Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1)
Johnson’s Sept. 22 triumph over Joseph Benavidez made him the first-ever UFC flyweight champion. In order for the Matt Hume pupil to remain champion, however, he will have to thwart the challenge of “The Ultimate Fighter 14” winner John Dodson. Their bout is the main event of the UFC on Fox 6 card on Jan. 26 in Chicago.
2. Ian McCall (11-3-1)
After arguably deserving the nod over Demetrious Johnson in their first meeting in March, Ian McCall admittedly undertrained and underwhelmed in their rematch in June. “Uncle Creepy” will need to have his eye on the ball in his next bout, as he meets fellow 125-pound elite Joseph Benavidez on Feb. 2 at UFC 156.
3. John Dodson (14-5)
In just about one year’s time, Dodson has gone from winning “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 at 135 pounds to locking up No. 1 contender status at 125. Dodson will get his crack at flyweight gold on the biggest stage of his career, challenging champion Demetrious Johnson in the UFC on Fox 6 headliner come January.
4. Jussier da Silva (14-2)
Though “Formiga” entered the Octagon looking significantly larger than his last outing, it did not help him against John Dodson. The onetime ruler of these rankings caught his second loss at the worst possible time, dropping his UFC debut -- and a chance at the company’s newly forged flyweight title -- in a second-round TKO to the “The Magician” on Oct. 5.
5. Joseph Benavidez (16-3)
Joseph Benavidez might have lost his bid to become the UFC’s first flyweight champion against Demetrious Johnson in September, but the Team Alpha Male rep isn’t exactly headed for the dustbin. Benavidez is back in high-stakes flyweight action come Super Bowl weekend, battling Ian McCall at UFC 156 on Feb. 2.
6. Darrell Montague (11-2)
The Californian “Mongoose” has been dormant since picking up a pair of wins in a 12-day span this spring. Montague will get right back in the thick of things when he faces tough Japanese veteran Mamoru Yamaguchi on Christmas Eve in Tokyo.
7. Chris Cariaso (14-3)
After dropping to 125 pounds and dominating Josh Ferguson in July, there was little talk about Chris Cariaso’s lot at flyweight. Fortunately, “The Kamikaze” is on the UFC docket again, as the San Francisco-based fighter will take on heavy-hitting John Moraga at UFC 155 on Dec. 29.
8. Louis Gaudinot (6-2)
Gaudinot used his grappling to thrill in his May comeback win against Brazilian thumper John Lineker. The green-haired New Yorker was set to return against Darren Uyenoyama on Oct. 5 before an unspecified injury knocked Gaudinot from the bout.
9. John Lineker (20-6)
In May, Lineker sizzled but then stumbled in his thrilling fight with Louis Gaudinot. The second performance in the Octagon went much better for the 22-year-old Brazilian prospect, as he hammered Shooto ace Yasuhiro Urushitani for 15 minutes en route to a breakout unanimous decision win.
10. Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-6-6)
After a nasty knockout loss to Joseph Benavidez in his UFC debut in March, the Shooto standout's second stand did not go much better. Though Urushitani made it to the final bell Nov. 10 in Macau, he was blasted for 15 minutes by Brazilian upstart John Lineker and dropped a unanimous verdict.