Fighters.com's September Lightweight Rankings

Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn’s (13-4-1) three-fight run at lightweight will end in Las Vegas 31 January when Penn returns to welterweight to fight Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) for the UFC welterweight title.

Why?

(Well, besides the obvious jack the UFC stands to profit on the main event.)

But, UFC President Dana White himself has claimed Penn’s best weight class is 155 pounds; and, Penn made much ballyhoo about getting serious and slimming down to 155 pounds, his natural fighting weight.

Penn has never fought above 155 with a physique that could be described as anything but “pudgy”.

Penn is also 0-2 in his last two 170-pound fights in the Octagon, which must make UFC welterweight contenders wonder if they can get some Vaseline.

In Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August, top lightweight contender “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) won a unanimous decision versus tough, but relatively unknown Korean champ Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).

The tougher-than-expected struggle probably did more for Bang than Gomi, whose commitment to Sengoku has left him with few top ten challengers since the demise of PRIDE.

On the undercard, sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2) shutup brash Brazilian Rodrigo Damm (8-2) in a first-round rear naked choke submission.

Mitsuoka was competing in the first round of Sengoku’s Lightweight GP, the winner of which will challenge Gomi.

Fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1) will come back from his May loss to Penn to fight worthy UFC challenger Tyson Griffin (12-1) in Chicago 25 October.

Seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3), who was cheated out of his title challenge versus Penn due to the St. Pierre match-up, will have to take out his frustrations on “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (29-8) in Las Vegas 15 November.

DREAM hasn’t announced a rematch between third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and fourth-ranked DREAM champ “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1); but, Fighters.com would be surprised if Alvarez doesn’t get first dibs on the champ he already beat.

If he doesn’t, he and Florian can share a bottle of Vaseline with the UFC welterweight contenders.

The bottom of the top ten, eighth-ranked Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1), ninth-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3), and tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) were out of the loop last month and have no announced match-ups to report.

September Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk; but, he won’t stay at 155-pounds,

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Hansen, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnishes his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ‘06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.