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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 (16-2) [2]
Yan put together a masterful performance at UFC 267, going toe-to-toe with Cory Sandhagen for five rounds at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 30. Ultimately, it was “No Mercy” who landed the harder shots to claim the interim bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision triumph. The victory goes a long way toward erasing the bad taste of a disqualification loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259 for Yan, who has been victorious in eight of nine promotional appearances. A title unification bout with Sterling should be on the horizon once “The Funk Master” is fully recovered from neck surgery.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. Dillashaw could be an interesting alternative for newly-crowned interim champ Petr Yan if Aljamain Sterling is slow to recover from the neck surgery that has forced him out of one scheduled title rematch with Yan and led to the creation of an interim belt at UFC 267.4. Cory Sandhagen (14-4) [4]
Sandhagen started well against Petr Yan in their interim title clash at UFC 267, but ultimately his volume-based attack wasn’t enough to get the nod against the Russian’s more emphatic power in a five-round decision defeat at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 30. Sandhagen can be competitive against virtually anyone in the division, but after back-to-back close decision defeats against Yan and T.J. Dillashaw, the Elevation Fight Team product will have to put a few victories together before he can be considered for another championship opportunity.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 meet Jose Aldo on Dec. 4.6. Merab Dvalishvili (14-4) [6]
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) [7]
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) [8]
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. He’ll attempt to continue that momentum when he faces Rob Font on Dec. 4.9. Marlon Vera (18-7-1) [9]
Vera earned the most significant victory of his career to date, as he knocked out former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar with a front kick in the third round of their bout at UFC 268 in New York. The Ecuador native has won three of his last four outings within the Las Vegas-based promotion. During a quietly successful UFC tenure, “Chito” is among the organization’s all-time leaders in wins (10) and finishes (nine).10. Frankie Edgar (24-10-1) [10]
Edgar was his typically game self at UFC 268, but he ultimately fell victim to a beautifully-placed front kick in a third-round knockout loss to Marlon Vera at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 6. The 40-year-old Toms River, N.J., native has lost four of his last five in the UFC — including back-to-back setbacks at 135 pounds — with three of those defeats coming by way of brutal KO or TKO.Other Contenders: Pedro Munhoz, Cody Garbrandt, Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera, Kyoji Horiguchi.
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