let's discuss our LW rankings

alright bill hopefully this should work for you ...

Gray Maynard vs. Benson Henderson would be a better fight anyway.

I not only remember it but referred to it in my post.  But we respectfully disagree that Dana will cut Nate.
Dana doesn't like to cut people, even the ones on his crap list.  

If I were Dana, I'd handle it like this.  I'd say to Nate, "OK, Nate.  I understand.  Don't worry about it."

And then not give Nate a fight until he asks for one and then stall around, make him wait and then give him someone way down the list.

I'd also give Maynard a better fight.  I'd give him Benson Henderson.  Everyone would rather see that one than Nate vs. Maynard anyway.

@CT

I think ducking is a strong word. I have full confidence Nate Diaz thinks he can beat the crap out of Maynard. He not "ducking" anything. He might just want to go to his reunion that badly, and he not the smartest person. He might think there won't be lash back or most likely does not give a ****. However he is certainly not scared of Maynard in the least bit.

What CT is saying is that the Diaz brothers are beyond fearing opponents.  At their level, actual fear doesn't enter the equation.  

But they might not WANT to fight particular people, if they feel is won't help them reach their goals.  Nate doesn't fear Gray.  He just wants to fight someone else.  A HS reunion is a lamer excuse than usual.

Yeah, I know.  I complained to Gregory that no matter how casual my remarks, someone follow me.  And it's on every single thread.  Every one.  For well over a year.

Gregory won't assist me.  He insults me when I bring it up.

* Edited at 09.25.2013, 7:21 PM ET *

LW is the most fluid division at the moment.  It seems that on any given day, anyone can defeat anyone else.  I am finding it almost impossible to keep up with this most dynamic, fluid of divisions.  Things seem to change with almost every event.  Older steady fighters are losing to rising new guys.  Totally fluid situation.

New announced LW fights since my last report.

Norman Parke vs. Jon Tuck, October 26, 2013, UFC Fight Night 30
Al Iaquinta vs. Pictr Hallmann, October 26, 2013, UFC Fight Night 30
Thiago Tavasres vs. Justin Salas, November 9, 2013, UFC Fight Night 32

Top Tier: Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, Gilbert Melendez, TJ Grant, Gray Maynard, Josh Thomson, Michael Chandler, Eddie Alvarez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Pat Healy

Mid-Tier: Nate Diaz, Rafael Dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, Diego Sanchez, Jim Miller, Joe Lauzon, Jamie Varner, Melvin Guillard, Michael Johnson, 

Bottom Tier: Ross Pearson, Sam Stout, Curt Warburton, Kyle Watson, Matt Wiman, Andre Winner, Yves Edwards, Edson Barboza, Mark Bocek, Danny Castillo, Mac Danzig, Rafael Dos Anjos, Evan Dunham, Michael Johnson, John Makdessi, Anthony Njokuani, Aaron Riley, Shane Roller, George Sotiropoulos, Thiago Tavares, Paul Taylor, Gleison Tibau.

My 11-19

11. Nate Diaz
12. Rafael Dos Anjos
13. Donald Cerrone
14. Diego Sanchez
15. Jim Miller
16. Joe Lauzon
17. Jamie Varner
18. Melvin Guillard
19. Michael Johnson
20. Jorge Masvidal
21. Rustam Khabilov
22. KJ Noons
23. Ross Pearson
24. Sam Stout

Coming LW fights:

Ross Pearson vs. Melvin Guillard, October 26, 2013, UFC Fight Night 30
Norman Parke vs. Jon Tuck, October 26, 2013, UFC Fight Night 30
Paul Taylor vs. Anthony Njokuani, October 26, 2013, UFC Fight Night 30
Al Iaquinta vs. Pictr Hallmann, October 26, 2013, UFC Fight Night 30
Jorge Masvidal vs. Rustam Khabilov, November 6, 2013, UFC Fight for the Troops 3
Colton Smith vs. Michael Chiesa, November 6, 2013, UFC Fight for the Troops 3
James Krause vs. Bobby Green, November 6, 2013, UFC Fight for the Troops 3
Yves Edwards vs. Yancy Medeiros, November 6, 2013, UFC Fight for the Troops 3
Thiago Tavasres vs. Justin Salas, November 9, 2013, UFC Fight Night 32
Adrano Martins vs. Daron Cruickshank, November 9, 2013, UFC Fight Night 32
Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham, November 16, 2013, UFC 167
Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz, November 30, 2013, TUF, Team Rousey vs. Team Tate Finale
Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson, December 14, 2013, UFC on Fox 9
Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig, December 14, 2013, UFC on Fox 9
Danny Castillo vs. Edson Barboza, December 14, 2013, UFC on Fox 9
Abel Trujillo vs. Roger Bowling, December 14, 2013, UFC on Fox 9
Sam Stout vs. Cody McKenzie, December 14, 2013, UFC on Fox 9
Gleison Tibau vs. Michael Johnson, December 28, 2013, UFC 168
Jim Miller vs. Fabricio Camoes, December 14, 2013, UFC on Fox 9

Presently, the following are not matched up in fights yet: Takanori Gomi, 

Some of the above fighters are just after having fought recently.

