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Bantamweight
1. Aljamain Sterling (21-3) | UFC [1]
Sterling removed the asterisk from his championship reign at UFC 273, as he relied on his wrestling and grappling to capture a hard-fought split decision triumph against Petr Yan in the evening’s co-main event at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on April 9. The victory helps eliminate some of the bad taste of the disqualification victory that initially allowed “Funk Master” to claim 135-pound gold at UFC 259 in March 2021 and allows Sterling to put his rivalry with Yan in the rearview mirror — at least for now. Sterling will carry a seven-bout winning streak into his next assignment, which is a showdown with former title holder T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280.2. Petr Yan (16-3) | UFC [2]
Yan elected to face Sterling on his terms in the UFC 273 co-main event, and while the Russian’s takedown defense proved to be stout, the “Funk Master” exposed just enough cracks to capture a closely-contested split decision triumph in their rematch. After initially relinquishing the 135-pound strap to Sterling due to an ill-advised illegal knee in a fight he was winning at UFC 259, Yan disputed the final scorecards in the second meeting with his rival. While some certainly thought Yan deserved the nod, the Russian won’t get an immediate trilogy. Instead, he’ll give Sean O’Malley his most difficult test to date at UFC 280.3. T.J. Dillashaw (17-4) | UFC [3]
After his disastrous attempt in 2019 to move down to flyweight and become a two-division champion, followed by a two-year suspension for banned performance enhancer EPO, Dillashaw returned at UFC on ESPN 27 on July 24. The 35-year-old former bantamweight champ took a narrow split decision over Cory Sandhagen, serving notice that he is an immediate factor in the title picture of the division he once ruled. Dillashaw is expected to be next in line to challenge for 135-pound gold once again, with UFC 280 the targeted event for a matchup with Aljamain Sterling.4. Cory Sandhagen (15-4) | UFC [4]
Sandhagen used his precise striking arsenal to fend off a game Yadong Song in the UFC Fight Night 210 headliner, winning via doctor stoppage after four rounds when it was determined that his opponent was unable to continue due to a massive cut over his left eye. The former interim title challenger returns to the win column after dropping back-to-back five-round decisions at the hands of Petr Yan and T.J. Dillashaw. While a title shot may not be in range, Sandhagen will be in line for a highly-ranked opponent next, which he targeted with callouts of Marlon Vera and Merab Dvalishvili.5. Merab Dvalishvili (15-4) | UFC [5]
Despite failing on all 16 of his takedown attempts, Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure and grinding approach was enough to carry him to a unanimous decision triumph against ex-featherweight king Jose Aldo at UFC 278. “The Machine” has won seven straight fights at 135 pounds — and eight in a row overall — but as long as training partner Aljamain Sterling is at the top of the division, Dvalishvili won’t consider fighting for the title. Regardless of what the future holds, the Serra-Longo Fight Team representative looks like a difficult matchup for the rest of the division.6. Jose Aldo (31-8) | UFC [6]
Aldo remained upright for the duration of his showdown with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278, but stellar takedown defense alone wasn’t enough for the Nova Uniao representative, as he was unable to pull the trigger consistently with his striking in a unanimous decision defeat. That snaps a three-fight winning streak for the former featherweight champ, who may have seen his last best chance for another title shot at 135 pounds come to an end. Aldo announced his retirement shortly after that defeat, so if a comeback doesn’t materialize, his rankings eligibility will expire on Aug. 20, 2023.7. Marlon Vera (20-7-1) | UFC [7]
Vera is proving to be one of the heaviest hitters in the bantamweight division. While he lacked the overall striking volume of UFC on ESPN 41 opponent Dominick Cruz, “Chito” was credited with three knockdowns, including a vicious head kick that ended the headlining affair 2:17 into the fourth round. All told, Vera has scored six knockdowns in his last two fights — main event triumphs against Cruz and Rob Font — and has won four straight contests to establish himself as a person of interest at 135 pounds.8. Rob Font (19-6) | UFC [8]
Font landed with remarkable volume — the third most significant strikes in UFC history, to be exact — against Marlon Vera in the UFC on ESPN 35 headliner, but it was his opponent who landed the most consequential strikes — most notably a trio of knockdowns. That sent Font to a unanimous decision defeat and the first two-bout skid of his professional career. To make matters worse, Font missed weight by 2.5 pounds one day prior, which may have been indicative that something was amiss.9. Sergio Pettis (22-5) | Bellator [9]
Pettis snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a spectacular fourth-round spinning backfist knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi to retain his bantamweight crown in the Bellator 272 headliner at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Dec. 3. Pettis has won his last five fights — including four straight under the Bellator banner at 135 pounds. Pettis was supposed to take part in the promotion’s 135-pound grand prix, but an injury forced him to withdraw from an opening round matchup with Raufeon Stots at Bellator 279. He’ll likely await the winner of the tournament, who will be crowned interim champ, at a future event.10. Yadong Song (19-7-1, 1 NC) | UFC [10]
Song had his moments against Cory Sandhagen in the UFC Fight Night 210 headliner, but he couldn’t overcome a cut suffered as a result of an elbow early in the bout. The Team Alpha Male product continued to battle through the wound until the cageside doctor called over the fight before the start of the fifth round. Song sees a three-fight winning streak snapped in defeat, but he is still just 24 years old, which means the best is likely still to come for the “Kung Fu Kid.”Other Contenders: Dominick Cruz, Patrick Mix, Raufeon Stots, Ricky Simon, Kyoji Horiguchi.
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