Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (26-2-1)
Before his UFC on Fox 24 headliner against Wilson Reis on April 15, Johnson closed at -1100 odds. Come fight time, “Mighty Mouse” looked every bit an astronomical favorite, completely destroying the rock-solid Reis for nearly 15 minutes before casually armbarring him. The win gave Johnson 10 consecutive UFC title defenses, tying Anderson Silva's record and, of course, leading the MMA world to collectively question whether any 125-pounder alive can deal with him.2. Joseph Benavidez (25-4)
Benavidez has long been one of the healthiest and most reliable fighters in the game, but this is MMA and everybody gets hurt from time to time. Benavidez, who is perpetually orbiting just outside a third UFC flyweight title shot against Demetrious Johnson, was lined up to face Ben Nguyen in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 11. However, Benavidez has been forced from the bout with a knee injury, with Tim Elliott stepping in as his replacement.3. Henry Cejudo (10-2)
Cejudo fell just short in his close, controversial decision loss to Joseph Benavidez at “The Ultimate Fighter 24” Finale in December. The Olympic gold medalist had the opportunity to bounce back and notch another notable win over Sergio Pettis at UFC 211 in Dallas, but for no less than the sixth time in his career, Cejudo was forced out of the bout just days beforehand due to the side effects of a nasty weight cut. The incident reignited doubt about his future at 125 pounds.4. Kyoji Horiguchi (19-2)
It was a sign of the times when the UFC let the 26-year-old Horiguchi, the best Japanese MMA fighter on the planet, walk away as a free agent to Rizin Fighting Federation. Nonetheless, Horiguchi did not miss a beat in his Rizin debut on April 16, dishing out a one-sided whooping against Yuki Motoya for 15 minutes. Now, Horiguchi will return to his old weight class, as the former Shooto 132-pound world champion figures to be the focal point of Rizin's bantamweight grand prix, which gets started in July.5. Wilson Reis (22-7)
When Demetrious Johnson was injured ahead of UFC 201 in July, it seemed unlikely that Reis would be blessed with a crack at “Mighty Mouse” for a second time, especially with Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo due to square off to conclude “The Ultimate Fighter 24.” Reis picked up a pair of wins over Hector Sandoval and Yuta Sasaki, which in turn actualized the Brazilian's dream of fighting for the UFC flyweight title. However, at UFC on Fox 24 on April 15, Reis' dream proved thoroughly nightmarish, as he had absolutely nothing to offer Johnson, who dominated him for nearly 15 minutes before forcing him to tap to an armbar.6. Ray Borg (11-2)
After he lost to Justin Scoggins in February 2016 and then missed weight by four pounds before his win over Louis Smolka in December, it was important for Borg to put on a consummate, professional performance. At UFC Fight Night 106 on March 11, the 23-year-old did exactly that, as he went into hostile territory and earned the biggest win of his career by taking 29-28 scorecards across the board over perennial divisional standout Jussier da Silva. The victory over “Formiga” in Fortaleza, Brazil, should ensure that the Albuquerque, New Mexico, native catches another elite 125-pounder the next time he gets booked.7. Brandon Moreno (14-3)
“The Assassin Baby” was completely unheralded and not even considered much of a prospect a year ago. He was the No. 16 seed on “The Ultimate Fighter 24” and got choked out by Alexandre Pantoja in the first round of the tournament. Since leaving the show and making his UFC debut proper in October, Moreno has racked up wins over Louis Smolka, Ryan Benoit and now the favored Dustin Ortiz, choking him unconscious in front of a pro-Ortiz crowd in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 22. In just seven months, the 23-year-old Mexican fighter has somehow turned into one of most intriguing and exciting up-and-comers in the sport.8. Jussier da Silva (19-5)
Da Silva remains one of the best flyweights in the world, year in and year out, but he just cannot get a streak together in the UFC. After dropping a split decision to Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in November 2015, “Formiga” rebounded with a quality win over Dustin Ortiz in September. Headed into another fight as a favorite over up-and-comer Ray Borg on March 11, da Silva had his heart broken in another close and competitive fight, dropping two rounds to “The Tazmexican Devil” and losing a unanimous verdict. The loss brought his UFC mark to 5-4.9. Magomed Bibulatov (14-0)
Ahead of his promotional debut at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York, Bibulatov attracted attention and criticism for his strong connections to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. Nonetheless, in his bout against Jenel Lausa, “Gladiator” showed why he is the top 125-pound prospect in the world, soundly winning each round to maintain his undefeated record.10. Dustin Ortiz (16-7)
Going back to his old Tennessee stomping grounds to take on Brandon Moreno seemed like a good way for Ortiz to get a quality win over a talented but green prospect in front of a partisan crowd. Instead, it turned out Moreno was ready for primetime, as he choked out Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 108 on April 22. Ortiz now owns a 2-4 mark in his last six bouts.Other Contenders: Tim Elliott, Tyson Nam, Ben Nguyen, Hiromasa Ogikubo, Sergio Pettis .
Continue Reading » Women’s Featherweight