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Flyweight
1. Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) | UFC [1]
Pantoja put on a dominant performance in the co-main event of UFC 296, grounding Brandon Royval seemingly at will and doing grimy work from top position for most of five rounds. While the result was not the frenetic fireworks show fans may have hoped for, “The Cannibal” effectively denied Royval any chance to employ his hyper-aggressive kickboxing and grappling, retaining his belt while facing next to no real danger. With a lack of fresh contenders on the horizon, Pantoja’s next title defense will come against Steve Erceg at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.2. Brandon Royval (16-7) | UFC [2]
Competing in the high altitude of Mexico City, Royval simply had more in the tank than former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, as he pulled away down the stretch for a split-decision triumph in the UFC Fight Night 237 headliner. Not only did “Raw Dawg” avenge a 2020 defeat at the hands of Moreno, but he potentially put himself in the driver’s seat for the next title shot at 125 pounds.3. Brandon Moreno (21-8-2) | UFC [3]
While it was a sometimes bizarre performance from Moreno in the UFC Fight Night 237 headliner, he was still quite competitive in a split-decision loss to Brandon Royval in Mexico City. However, it was concerning that Moreno appeared to have less stamina than his opponent, and the loss all but eliminates the possibility of an immediate rematch with Alexandre Pantoja in the near future. Though he is only 30 years old, “Assassin Baby” already has numerous five-round battles under his belt — which could affect him in the later stages of his MMA career.4. Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1) | UFC [4]
Figueiredo enjoyed a successful bantamweight debut, taking a three-round verdict against Rob Font at UFC Austin on Dec. 2. The ex-flyweight champion flashed his power in spurts and also blended in takedowns against his veteran foe, which allowed him to rebound from a loss to longtime rival Brandon Moreno at UFC 283. With no draining weight cuts to navigate, “Deus da Guerra” seems to have found a home at 135 pounds. He’ll next face Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300.5. Amir Albazi (17-1) | UFC [5]
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. Albazi was supposed to meet Brandon Moreno in a five-round, co-main event at UFC Mexico, but a neck injury forced him to withdraw from the bout.6. Kai Kara-France (24-11, 1 NC) | UFC [6]
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. He was supposed to return against Manel Kape at UFC 293 in Sydney, but a concussion forced him to withdraw from the event.7. Askar Askarov (15-1-1) | ACA [7]
After being granted his UFC release in 2022, Askarov sat out for the majority of 2023 before making his return at Absolute Championship Akhmat 166, where he outpointed Alan Gomes on Nov. 24. The 31-year-old Fighting Eagle representative has won four of five outings since 2020, a run that includes noteworthy triumphs against Alexandre Pantoja, Joseph Benavidez and Tim Elliott.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. Unfortunately, a showdown with Manel Kape at UFC Fight Night 234 was scrapped when his foe missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Nicolau and Kape will now meet in the UFC on ESPN 55 main event.9. Manel Kape (19-6) | UFC [9]
Kape withstood a game effort from replacement foe Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293, as the former Rizin Fighting Federation champion relied on superior striking power and accuracy to capture a unanimous decision triumph in Sydney. “Starboy” has won four straight outings within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Kape was supposed to face Matheus Nicolau at UFC Fight Night 234, but the bout was canceled when he missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Kape vs. Nicolau has been rebooked as a five-round headliner at UFC on ESP 55.10. Steve Erceg (12-1) | UFC [10]
Erceg made a statement at UFC Fight Night 238, as he scored a one-punch knockout of Matt Schnell 26 seconds into the second round of their encounter at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 2. That makes three straight promotional triumphs for “Astro Boy” — and 11 in a row overall. With options limited at the top of the division, Erceg has been propelled into a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301.Other Contenders: Muhammad Mokaev, Alex Perez, Jarred Brooks, Azamat Kerefov, Kyoji Horiguchi.
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