Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Bantamweight

1. Cody Garbrandt (11-0)

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 25 was hung on the anticipated showdown between former Team Alpha Male training partners Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw; unfortunately, a back injury forced Garbrandt from their slated UFC 213 bout in July. Given their respective statures and unique history, it was a no-brainer that the UFC would repackage the fight: “No Love” is scheduled to make the first defense of his UFC bantamweight title against Dillashaw at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden.

2. Dominick Cruz (22-2)

Having not lost a pro MMA fight in nearly 10 years and with a career full of success against Team Alpha Male, Cruz looked to be in the driver’s seat headed into his bantamweight title defense against Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207. The sentiment was further enhanced when Cruz’s pre-fight trash talk seemed to truly rattle and upset his challenger. Instead, Garbrandt put on an incredible display, as he bested Cruz in his own trademark style, dropping “The Dominator” over 25 minutes and earning a unanimous decision to take Cruz’s 135-pound crown.

3. T.J. Dillashaw (14-3)

Dillashaw was supposed to get his chance to regain the bantamweight title in a bout with former Team Alpha Male compatriot Cody Garbrandt at UFC 213 in July. Instead, the "The Ultimate Fighter 25"-capping fight was postponed by a Garbrandt back injury. Even so, their engrossing rivalry cannot be replicated, so the UFC was keen to remake it as soon as possible. Dillashaw will get his shot at his former teammate at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden.

4. Raphael Assuncao (25-5)

Though the split decision was a contentious one, Assuncao's win over former World Series of Fighting champion Marlon Moraes in June moved him to 9-1 as a bantamweight, all in the UFC. His only loss at 135 pounds is to former T.J. Dillashaw, an opponent over whom he also owns a victory. However, Assuncao is maybe MMA's most forgotten man and an opponent no bantamweight wants to face, so how he has been booked next time out comes as no surprise. Assuncao will meet little-known prospect Matthew Lopez at UFC Fight Night 120 on Nov. 11 in Norfolk, Virginia.

5. Jimmie Rivera (21-1)

Rivera's biggest career win came in May, when he defeated Brazilian striker Thomas Almeida in a thrilling bout to earn his 20th straight victory, the performance giving “El Terror” the chance to call out color commentator and fellow bantamweight Dominick Cruz. Rivera is still a fight away from a title shot, however, as he waits for the Cody Garbrandt-T.J. Dillashaw situation to resolve. In the interim, he has gotten involved in social media beef with fellow tri-state area prospect Aljamain Sterling over which man has been ducking the other. Oh, Twitter.

6. Marlon Moraes (18-5-1)

Moraes' much-anticipated UFC debut in June did not go as expected, as he dropped a razor-thin split decision to veteran Raphael Assuncao in a bout most felt Moraes won. Things are not going to get any easier for the former World Series of Fighting champion in his second UFC start, but it should still result in an action-packed affair, as Moraes has signed on to face the similarly nicknamed John Dodson at UFC Fight Night 120 on Nov. 11 in Norfolk, Virginia.

7. Bryan Caraway (21-7)

With back-to-back wins over Eddie Wineland and Aljamain Sterling, Caraway put himself in bantamweight title contention. However, ahead of his scheduled bout with Jimmie Rivera on Jan. 15, Caraway was once again struck by the injury bug, leading him to pull out of the fight and take a familiar place on the sideline.

8. Thomas Almeida (22-2)

After starting his MMA career 21-0, Almeida has dropped two of his last three bouts inside the UFC. It is hardly a cause for despair, however, as those defeats came against current UFC champion Cody Garbrandt and emerging elite contender Jimmie Rivera. More than that, “Thominhas” remains one of the most exciting young fighters the sport has to offer.

9. John Lineker (29-8)

It would be cruel for the MMA gods to let us go a full year without Lineker firing his fists in the cage. Fortunately, the sport's wildest-winging little man is fully recovered from the broken jaw he sustained against T.J. Dillashaw in December. “Hands of Stone” is now due back at UFC Fight Night 119 on Oct. 28, when he takes on Marlon “Chito” Vera in Sao Paulo in a fun stylistic pairing.

10. Aljamain Sterling (14-2)

After starting his career 12-0, some of the bloom came off the rose for Sterling as a prospect when he suffered consecutive split decision losses to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assuncao. However, “Funkmaster Aljo” got active after the Assuncao defeat in January, quickly bouncing back with decisions over jiu-jitsu ace Augusto Mendes and former UFC bantamweight champ Renan Barao. Sterling has now taken to social media to fish for his next fight, trying to bait fellow northeastern standout Jimmie Rivera into a showdown via Twitter.

Other Contenders: Darrion Caldwell, Eduardo Dantas, John Dodson, Pedro Munhoz, Eddie Wineland.

Continue Reading » Flyweight