Whether or not the UFC holds a lightweight tournament is still up for debate. Despite the recent announcement from Khabib Nurmagomedov to retire, many top contenders have yet to fight for the lightweight title. One fighter, Paul Felder, believes that a tournament is a good idea. Felder stated that a tournament would be a great opportunity to have a lightweight championship fight among top contenders. “It would be great for the sport and would be great for the fans.”
There are many lightweight competitors in the UFC, including McGregor, Ferguson and Hooker. The top contenders include MMA superstars, including McGregor, who recently won the lightweight title. Chandler, a former Bellator MMA champion, is another contender. Many fighters have made the leap from Bellator to fight for the UFC. Dober, however, is a knockout artist and has won a hat-trick of wins throughout his career. The stepped-up in competition for Dober could also be beneficial to his career.
The 155-pound division is the most highly stacked in Mixed Martial Arts. The UFC attempted to book a lightweight tournament featuring four of its most prominent stars. The UFC was unable to secure a match between Khabib & St-Pierre. The UFC is still finalizing plans for the tournament. The UFC’s lightweight division was dominated by four fighters prior to Khabib’s announcement.
In addition to the two top contenders, there is a second lightweight contender who can earn his way up the rankings. Gaethje has won five straight fights and has won four of the six last six. He will likely continue to be the number one contender. Hooker could be out of range against Gaethje and Gaethje would likely get in the pocket. The lightweight title will be awarded to the tournament’s winner if Gaethje wins.
The current champion of the division is Charles Oliveira. The Brazilian has a well-rounded fight game and has won his last three bouts by TKO, decision, and submission. However, his record inside the Octagon is less impressive. While he holds the title, he hasn’t defended it well. In fact, he has been thrown out of the lightweight tournament in the past and has lost the belt to Conor McGregor.
Despite the 20-pound difference in max and min weights the lightweight division has produced many great champions over time. In the early years of the UFC, the title was known as the lightweight division. It was first contested at UFC 31 in Las Vegas, and its inaugural bout was a match between two fighters from the 26th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Afterwards, B.J. Penn won the title of champion, forcing Caol Uno into submission.
In the semifinals, Vera had to overcome Font, Edgar, and Grant. Font was dominant during the first half, but Herb Dean eventually defeated her. Vera continued to land effective jabs and kicks in Round 2.