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Flyweight
1. Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) | UFC [1]
Pantoja’s second successful title defense wasn’t sealed until the fifth round at UFC 301, when he assumed top position late in the frame against Steve Erceg to clinch a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph in Rio de Janeiro on May 4. Pantoja’s ability to mix up his attacks proved crucial against Erceg, who often got the better of exchanges with crisp boxing and elbows to the head. In less than a year, “The Cannibal” has captured flyweight gold and defended it twice — all in five-round battles — so some time off could be in store for the 34-year-old Brazilian.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. “Raw Dawg” avenged a 2020 defeat at the hands of Moreno and put himself near the top of the list of flyweight contenders. He could potentially secure a title shot with a victory over Tatsuro Taira in the main event of a UFC card on Oct. 12.3. 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. Amir Albazi (17-1) | UFC [4]
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.5. Kai Kara-France (24-11, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
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.6. Askar Askarov (15-1-1) | ACA [6]
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.7. Steve Erceg (12-2) | UFC [7]
Erceg didn’t walk away with flyweight gold at UFC 301, but he certainly didn’t hurt his stock, either. The Aussie gave Alexandre Pantoja all he could handle over five rounds, bloodying his foe with elbows and holding his own in striking exchanges. However, Pantoja’s advantage in grappling advantages proved to be the difference in a competitive bout. Still, Erceg has accomplished plenty in his first year of UFC competition, and he figures to be a contender in the division for many years going forward.8. Muhammad Mokaev (13-0, 1 NC) | UFC [8]
“The Punisher” won the battle but may have lost the war at UFC 304. While the 23-year-old phenom defeated Manel Kape by decision in a fight that was elevated to a grudge match by multiple scuffles during fight week, the fight itself was a strange, tepid affair. To make things worse for the Dagestani by way of England, UFC President Dana White, apparently tired of Mokaev's antics, announced after the event that the promotion would not be re-signing him. Mokaev figures to be an interesting figure on the free-agent market.9. Manel Kape (19-7) | UFC [9]
Kape had a mixed showing against Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304, gutting it out after a nasty toe injury on his way to a competitive decision loss. However, Kape's notoriously low output on the feet betrayed him once again, and he had precious few moments against the undefeated phenom. It may be cold comfort to "Starboy" that his tormentor appears to have lost his job in the UFC after their fight, as he himself faces a long climb back to the title picture.10. Tatsuro Taira (16-0) | UFC [10]
The 24-year-old Taira continued his ascent in the UFC on ESPN 58 headliner, defeating former title challenger Alex Perez via second-round TKO due to knee injury on June 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The former Shooto flyweight king has kicked off his UFC tenure with six consecutive triumphs — four inside the distance — and only figures to get better as he gains more experience inside the Octagon. His next test will come in another main event challenge against Brandon Royval on Oct. 12.Other Contenders: Alex Perez, Matheus Nicolau, Jarred Brooks, Azamat Kerefov, Charles Johnson.
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