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Bantamweight
1. Aljamain Sterling (20-3) [1]
Sterling became the seventh bantamweight champion in promotion history at UFC 259, but it wasn’t a satisfying victory for “The Funk Master.” After three competitive rounds, Sterling was rendered unable to continue in the fourth frame when Petr Yan landed an illegal knee. Sterling’s reaction in the aftermath said it all, as he dropped the belt on the Octagon floor before the leaving the cage. A rematch with Yan was set for UFC 267 on Oct. 30, but lingering issues after undergoing neck surgery forced Sterling to withdraw from the bout.2. Petr Yan (15-2) [2]
Though the early rounds were competitive, Yan appeared to be on his way to taking control of his bantamweight title defense against Aljamain Sterling. That all changed in Round 4, when Yan landed an illegal knee that left his opponent writhing on the mat in agony. With Sterling unable to continue, the bout was declared a disqualification and Yan was forced to relinquish the bout. The Russian was supposed to get his chance to avenge that defeat against Sterling in a rematch at UFC 267, but lingering neck issues forced “The Funk Master” to withdraw from the title bout.3. T.J. Dillashaw (17-4) [3]
After his disastrous attempt in 2019 to move down to flyweight and become a two-division champion, followed by a two-year suspension for banned performance enhancer EPO, Dillashaw returned at UFC on ESPN 27 on July 24. The 35-year-old former bantamweight champ took a narrow split decision over Cory Sandhagen, serving notice that he is an immediate factor in the title picture of the division he once ruled. In the wake of his successful comeback fight, Dillashaw called out the winner of the Aljamain Sterling-Petr Yan title rematch currently set for Oct. 30, but acknowledged his willingness to fight another contender in the meantime.4. Cory Sandhagen (14-3) [4]
Sandhagen welcomed T.J. Dillashaw back from USADA-imposed exile in the main event of UFC on ESPN 27 on July 24 and ended up on the wrong end of a razor-thin split decision. The setback snaps a two-fight winning streak of highlight-reel knockouts for the lanky Coloradan. Nonetheless, the “Sandman” loses little, if any standing after such a solid showing in his first five-round fight. Still just 29 and sporting a 7-2 record with losses only to current champ Aljamain Sterling and two-time former champ Dillashaw, Sandhagen looks primed to remain a fixture in the UFC bantamweight title picture for a while.5. Rob Font (19-4) [5]
Font was masterful in the UFC Fight Night 188 headliner, where he kept former bantamweight title holder Cody Garbrandt on his heels with a brilliant striking performance to capture a unanimous decision victory at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on May 22. Font is in the midst of the best stretch of his career, with a four-bout promotional winning streak that also includes triumphs over Sergio Pettis, Marlon Moraes and Ricky Simon. The Boston native will be an interested observer when Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan rematch for the bantamweight crown.6. Merab Dvalishvili (14-4) [NR]
Dvalishvili was reeling in the opening round of his clash with Marlon Moraes at UFC 266, but “The Machine” rallied from the brink of defeat to author what turned into a dominant second-round technical knockout victory at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 25. That makes six consecutive victories for the Serra-Longo Fight Team representative, who looks like a nightmare matchup for much of the bantamweight division thanks to his relentless pace and wrestling.7. Marlon Moraes (23-9-1) [6]
For a few minutes, Moraes looked poised to end a two-bout losing streak at UFC 266, as he dropped and nearly finished Merab Dvalishvili in their matchup at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 25. However, once Dvalishvili recovered, he was able to impose his will through takedowns and brutal ground-and-pound en route to a second-round TKO stoppage. The former World Series of Fighting champion has lost four of his last five Octagon appearances, albeit against top-notch competition: Dvalishvili, Rob Font, Cory Sandhagen and Henry Cejudo.8. Jose Aldo (30-7) [7]
Even in 2021, Jose Aldo remains a formidable competitor in the Octagon. The Nova Uniao standout showcased impressive boxing against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265, mixing in punches to the head and body en route to a clean sweep of the scorecards at the Toyota Center in Houston on Aug. 7. After coming up short in his first two fights at 135 pounds, the former featherweight king has scored back-to-back triumphs over Munhoz and Marlon Vera.9. Frankie Edgar (24-9-1) [8]
Edgar’s bantamweight foray had a promising beginning, as he took a split decision triumph over Pedro Munhoz in the UFC on ESPN 15 main event. However, the narrative shifted in his second 135-pound appearance, when he suffered a flying knee KO loss to Cory Sandhagen in the UFC Fight Night 184 co-main event. The 39-year-old former lightweight champion has now suffered three knockout losses in his last six UFC appearances. Next, Edgar will meet Marlon Vera at UFC 268 in New York.10. Pedro Munhoz (19-6, 1 NC) [9]
Munhoz was competitive throughout his UFC 265 showdown against Jose Aldo, but ultimately came up short in a unanimous decision loss to the former featherweight champion at the Toyota Center in Houston on Aug. 7. Munhoz has now lost three of his last four Octagon appearances — all against top competition in Aldo, Frankie Edgar and Aljamain Sterling.Other Contenders: Cody Garbrandt, Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera, Kyoji Horiguchi, Adriano Moraes.
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