Fans of big-time lightweight action are in the midst of a delightful August. In just two days at UFC 118, #1 Frank Edgar will rematch #2 B.J. Penn. It's a rematch of their controversial first bout at UFC 112 when Edgar stole the title in a close decision.
At UFC 118 in August, we'll see if #1 Frank Edgar's win over #2 B.J. Penn at UFC 112 was a fluke or a precedent.
Another division that hasn't been moving much. The only jump with any meaning is #14 Evan Dunham's leap up from #34 after beating #13 (formerly #9) Tyson Griffin at UFC 115.
After enduring a colossal shake up in April, the lightweight rankings were mostly static in May. #1 Frank Edgar will have to rematch #2 B.J. Penn for his first title defense at UFC 118. Good luck Frankie
Wow. What a month for the lightweight division. First #1 Frankie Edgar upset #2 B.J. Penn at UFC 112. Throwing the division into disarray and rocketing Edgar up six places in the rankings. Then #3 Gilbert Melendez beat up and beat down #7 Shinya Aoki (formerly #2) at Strikeforce: Nashville.
Another month, another four weeks of #1 B.J. Penn ruling over the lightweight division like a restless prince upon whom the crown weighs heavy.
The thing about this division is that other than B.J. Penn being clearly in his own league nothing is really clear. And sadly Penn can't even definitely prove that he's the capo di tutti capi of lightweights unless he can somehow face the best of the DREAM/Strikeforce alliance
#1 B. J. Penn is the one champion who didn't fall injured during Dana White's miserable winter of discontent. He put a righteous beat down on #9 Diego Sanchez at UFC 107. Even better, he'll be back against #6 Frank Edgar at UFC 112.
The biggest change in the lightweight rankings in the last year has been the rise of the UFC lightweight division.
With every other UFC champ on the shelf for an indeterminate time due to injuries, Dana White better cross his fingers and hope that whoever wins the UFC 107 title fight between #1 B.J. Penn and #7 Diego Sanchez emerges from the fight injury-free and ready to fight soon. Sanchez is relatively under-accomplished at 155 lbs but his size and aggression present a legitimate threat to the fearsome Penn.
