Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

It wasn't long ago that mixed martial arts fans were getting used to the idea of watching 155-pound fighters in featured bouts. Acceptance of the lightweights made it easier for even the smallest fighters to gain notoriety.

Miguel Torres (Pictures) is the most recent and the best example.

The new 135-pound WEC champion jumps to the top spot in his division after a dynamic submission victory over Chase Beebe (Pictures). The bantamweight with a long reach is one of several fighters 145 pounds and under who shifted in their respective weight classes.

Note: Shinya Aoki (Pictures) drops out of the welterweight rankings for inactivity. With a fight scheduled for March 5, Takanori Gomi (Pictures) will remain in the top spot at 155 pounds despite having not fought in 12 months. Moving forward, a fighter will not be removed from the ranking if he has a fight scheduled within six weeks of the 365-day time limit.