Nine men have held the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title since its inception in February 2001, from Jens Pulver, Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar to Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor. Their respective reigns have resulted in some of the most memorable fights in UFC history.
Despite Penn’s desire to go big-game hunting throughout his stellar but uneven career, no one has done more to raise the profile of what has become arguably the deepest weight class in the sport.