Bantamweight
1. T.J. Dillashaw (15-3)
Dillashaw finally got his showdown with former Team Alpha Male training partner Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217 and overcame nearly being stopped in the opening round to knock out “No Love” and take back the bantamweight title. After a brief flirtation with a superfight against reigning flyweight king Demetrious Johnson, Dillashaw will instead settle for a return date with Garbrandt at UFC 227 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles.2. Cody Garbrandt (11-1)
Through five minutes of his UFC 217 co-main event on Nov. 4, Garbrandt looked well on his way to both defending his UFC bantamweight title for the first time and knocking out former teammate turned rival T.J. Dillashaw. Then Round 2 came and Dillashaw cracked him with a right hand, pounded him out, took his title and handed him the first loss of his career. The good news for “No Love” is that he will get to run it back against Dillashaw at UFC 227 in August.3. Raphael Assuncao (27-5)
Assuncao just keeps winning. Whether that nets him a bantamweight title shot remains to be seen. The 35-year-old Brazilian tasted victory for the 11th time in 12 Octagon appearances at UFC 226, where he captured a unanimous verdict over Rob Font. Assuncao’s run includes a victory over reigning 135-pound king T.J. Dillashaw, so he should have a keen interest in the UFC 227 headliner between the Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt on Aug. 4.4. Marlon Moraes (21-5-1)
Moraes made an emphatic case to become the bantamweight division’s No. 1 contender in waiting with his 33-second knockout of Jimmie Rivera at UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica, New York. The former World Series of Fighting champion has won 16 of his last 17 bouts, and his only defeat during that time was a contentious split decision setback against Raphael Assuncao at UFC 212. Depending on the status of Dominick Cruz, Moraes could be in line to face the winner of the T.J. Dillashaw-Cody Garbrandt rematch at UFC 227 on Aug. 4.5. Jimmie Rivera (21-2)
Rivera probably never imagined his 20-fight winning streak would come to an end in such devastating fashion. A left high kick and follow-up punches from Marlon Moraes put away Rivera just 33 seconds into the UFC Fight Night 131 main event in Utica, New York. After compiling an impressive resume over the years, Rivera remains a viable Top-10 bantamweight despite the shocking nature of his setback to Moraes and could easily vault back into contention with a couple quality victories. His next assignment comes against John Dodson at UFC 209 on Sept. 8.6. John Lineker (31-8)
Lineker was in prime form against Brian Kelleher at UFC 224, where he eventually put away his American counterpart with a brutal left hook 3:43 into the third frame of their featured encounter. “Hands of Stone” has won eight of his last nine inside the Octagon, with his only defeat during that time coming at the hands of reigning 135-pound king T.J. Dillashaw. The heavy-handed Brazilian figures to be in line for a highly ranked opponent in his next appearance.7. Darrion Caldwell (12-1)
Other than one perplexing hiccup against Joe Taimanglo, Caldwell has been nearly flawless since transitioning to MMA in 2012. The former NCAA wrestling champion from North Carolina State University authored one of his finest performances to date at Bellator 195, where he submitted Leandro Higo inside of a round to defend his Bellator MMA bantamweight crown. It was the first time Higo had been forced to tap in 22 professional bouts. Caldwell’s next appearance will not be a 135-pound title defense. Instead, he will return to featherweight to headline Bellator 204 against UFC castaway Noad Lahat on Aug. 17.8. Kyoji Horiguchi (25-2)
It was business as usual for Horiguchi at Rizin Fighting Federation 11, as the former UFC title challenger outpointed Hiromasa Ogikubo in a 132-pound contest to run his winning streak to 10 fights. Pound-for-pound great and reigning UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson is the only man to best the Japanese standout in his last 20 professional appearances. Horiguchi’s last seven triumphs have come under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner.9. John Dodson (20-9)
Dodson finally managed to win one of the close ones at bantamweight. After dropping split verdicts to John Lineker in 2016 and Marlon Moraes in 2017, “The Magician” prevailed in a split decision triumph over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 222. Dodson recently inked a new four-fight contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion and will return to the Octagon against Jimmie Rivera at UFC 209 on Sept. 8.10. Cody Stamann (17-1)
Stamann officially announced himself as a contender in the division with a split decision over the often-forgotten Bryan Caraway at UFC 222, improving his record within the Las Vegas-based promotion to 3-0. “Mr. Wonderful” has won 10 consecutive fights overall and will get a chance to further prove himself when he squares off against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 228 on Sept. 8.Other Contenders: Bryan Caraway, Brett Johns, Pedro Munhoz, Alejandro Perez, Aljamain Sterling.
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