Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Flyweight
1. Deiveson Figueiredo (21-2-1) [1]
After relocating to Fight Ready in Arizona, Figueiredo evened the score with Brandon Moreno at UFC 270, winning a closely contested unanimous decision in the evening’s co-main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 22. In a bout where each round was difficult to score, Figueiredo’s more powerful offense might have made the difference and allowed him to regain the UFC flyweight crown. With the series against Moreno knotted up at 1-1-1, a fourth bout seems well within the realm of possibility.2. Brandon Moreno (19-6-2) [2]
Moreno looked better than ever at UFC 270, but despite a well-crafted game plan, “Assassin Baby” wound up on the wrong end of the scorecards in a unanimous decision loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in the evening’s co-headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Calif., on Jan. 22. While Moreno’s flyweight championship reign ends without a title defense to his credit, the possibility for a fourth bout against Figueiredo is quite likely, as the rivals are 1-1-1 in their three meetings thus far.3. Askar Askarov (14-0-1) [3]
In the Octagon, Askarov was impressive as he could be in a dominating unanimous verdict over multi-time flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez at UFC 259. However, Askarov’s failure to make weight one day prior tarnishes the victory and raises questions about his ability to make the flyweight limit in the future. Askarov was supposed to face Alex Perez on Aug. 28 but was forced to pull out of the fight after suffering a broken hand. Instead, he will lock horns with Kai Kara France at a UFC event on March 26.4. Alexandre Pantoja (24-5) [4]
Thanks to a powerful right hand and a crafty submission game, Pantoja overcame Brandon Royval’s exhausting pace for a second-round rear-naked choke victory in a featured matchup at UFC on ESPN 29 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 21. Pantoja has won three of his last four promotional outings and notably owns two victories over reigning champ Brandon Moreno — one at UFC Fight Night 129 and one on “The Ultimate Fighter 24.”5. Joseph Benavidez (28-8) [5]
For years, Joseph Benavidez was able to vanquish all but the champions of the UFC’s flyweight division. That no longer appears to be the case, as he was outclassed both on the feet and on the canvas in a unanimous decision loss to Askar Askarov at UFC 259 on March 6. Benavidez announced his retirement in September 2020 after suffering the first three-bout losing streak of his professional tenure. His rankings eligibility will expire on March 6, 2022.6. Alex Perez (24-6) [6]
Perez’s attempt to take Deiveson Figueiredo to the mat proved to be ill advised in their UFC 255 title bout, as the reigning flyweight champion applied a tight guillotine choke to earn a tapout 1:57 into the opening stanza at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Perez has been victorious in six of his eight promotional appearances, with his only defeats coming to Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez. A scheduled UFC 269 showdown with Matt Schnell fell through when his opponent was not medically cleared to compete. The clash was then rebooked for UFC 271 but canceled after Perez missed weight.7. Brandon Royval (13-6) [7]
While his takedown suspense was suspect, his active grappling and a strong finish carried Royval to a hard-fought split-decision triumph against Rogerio Bontorin at UFC on ESPN 32 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Jan. 15. “Raw Dog” returns to the win column after being finished in back-to-back Octagon appearances against Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, and his wide open style continues to make him one of the most entertaining fighters to watch in the UFC’s flyweight division. Royval will return to action against Matt Schnell at UFC 274.8. Matt Schnell (15-5, 1 NC) [8]
After originally being booked against Alex Perez at UFC 262, Schnell instead squared off against replacement foe Rogerio Bontorin at the Toyota Center in Houston on May 15, losing a unanimous decision that was eventually overturned to a no contest when Bontorin tested positive for a diuretic. Then, the fight with Perez was rebooked on two separate occasions only to fall through both times for various reasons. Schnell is now scheduled to face Brandon Royval at UFC 274.9. Kai Kara France (23-9, 1 NC) [9]
Kara France gave Cody Garbrandt a rude welcome to the flyweight division, as he floored the ex-135-pound champ three times on the way to a first-time technical knockout victory at UFC 269. With back-to-back first-round knockouts on his resume, the City Kickboxing representative is making the rest of the weight class take notice. “Don’t Blink” will next square off against fellow contender Askar Askarov on March 26.10. Rogerio Bontorin (16-4, 2 NC) [10]
A career best eight takedowns and some solid positional control weren’t enough for Bontorin, who dropped a split decision to Brandon Royval in a featured flyweight bout at UFC on ESPN 32. Although it was the third loss in four outings for the Brazilian, he has nothing to be ashamed of after hanging tough against the all-action Royval. The 29-year-old figures to be a difficult matchup for much of the flyweight division going forward.Other Contenders: David Dvorak, Joshua Pacio, Amir Albazi, Azamat Kerefov, Matheus Nicolau.
Continue Reading » Women’s Featherweight