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Flyweight
1. Brandon Moreno (21-6-2) | UFC [1]
Moreno got the last laugh against Deiveson Figueiredo, as he improved to 2-1-1 against the Brazilian with a doctor stoppage victory at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro. Moreno now begins his second reign as flyweight champion with the Figueiredo rivalry clearly in his rearview mirror. It seems quite likely that Alexandre Pantoja — who owns wins over Moreno at UFC Fight Night 129 and on “TUF 24” — will be next on the fight itinerary for “The Assassin Baby.”2. Deiveson Figueiredo (21-3-1) | UFC [2]
Figueiredo didn’t get the conclusion he wanted to his rivalry with Brandon Moreno, as a completely swollen right eye resulted in a doctor stoppage loss after three rounds in the UFC 283 co-main event. Not only does the Brazilian relinquish the flyweight belt, but he falls to 1-2-1 in his tetralogy with Moreno. On a positive note, “Deus da Guerra” will almost certainly get to face a different opponent in his next outing — especially after announcing his intention to move up to the bantamweight division.3. Kai Kara France (24-10, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
Things were going relatively well for Kara France in his interim flyweight title bout against Brandon Moreno at UFC 277 before a well-placed liver kick and flurry of punches ended his night 4:34 into Round 3. The setback snapped a three-bout winning streak for “Don’t Blink” and spoiled his hopes of a title unification fight against Deiveson Figueiredo. Kara France is now 7-3 in UFC competition, with two of those defeats coming at the hands of Moreno. Kara France was forced to withdraw from a bout against Alex Perez at UFC 284 due to injury.4. Askar Askarov (14-1-1) | UFC [4]
Askarov could have locked up a future title shot with a win over Kai Kara France at UFC on ESPN 33, but after a strong start, the Dagestani was unable to dictate the terms of the action down the stretch in a unanimous decision defeat. It’s the first career setback for the man known as “Bullet,” who owns a resume that includes wins over Joseph Benavidez, Alexandre Pantoja — along with a draw against Brandon Moreno. Askarov was unable to make weight for a matchup with Brandon Royval at UFC Fight Night 212, resulting in the cancellation of the bout. Askarov was released from the UFC at his request and has signed with Absolute Championship Akhmat.5. Alexandre Pantoja (25-5) | UFC [5]
Pantoja made short work of former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC 277, winning via neck crank 1:31 into the opening round of their flyweight feature. “The Cannibal” has won three straight and four of his last five within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance title holder figures to be among the top contenders to face Brandon Moreno — whom he has already defeated in UFC competition — in a future championship clash.6. Brandon Royval (14-6) | UFC [6]
Royval enhanced his reputation as one of the division’s most exciting flyweights, as he rallied for a first-round submission victory against Matt Schnell at UFC 274. After being dropped by a right hand early, Royval scrambled his way out of danger before diving on a guillotine choke to secure his third victory via tapout in the Octagon. After bouts against Askar Askarov and Amir Albazi fell through for various reasons, Royval will return against surging Brazilian Matheus Nicolau on April 15.7. Matheus Nicolau (19-2-1) | UFC [7]
Nicolau took another step toward title contention at UFC on ESPN 42, as he scored a second-round technical knockout over Matt Schnell in Orlando. The Brazilian owns a resume that includes recent triumphs against the likes of David Dvorak, Tim Elliott and Manel Kape at 125 pounds and is 7-1 over the course of two UFC stints overall. Next, he’ll meet Brandon Royval in a pivotal bout at UFC Fight Night on April 15.8. Alex Perez (24-7) | UFC [8]
In his first appearance since falling to Deiveson Figueiredo in a flyweight title bout in November 2020, Perez was outclassed by Alexandre Pantoja in a first-round submission loss at UFC 277. After beginning his promotional tenure with wins in six of his first seven appearances, the Team Oyama representative has lost back-to-back fights for the the second time in his professional career, which leaves him plenty of work to do if he hopes to reach the top of the division again. Next, Perez will square off against former Rizin champ Manel Kape at UFC on ESPN 43.9. Matt Schnell (16-7, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
Schnell was unable to capitalize on the momentum of an enthralling submission victory against Su Mudaerji at UFC on ABC 3, as he fell to Matheus Nicolau via second-round knockout in their featured clash at UFC on ESPN 42. “Danger” has won just one of his last four appearances within the Las Vegas-based promotion after authoring a four-bout winning streak from October 2017 to August 2019.10. Manel Kape (18-6) | UFC [10]
Kape nearly delivered a finish on two occasions against David Dvorak at UFC Fight Night 216, threatening his opponent with a kimura late in Round 1 and rocking his foe with knees in punches in the second stanza. While the stoppage didn’t materialize, the former Rizin title holder nonetheless cruised to a unanimous decision triumph, giving him three consecutive triumphs in UFC competition. Kape has rebounded from a slow start that saw him lose his first two appearances in the Las Vegas-based promotion and will attempt to continue his momentum against Alex Perez at UFC on ESPN 43.Other Contenders: Jarred Brooks, Amir Albazi, David Dvorak, Azamat Kerefov, Tim Elliott.
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