Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

December belongs to the lightweights.

At UFC 107, the sport’s lightweight king, B.J. Penn, seemingly with little effort, destroyed former welterweight standout Diego Sanchez over a lopsided five rounds. The bout ended with a striking visual -- a streaming crimson mask for Sanchez, courtesy of a Penn head kick -- that perfectly fit the consummate and destructive one-sidedness of the Hawaiian’s title defense.

A week later in San Jose, Calif., Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson returned to the cage for the first time in 15 months to rematch the man from whom he took the title -- Gilbert Melendez. After a solid opening frame -- one very reminiscent of the first five they fought in June 2008 -- Thomson lost control of the match, as Melendez’s jab, low kicks and defensive wrestling took center stage. The Cesar Gracie product earned himself a well-appointed unanimous decision and regained the Strikeforce lightweight crown.

There are mere days left in 2009. Yet, incredibly, even more lightweight action awaits, with three of Sherdog’s ranked competitors -- Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Mizuto Hirota -- all set for action on New Year’s Eve, the biggest night in Japanese fight sport.