Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Bantamweight
1. Sean O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) UFC [1]
O’Malley avenged his lone career defeat in the UFC 299 headliner, putting on a striking masterclass for five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph against Marlon Vera. “Suga” is unbeaten in his last seven Octagon appearances, and a challenging title defense looms against top contender Merab Dvalishvili. However, if O’Malley gets his way, his next assignment will be a crack at two-division dominance against Ilia Topuria in Spain.2. Aljamain Sterling (23-4) | UFC [2]
Sterling was unable to impose his will in the UFC 292 headliner, as he fell victim to a beautiful Sean O’Malley right hand to relinquish the bantamweight crown at the TD Garden in Boston. That brings an end to Sterling’s nine-fight winning streak, but with a title reign that included three successful defenses, “Funk Master” established himself as one of the sport’s top 135-pound talents. With that being said, Sterling will move on to new challenges when he makes his 145-pound debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.3. Merab Dvalishvili (17-4) | UFC [3]
Dvalishvili extended his winning streak to 10 at UFC 298, as he pulled away over the final 10 minutes for a unanimous decision triumph against Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. “The Machine” would seem to be the obvious No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, and he’ll undoubtedly be an interested observer when Sean O’Malley defends his title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in Miami. With his blend of relentless cardio and wrestling, Dvalishvili figures to be a nightmare matchup for whoever wins that fight.4. Patrick Mix (19-1) | Bellator [4]
Mix continued to build his case as the world’s best bantamweight at Bellator 301, where he used his grappling to overwhelm Sergio Pettis and unify the 135-pound belt with a second-round submission victory. “Patchy” has won six consecutive outings since falling to Juan Archuleta in a bantamweight title bout at Bellator 246 in September 2020. He’ll make his next title defense in a rematch with Magomed Magomedov at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17.5. Petr Yan (17-5) | UFC [5]
Yan shook off a slow start to outduel Yadong Song over the final 10 minutes to win a unanimous decision in their featured clash at UFC 299 in Miami on March 9. With the victory. the former bantamweight champion snaps a three-fight skid and re-establishes himself as one of the top talents in the UFC at 135 pounds. “No Mercy” should be in line for another marquee matchup for his next Octagon appearance.6. Henry Cejudo (16-4) | UFC [6]
Cejudo started well against Merab Dvalishvili, but he couldn’t hold up against his opponent’s relentless pressure, losing a unanimous decision at UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. Cejudo is 0-2 in the Octagon since ending a three-year retirement this past May, and prior to his most recent outing he claimed he would call it a career again if he were to lose to Dvalishvili.7. Cory Sandhagen (17-4) | UFC [7]
After a scheduled clash with rising star Umar Nurmagomedov fell through, Sandhagen took out his frustrations on Rob Font, using takedowns and top control to cruise to a clear-cut five-round verdict in the UFC on ESPN 50 headliner in Nashville. Since the bout was contested at a 140-pound catchweight, it doesn’t affect Sandhagen’s place in these rankings. However, the UFC tends to approach things differently, and with a three-fight winning streak over Font, Marlon Vera and Yadong Song, “Sandman” appears to be sitting pretty in the bantamweight division.8. Sergio Pettis (23-6) Bellator [8]
While Pettis looked impressive in outstriking Patricio Freire upon his return from knee surgery this past June, “The Phenom” was out of his depth against the grappling of Patrick Mix in their title unification bout at Bellator 301, as he fell victim to a rear-naked choke 1:51 into Round 2 of their co-main event bout. That snapped a six-bout winning streak for the UFC veteran, who had bested the likes of Freire, Kyoji Horiguchi and Juan Archuleta during that period.9. Marlon Vera (23-9-1) | UFC [9]
Vera showcased tremendous durability in the UFC 299 headliner, but he was unable to match the overall striking arsenal of Sean O’Mally in a lopsided five-round decision defeat at the Kaseya Center in Miami on March 9. “Chito,” who previously bested O’Malley in an August 2020 bout, received the title shot based largely on that history, but he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Still, Vera figures to remain a dangerous opponent for many would-be contenders in the UFC’s bantamweight division.10. Yadong Song (21-8-1, 1 NC) UFC [10]
Song looked like he was on the way to a signature victory after a strong first round against Petr Yan, but the Team Alpha Male product couldn’t maintain that momentum, as his Russian foe rallied to win a unanimous decision at UFC 299 at the Kaseya Center in Miami in March 9. Song, who had won four of five heading into the matchup with Yan, will likely have to put his championship dreams on hold until he picks up a few more wins at 135 pounds.Other Contenders: Deiveson Figueiredo, Raufeon Stots, Umar Nurmagomedov, Rob Font, Jonathan Martinez.
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