Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Flyweight
1. Alexandre Pantoja (26-5) | UFC [6]
Pantoja nearly made short work of Brandon Moreno in the UFC 290 co-main event before settling in for an epic five-round battle that saw him crowned as the fifth flyweight champion in promotion history. Including an exhibition win on “The Ultimate Fighter 24,” Pantoja is now 3-0 against Moreno — though the latest triumph was by far the most difficult. “The Cannibal” will take a four-fight winning streak into his first 125-pound title defense.2. Brandon Moreno (21-7-2) | UFC [1]
Moreno showed at UFC 290 that he was an improved fighter from the one who faced Alexandre Pantoja earlier in his career. However, that still wasn’t enough, as Moreno dropped a split decision to his Brazilian rival in an instant classic at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Moreno’s stock shouldn’t fall far in defeat, but with his unofficial record against Pantoja currently at 0-3, it’s unclear what might be next for “The Assassin Baby.”3. 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. After initially announcing plans to move up to bantamweight, “Deus da Guerra” will remain at 125 pounds, though he did withdraw from a proposed clash with Manel Kape at UFC 290.4. Amir Albazi (17-1) | UFC [3]
In his first fight on the big stage, Albazi captured a contentious split-decision triumph over former interim title challenger Kai Kara-France in the UFC on ESPN 46 headliner. Though many observers felt Albazi didn’t deserve the win, he nonetheless came the closest of the two combatants to finishing the fight when he nearly locked in a rear-naked choke in the third round. The Iraqi flyweight has now won six straight outings — including five in UFC competition — and could be on the verge of a title shot in the Octagon.5. Kai Kara-France (24-11, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
Kara-France hoped that a victory over rising contender Amir Albazi in the UFC on ESPN 46 main event would keep him near the top of the contender’s queue, but instead the City Kickboxing standout suffered a controversial split-decision defeat at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While the bout was extremely competitive for the much of the 25 minutes, Kara-France still outlanded his opponent by more than 50 significant strikes by fight’s end, which led many to believe that “Don’t Blink” deserved the nod. Instead, the 30-year-old Kiwi has suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in his UFC tenure. He’ll look to bounce back against Manel Kape at UFC 293 in Sydney.6. Askar Askarov (14-1-1) | UFC [5]
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, where he is scheduled to face Azamat Kerefov on July 21.7. Brandon Royval (15-6) | UFC [7]
Royval solidified his status as one of the flyweight division’s most entertaining fighters with a brilliant first-round finish of Matheus Nicolau at UFC on ESPN 44. After suffering back-to-back losses to Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, “Raw Dawg” has rebounded with successive triumphs over Nicolau, Matt Schnell and Rogerio Bontorin to maintain his status as a contender to watch.8. Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1) | UFC [8]
Nicolau saw a six-bout winning streak snapped in violent fashion at UFC on ESPN 44, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to fellow Top 10 flyweight Brandon Royval in Kansas City. The Brazilian has lost just twice in his last 14 professional outings dating back to 2013, and with a respectable UFC ledger that includes triumphs over the likes of Matt Schnell, David Dvorak, Tim Elliott and Manel Kape, shouldn’t be too far removed from contention even after his most recent setback.9. Alex Perez (24-7) | UFC [9]
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. Perez was supposed to meet Manel Kape at UFC on ESPN 43, but a medical issue forced him off the card on the day of the fight.10. Matt Schnell (16-7, 1 NC) | UFC [10]
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. An opportunity to get back on track against David Dvorak at UFC 289 fell by the wayside when Schell had to withdraw after fracturing his wrist in training.Other Contenders: Manel Kape, Jarred Brooks, Azamat Kerefov, Tim Elliott, Tagir Ulanbekov.
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