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Bantamweight
1. Henry Cejudo (17-2) [1]
Cejudo became only the second fighter in promotion history to successfully defend titles in two divisions at UFC 249 when he defeated Dominick Cruz via second-round technical knockout in the evening’s co-main event at VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. After the victory, the Olympic gold medalist made a surprising retirement announcement, citing a desire to start a family. Retirements often don’t last in MMA, but if it holds up, “Triple C” ends his career with a six-fight winning streak that includes triumphs over Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes and Cruz. The UFC is taking the announcement seriously, as Cejudo’s belt has been vacated.2. Marlon Moraes (23-6-1) [2]
In his first fight since coming up short against Henry Cejudo at UFC 238, Moraes edged former featherweight champion Jose Aldo via split decision in a featured contest at UFC 245. “Magic” has won five of his last six Octagon appearances, with his only other defeat coming via controversial split decision against Raphael Assuncao in his promotional debut. The former World Series of Fighting titlist will return to action against fellow contender Cory Sandhagen on Oct. 10.3. Aljamain Sterling (19-3) [3]
In a merit-based system, Sterling would be part of the UFC’s immediate plans to crown a new bantamweight champion. Instead, after a first-round submission of Top 5 contender Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250, “Funk Master” must wait on the winner of the title tilt between Petr Yan and Jose Aldo, which is expected to go down later this summer. Sterling, with five consecutive 135-pound triumphs under his belt, will be a formidable foe for the winner.4. Petr Yan (15-1) [4]
After a competitive opening 15 minutes, Yan imposed his will down the stretch against Jose Aldo at UFC 251, forcing a stoppage behind a brutal barrage of ground-and-pound in the fifth frame. The newly-crowned batamweight king has won his first six UFC appearances in increasingly impressive fashion. A title defense against Aljamain Sterling likely awaits.5. Cory Sandhagen (12-2) [5]
Sandhagen’s rangy offensive arsenal propelled him to triumphs in his first five Octagon appearances, but he had no answers for the grappling of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250, where he tapped to a rear-naked choke in the opening stanza. While Sandhagen likely missed out on a future title shot, the Elevation Fight Team representative is just 28 years old and already boasts victories over John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao on his resume. Sandhagen will next square off against former title challenger Marlon Moraes on Oct. 10.6. Pedro Munhoz (18-4, 1 NC) [6]
Munhoz had a three-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 238, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Aljamain Sterling. A victory in that bout would have put “The Young Punisher” near the top of the list of bantamweight contenders, but the 33-year-old has nonetheless been one of the top performers in the division in recent years, posting an 7-2 record since 2016 that includes triumphs over Cody Garbrandt, Bryan Caraway and Rob Font. Munhoz will welcome Frankie Edgar to the bantamweight division on Aug. 22.7.Cody Garbrandt (12-3) [7]
Garbrandt appears to be rejuvenated following a second-round knockout of Raphael Assuncao in the UFC co-main event on June 6. Not only did Garbrandt’s vicious right-hook finish likely end up on a lot of year-end KO lists, but it halted a three-bout skid in which “No Love” repeatedly fell victim to his brawling tendencies. Rather than continuing to climb the ladder at 135 pounds, Garbrandt will drop to flyweight for an immediate title shot against newly-crowned champ Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255.8. Raphael Assuncao (27-8) [8]
Assuncao took the bait and paid dearly against Cody Garbrandt, falling victim to a brutal right hook counter just before the second-round horn in their co-headlining encounter at UFC 250 on June 6. Once the bantamweight division’s most unsung contender, the 37-year-old Brazilian has dropped his last three fights within the Las Vegas-based promotion.9. John Lineker (32-9) [9]
Lineker nearly stopped Muin Gafurov in the opening round at One Championship “Dawn of Valor,” but his opponent proved to be resilient enough to make it to the final bell. Nonetheless, the heavy-handed Brazilian emerged with a unanimous decision triumph in his debut with the Singapore-based promotion. The former UFC competitor has won three of his last four bouts, a streak that could easily be longer were it not for a contentious split decision setback to Corey Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night 150 on April 27.10. Jose Aldo (28-7) [10]
Aldo looked to be on the right track through three rounds against Petr Yan in their bantamweight title clash at UFC 251, but the Russian took over in the championship frames for a fifth-round TKO triumph. Aldo has been competitive in bouts against Yan and Marlon Moraes since dropping to 135 pounds but is still looking for his first victory since dropping down a division.Other Contenders: Jimmie Rivera, Manel Kape, Kai Asakura, Kyoji Horiguchi, Demetrious Johnson.
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