B/R Official MMA Rankings for September: The Top 10 Featherweights in MMA

Make way for Frankie.

Not to be a spoiler or anything, but if you happen to notice a few of these featherweights ranked exactly one slot lower than last month, well, you know why. 

The good news? As has been said elsewhere, Frankie Edgar's drop from lightweight gives the featherweight division a big spark. That spark became an Internet brushfire last week when the UFC announced the former champ will replace Erik Koch at UFC 153 and, in the process, will create a virtual superfight between himself and reigning champion Jose Aldo.

The bad news? Tatsuya Kawajiri drops out of the rankings. He's the extra milkshake in the bottom of the tin. Only this isn't one of those places where they serve you the tin on the side. All you get is what's in the glass. Savvy?

What about any other movements in the top 10 at 145 pounds? There might be a few. Read on.  

Credits

These rankings are the combined efforts of some of Bleacher Report MMA's best writers, as we continue to try and provide you with the best content on the web. For the latest MMA news and freshest MMA opinions, follow them on Twitter: 

Andrew Saunders: @Saundersmma

Dan Hiergesell: @DHiergesell

Hunter Homistek: @HunterAHomistek

Joe Chacon: @JoeChacon

Jordy McElroy: @JordyMcElroy

Matt Juul: @MattJuulMMA

Matt Saccaro: @MattSaccaro

Nick Caron: @nicholascaron

Riley Kontek: @RileyKontek

Sal DeRose: @SalDeRoseMMA

Scott Harris: @ScottHarrisMMA

Sean Smith: @SeanSmithMMA

Tim McTiernan: @TimMcTiernan

Vince Carey: @vcareymma

10. Dennis Siver

Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-8
Most Recent Fight: Win over Diego Nunes by unanimous decision, UFC on Fuel, April 14
Next Fight: Eddie Yagin, UFC on Fox 5, December 8
Previous Ranking: 8

One of the fighters temporarily displaced by Bonegate 2012, Siver learned he would face UFC 151 opponent Eddie Yagin in December. The problem is I'm not sure I can wait that long to watch a kickboxing ice luge.  

9. Hatsu Hioki

Promotion:  UFC
Record: 26-5-2
Most Recent Fight: Loss to Ricardo Lamas by unanimous decision, UFC on FX, June 22 
Next Fight: TBD
Previous Ranking: 9

Hatsu "That wasn't the way I drew it up" Hioki is idle for now. If anything, that loss to Lamas proved Hioki was right: He wasn't ready for Jose Aldo. 

8. Dustin Poirier

Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-2
Most Recent Fight: Loss to Chan Sung Jung by submission, UFC on Fuel, May 15 
Next Fight: TBD
Previous Ranking: 7

Also idling. His emotional reaction to his loss to "The Korean Zombie" showed how much he cares. And "The Diamond" was great in that fight; he just lost to someone greater. Poirier shall return. 

7. Ricardo Lamas

Promotion: UFC 
Record: 12-2
Most Recent Fight: Win over Hatsu Hioki by unanimous decision, UFC on FX, June 22
Next Fight: TBD
Previous Ranking: 6

Now 3-0 in the UFC, Lamas won't sneak up on anyone anymore.  

6. Pat Curran

Promotion: Bellator
Record: 17-4
Most Recent Fight:  Win over Joe Warren by KO, Bellator 60, March 9
Next Fight: Patricio Freire, Date TBD
Previous Ranking: 4 

The Bellator champ's title fight with Freire was delayed because of a Curran injury.

5. Erik Koch

Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-1
Most Recent Fight: Win over Jonathan Brookins by unanimous decision, UFC Fight Night, September 17, 2011
Next Fight: TBD
Previous Ranking: 5

I think Koch and Zombie should fight to see who gets the next title shot. 

4. "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung

Promotion: UFC 
Record: 13-3
Most Recent Fight: Win over Dustin Poirier by submission, UFC on Fuel, May 15
Next Fight: Winner between Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo
Previous Ranking: 3

He just found out Frankie was leapfrogging him.

I think Zombie and Erik Koch should fight for the next title shot. 

3. Chad Mendes

Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-1
Most Recent Fight: Win over Cody McKenzie by KO, UFC 148, July 7
Next Fight: TBD
Previous Ranking: 2

Legal troubles are slowing down Chad Mendes at the moment. We'll see how that plays out. In the cage, a swift dispatch of Cody McKenzie got him back in the win column after losing to Aldo.

2. Frankie Edgar

Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-3-1
Most Recent Fight: Loss to Benson Henderson by split decision, UFC 150, August 11
Next Fight: Jose Aldo, UFC 153 
Previous Ranking: N/A

His next fight should be pretty good. 

1. Jose Aldo

Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-1
Most Recent Fight: Win over Chad Mendes by KO, UFC 142, January 14 
Next Fight: Frankie Edgar, UFC 153
Previous Ranking: 1

I hope, for the fight's sake, that Frankie uses his wrestling. It will be very interesting to see how Aldo responds to a sustained takedown/ground attack.