The lightweight division is as impressive a group as any in MMA.

The top 10 list features a number of different styles and contenders, but each fighter could arguably beat everyone else on the list.

Still, here are my updated top 10 lightweight rankings.

1. Frankie Edgar (13-1-1) – Edgar holds on to the top spot as he still is the UFC champion. An injury kept him from facing Gray Maynard in their long-awaited trilogy fight, but those two should collide soon and be able to settle the score as to who deserves to be the champion.

2. Gray Maynard (10-0-1) – Maynard is still unbeaten but missed out on his opportunity to win the championship when he had Edgar beaten at UFC 125. Now, he will have to wait for a third shot at Edgar this fall where he can perhaps prove to the world that he is the top lightweight in the world.

3. Gilbert Melendez (19-2) – Melendez could legitimately compete for the UFC title, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to do so. Now that the UFC is tapping into Strikeforce, perhaps a champion vs. champion bout is in the near future. Until then, Melendez looks as if he will continue to tear up Strikeforce competition.

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Wednesday night, Dana White made a big announcement by saying Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, will now face UFC welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre, at UFC 137 in October.

Apparently White was able to tear up Diaz’ old contract and sign him to a new one that basically allowed White to make any matches involving Diaz that he pleased in either organization.

If White can do it once, he can do it as many times as he would like.

How about Gilbert Melendez?

The Strikeforce lightweight champion has been campaigning for a unification bout with the UFC champion and now, the planned order of contenders in the UFC seems to be shifting.

It appears that Anthony Pettis, who was the No. 1 contender after winning the WEC title, will now have to win two fights before getting a crack at the UFC strap, according to Fighters Only Magazine.

“That kid’s in a bad position. He’s supposed to be the next in line. All this craziness happens. [Edgar and Maynard] both get hurt, and it gets pushed back again. The first one is a draw, then they get hurt, and it gets pushed back again. But this is one of those things that happens in a sport like this,” says UFC president Dana White.

“I respect [Pettis] for stepping up and taking on a tough guy like Guida, and he’ll probably have to fight again before he gets a shot at one of those guys. Sucks for him. It’s a shi–y position for him to be in.”

If Pettis is fighting Guida before Edgar-Maynard III even takes place, why would he have to fight again? This tells me that White has someone else in mind as the next challenger for the UFC belt.

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Well, I have released all of my rankings for each weight class, so now I work my way back to my pound-for-pound list.

There hasn’t been an overwhelming amount of action in the UFC in the two months since I first released this list, but here is a look at the latest rankings.

1. Anderson Silva (28-4): Silva hasn’t competed since last February against Vitor Belfort, but he does have a fight that is getting closer and closer. Silva will face Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in August, looking to avenge a DQ loss to Okami back in 2006. Silva still has been the most impressive champion the UFC has ever had, despite a few lackluster performances. His knockout wins are legendary and his KO of Belfort was one of the greatest front kicks ever seen in MMA.

2. Georges St. Pierre (22-2): St. Pierre successfully defended his UFC Welterweight Championship against Jake Shields back at UFC 129 on April 30. It was another decision win for GSP, making it four straight, but a win nonetheless. St. Pierre suffered an eye injury during the bout, which hampered him in the final few rounds. Still, GSP is dealing with a lot of criticism following the bout and is now likely to face Strikeforce champion, Nick Diaz, as opposed to moving up to middleweight to face Silva.

3. Jose Aldo (19-1): Aldo also defended his UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 129, beating Mark Hominick by decision. Aldo looked very beatable in the fifth and final round, as he was taken down and pounded on by a bloody Hominick in the final five minutes, but he still managed to do enough prior to that to earn a win. Aldo was originally expected to face Chad Mendes at UFC 133 in a title defense, but a medical suspension will keep Aldo from fighting until the fall of 2011.

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Frankie Edgar has a back injury that hasn’t been going away for some time and apparently won’t be going away any time soon.

Edgar spoke to MMAFighting.com’s Mike Chiappetta and talked about the back issue that forced him to withdraw from his UFC Lightweight Championship defense against Gray Maynard at UFC 130.

Earlier Monday, (Edgar) had an epidural injection to address the pain. It will take up to four days to determine whether it worked. According to Edgar, the ultimate solution is something more invasive, but his doctors are trying to stem the pain and delay what might be inevitable.

“I think eventually I’m going to need surgery,” said Edgar, who also suffered a rib injury in training. “Hopefully these shots will slow down the process and give me a couple more years without having to do the surgery.”

The shots may prove an effective temporary solution, but if they don’t work, he could have another round of shots that will go directly into his nerves.

Edgar said his back issues go back to his past, and that he had surgery 11 years ago. Since then, he occasionally suffered small flare-ups that would knock him out of the gym for a day or two, but about 3-4 weeks ago, he was hit with another flare-up that he quickly realized was far more severe.

Back injuries aren’t something to mess around with and if Edgar has to take shots regularly, the problem is probably more severe than he would like to really admit.

I understand Edgar’s desire to fight through the injury, as he is a champion for the biggest organization and probably trying to build a future for his family, but one wrong move in training or in the octagon could end his career forever.

Hopefully Edgar can heal up soon, but if he needs to take a lengthy amount of time off to have surgery that could improve his quality of life, I hope he does it.

A big match between two top lightweight contenders was announced late Monday night as Steve Feitl of MyJerseyCentral.com broke the news of an upcoming UFC bout between Jim Miller and Ben Henderson.

Jim Miller will get his next chance this August to stake his claim for a title shot in the crowded lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Whippany-based mixed martial artist is expected to face former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Ben Henderson, sources close to the UFC confirmed to New Jersey Press Media late Tuesday.

The bout is scheduled for “UFC on Versus 5” on Aug. 14 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.

Henderson (13-2) made his UFC debut last month, defeating Mark Bocek by decision.

This should be an exciting fight, but I think it is more dangerous for Miller, who has more to lose.

It is pretty well understood that Miller is the next in line for a title shot after Anthony Pettis gets a crack at the winner of Gray Maynard-Frankie Edgar III (assuming Pettis beats Clay Guida in June).

Henderson is not considered a top-10 lightweight by some, so a win over Miller would propel him into an immediate top contender in the UFC.

Stylistically, Henderson seems to have the grappling to contend with Miller and the two are similar fighters.

This should be a great scrap and I am looking forward to seeing it.