Bantamweight
1. Dominick Cruz (21-1)
Two years after being stripped of his UFC bantamweight title, Cruz returned to claim the belt he never lost. “The Dominator” looked as though he never lost a step in his Jan. 17 encounter with T.J. Dillashaw, using his flashy footwork and lightning counterstrikes to earn a split decision after five rounds. Cruz has now won 12 straight and has not lost since a 2007 featherweight defeat to Urijah Faber, whom he will meet again at UFC 199.2. T.J. Dillashaw (12-3)
Dillashaw’s reign as undisputed bantamweight champion ended on Jan. 17 in Boston, where he was outpointed across five rounds by Dominick Cruz, despite a late push from the Duane Ludwig pupil. The defeat marked Dillashaw’s first “L” since October 2013, when he dropped a contentious split decision against Raphael Assuncao. The former champ will rematch Assuncao at UFC 200 on July 9.3. Urijah Faber (33-8)
Following a May loss to Frankie Edgar at featherweight, Faber returned to 135 pounds and picked up a hard-fought decision over Frankie Saenz at UFC 194. “The California Kid” made clear his desire for another shot at the UFC bantamweight title, and he will get his wish in another rematch with champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 199.4. Marlon Moraes (16-4-1)
Moraes has won 11 straight bouts, as he has gone undefeated for nearly five years and clearly established himself as one of the best 135-pound fighters on the planet. Unfortunately, the World Series of Fighting continues to struggle to supply its bantamweight champion with intriguing matchups. At WSOF 32 on July 30, Moraes will defend his title against once-beaten Canadian Josh Hill. That one loss for Hill came against Moraes in a one-sided five-round title defense for the Brazilian in February 2015.5. Bryan Caraway (21-7)
Through his eight bouts inside the Octagon, Bryan Caraway has gotten a little bit better each time. Those incremental improvements finally turned into a big payoff for “Kid Lightning” as he overcame a tough first five minutes to come back and take a split decision win over previously unbeaten Aljamain Sterling, leaping him into these rankings.6. Aljamain Sterling (12-1)
For the first five minutes of his May 29 bout with Bryan Caraway, Sterling looked every bit a dominant, undefeated prospect. However, when Caraway battled back over the final 10 minutes, he managed to outwrestle and outhustle the Serra-Longo Team product, handing “The Funkmaster” the first loss of his pro career.7. Cody Garbrandt (9-0)
If Cody Garbrandt was the underdog, the less preferred undefeated 135-pound prospect, between he and Thomas Almeida, you never would have known in their May 29 UFC Fight Night headliner. “No Love” was true to his nickname, walking into Las Vegas, hunting Almeida down and boxing him up before landing a beautiful right hook that put the Brazilian on his face and Garbrandt amongst the division's best.8. Takeya Mizugaki (21-9-2)
Following the first back-to-back losses of his Zuffa career, Mizugaki on Sept. 27 scored a much-needed win before a partisan crowd in Saitama, Japan. It did not come easy, but the former World Extreme Cagefighting contender outworked 6-foot-1 George Roop to snatch a unanimous decision in a clinch-filled three-rounder.9. Thomas Almeida (21-1)
Thomas Almeida came into his May 29 showdown with Cody Garbrandt not just as a slight favorite, but as favorite to earn a UFC bantamweight title shot in the near future if he stayed on his current trajectory. Garbrandt rejected that narrative wholesale, socking up Almeida from the outset before crushing him unconscious with a right hook early in the first round, handing “Thominhas” the first loss of his career.10. Jimmie Rivera (19-1)
Rivera on Jan. 30 collected his biggest scalp yet when he outworked crafty Brazilian vet Iuri Alcantara to claim a three-round unanimous decision. The victory extended the New Jerseyan’s impressive winning streak to 18 straight, including three in a row since joining the UFC in July.Other Contenders: Iuri Alcantara, Darrion Caldwell, John Lineker, Rob Font, Frankie Saenz.
* With his move to the featherweight division, formerly third-ranked Renan Barao exits the bantamweight rankings.
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