florian-Sherk II? Remember how painful Nick Diaz vs Sherk was? Think Nate Diaz-Sherk will be less painful? I don't see one match that makes sense for Sherk if Griffin beats him convincingly.
I'm surprised you think so highly of Griffin ... I doubt he will beat Sherk at all, much less convincingly. Sherk might not be the most exciting fighter (neither is Tyson), but the guy only has 3 losses (BJ, GSP, Hughes) in 36 fights.
Griffin has only stopped one of his last 6 opponents (submission), so what makes you think he can knock out Sherk? Both fighters are VERY similar, and this fight will likely go to a decision. Who ever ends up on top the most will win.
Like I said, Kenny is the only good opponent out there for BJ.
PS - Sherks's gameplan was terrible against BJ ... he expected BJ to get tired, but he wasn't attempting takedowns and wrestling with BJ which is what would have made BJ tired!!
I know am going out on a limb and saying Griffin will KO Sherk, but I think the wrestling neutralizes each's ground game and I see this being a boxing match... I believe Tyson has underestimated boxing skills and am making a bold prediction (you heard it here first)!
I agree that Sherk's gameplan sucked vs Penn, but Sherk couldnt take down Nick Diaz for 3 rounds; there is no way in hell he takes down BJ... However, trying to take BJ down would have been a much better strategy than turning your head into a speed bag... Either way, he was clearly outclassed, and proved that even though he has a stellar record, he will never be much more than a gatekeeper at 155 or 170... And a boring one at that with a tainted past.
And to your point, If BJ beats GSP, then what?
My point wasn't that Sherk had to take BJ down, it was about making him exert energy ... which he didn't do. I know that BJ is supposed to be in much better shape now, but not compared to a guy like Sherk. Not to mention that BJ has been totally gassed at the end of of his last few fights.
I think that BJ will beat GSP if he finishes him, but I don't see him winning a 5 round decision. When BJ gets tired in the 3rd or 4th the takedowns will become easy for GSP.
I really don't care about the Sherk fight. I think he will win, but it would be better for the division if he loses.