Injured: TJ Grant

The above listing is tentative and soft.  I are prepared to adjust the sequence to some extent based on the order of the house.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To assist everyone, here is the form chart for tapology;

1. Pettis 2. Henderson 3. Melendez 4. Grant 5. Thomson 6. Maynard 7. Diaz 8. Nurmagomedov 9. Chandler 10. Dos Anjos

11, Cerrone 12. Miller 13. Alvarez 14. Healy 15. Lauzon 16. Sanchez 17. Tibau 18. Barboza 19. Dunham 20. Varner

21. Johnson 22. Guillard 23. Masivdal 24. Jury 25. Gomi 26. Wiman 27. Pearson 28. Castillo 29. Bocek 30. Green 
--------------------------------------
Official UFC Rankings, after UFC 166

1. Pettis 2. Henderson 3. Grant 4. Thomson 5. Maynard 6. Dos Anjos 7. Nurmagomedov 8. Diaz 9. Miller 10 Cerrone

Diego Sanchez and Gilbert Melendez gave us wildly exciting stand-in-the-pocket punching exchanges we have not seen in many a day.  Maybe ever.  And for that Gilbert Melendez will be given top consideration for Pettis' next title defense after Thomson.  

Diego Sanchez has mentioned the name of Nate Diaz as someone he'd like to fight.

And now, we finally have a long-awaited dream wish come true in that 145-lb. champ, Jose Aldo is agitating, throwing down and challenging Pettis at 155!!!  Talk about Joy in the Heartland!  Things are looking up at 155, folks!  For the UFC to delay that happening is just nutzo, folks!  Make it happen, Dana.

Also, Khalib Nurmagomedov defeated Pat Healy and now is looking really game to make things interesting for guys at the top.  I'd love to see him get a top guy like Henderson, Grant or Maynard.

Remember how we all wanted BJ Penn to come back at LW?  Well, he's coming back at 145!  Never saw that coming!  

Eddie Alvarez has come to terms with Bellator, but if he loses his fight with Michael Chandler on November 2, he will be a free agent.  So, who knows?

* Edited at 10.23.2013, 7:58 PM ET *

A long-awaited development has finally arrived.  145 lb. champ Jose Aldo is now asking for a title fight with 155 lb. champ, Anthony Pettis at 155.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/10/22/4909640/featherweight-champ-jose-aldo-wants-to-fight-fellow-champ-anthony

The UFC should accept his offer, but on condition.  The UFC should tell Jose, "Sure, you can have that title fight, as soon as you are healed up and ready to fight, but you must move up to 155 permanently, and vacate your 145 lb. belt.

That would be a fair offer, I think.  Make that Aldo's next fight, and Pettis' next title defense, sometime in the spring, with Gilbert Melendez to get the winner of that fight.

Make any sense?

* Edited at 10.24.2013, 10:02 AM ET *

I agree, if he want's a LW title shot then vacate the FW belt. Can you imagine the cluster**** of a logjam that would occur if Aldo were to win and hold both belts. There are already 3 legit title challengers at 145 with Lamas, Swanson and Mendes.

Jose Aldo would hold the FW title until/if he won the lightweight title. So if he loses he's still the champ and if he wins he will be the LW champ and probably vacate the FW title.

Ok, so say Aldo gets a LW shot. 4 or so months prepping for that bout, then if he loses, another 4 months or so resting and prepping to come back to FW and defend that title? 8 months to a year of no title fights in the FW division sucks, man.

I didn't say it was a good thing, I'm just saying that's the reality of the situation if it does playout but who knows, Pettis has some scary contenders to deal with lined up to face him. Also, Aldo has looked increasingly less dominant and dynamic his fights with Kenny and Frankie were close while his fights with Zombie and Hominick were competitive, he lost a round(s) and they ended with a bit of question marks and I'm thinking he has as much as he can handle with these seriously improved Mendes and Swanson's not to mention if McGregor puts together 3-4 more wins everyone will be screaming for that fight which times up well and also if Curran ends his Bellator contract I'd Love to see him face Aldo. 

So... would it cause a **** storm if i said Diego Sanchez is a top 10 lightweight?

Calling him a top 5 LW is **** storm worthy.....

What? He had a competitive close fight with Gilbert Melendez, and the only other fight he ever lost at lightweight was a title fight. I don´t think its crazy to think he would beat most lightweight contenders. The Diego sanchez hate, someone explain it to me. 

You know who else had a competitive close fight with Gilbert Melendez? Ben Henderson

* Edited at 10.24.2013, 1:29 PM ET *

I did not know who to pick for 10th, so many options I sided with dunham because most think he beat dos anjos and sean sherk while his wins over tibau and lentz are very impressive looking at how well both those guys are doing since, also his fight with grant was very, very close I think he will beat cerrone handily too. Criticism and questions appreciated.

He got beat by Gomi, people just don't forget about that kind of stuff. I think the only 2 people in the world who thought Sanchez won were the 2 judges who gave it to him that night. I don't think 1 single media outlet gave that fight to Sanchez.

@Buffalo Ben, he's on a 2 fight losing streak in most of our eyes one being to Gomi who's not currently in the top 20. His fight with Melendez was competitive but it was NOT close....No, it was not close. Melendez last fight with Thomson that WAS close. You can't award a guy a ranking because of what "you think" he can do, he has to earn it....There's no way Sanchez has earned a top 5 spot that's ludicrous, a top 8-10? I wouldn't of said anything.

Sanchez was clearly getting outclassed by Melendez in rounds 1 and 2, he caught Melendez in 3 but arguably lost that round too. Anyway you slice it a clear 29-28, possibly 30-27 decision, no one expected Sanchez to get finished and he's never been an easy fight except for a prime Penn but that does not warrant him a top 5 or 10 ranking in my eyes.