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Bantamweight
1. Aljamain Sterling (21-3) [1]
Sterling removed the asterisk from his championship reign at UFC 273, as he relied on his wrestling and grappling to capture a hard-fought split decision triumph against Petr Yan in the evening’s co-main event at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on April 9. The victory helps eliminate some of the bad taste of the disqualification victory that initially allowed “Funk Master” to claim 135-pound gold at UFC 259 in March 2021 and allows Sterling to put his rivalry with Yan in the rearview mirror — at least for now. Sterling will carry a seven-bout winning streak into his next assignment, which very well could be a showdown with former title holder T.J. Dillashaw.2. Petr Yan (16-3) [2]
Yan elected to face Sterling on his terms in the UFC 273 co-main event, and while the Russian’s takedown defense proved to be stout, the “Funk Master” exposed just enough cracks to capture a closely-contested split decision triumph in their rematch. After initially relinquishing the 135-pound strap to Sterling due to an ill-advised illegal knee in a fight he was winning at UFC 259, Yan disputed the final scorecards in the second meeting with his rival. While some certainly thought Yan deserved the nod, the Russian may have to wait for his next title shot, because UFC president Dana White said an immediate trilogy is not in the cards.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 was undoubtedly an interested observer of the bantamweight title rematch at UFC 273, and he could be next in line to challenge for 135-pound gold once again.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. Jose Aldo (31-7) [5]
Even as he enters the twilight of his career, Aldo remains a viable contender in the UFC’s bantamweight division. The Nova Uniao standout proved that once again in the UFC on ESPN 31 headliner, where he blended power punching with opportunistic grappling to capture a unanimous verdict over surging contender Rob Font. After dropping his first two bantamweight appearances — including a title bout against Petr Yan — Aldo has won three consecutive outings at 135 pounds.6. Rob Font (19-5) [6]
Font had a chance to make serious headway in the bantamweight division at UFC on ESPN 31, but he ultimately came up short in a unanimous decision loss to former featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the evening’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While Font landed with superior volume, his Brazilian opponent connected with the bout’s most meaningful strikes, flooring the Boston native on two occasions. As a result, Font sees a four-bout UFC winning streak come to an end. Font will return against Marlon Vera in a main event clash at UFC on ESPN 35 on April 30.7. Merab Dvalishvili (14-4) [7]
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. 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.8. Marlon Vera (18-7-1) [8]
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). Vera will get a marquee matchup next, when he faces Rob Font in the UFC on ESPN 35 main event.9. Sergio Pettis (22-5) [9]
Pettis snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a spectacular fourth-round spinning backfist knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi to retain his bantamweight crown in the Bellator 272 headliner at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Dec. 3. Pettis has won his last five fights — including four straight under the Bellator banner at 135 pounds. Pettis was supposed to take part in the promotion’s 135-pound grand prix, but an injury forced him to withdraw from an opening round matchup with Raufeon Stots at Bellator 279. He’ll likely await the winner of the tournament, who will be crowned interim champ, at a future event.10. Yadong Song (19-6-1, 1 NC) [10]
Song earned a statement victory in the UFC Fight Night 203 co-main event, knocking out former World Series of Fighting champ Marlon Moraes in the evening’s co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 24-year-old Team Alpha Male product has won three straight bouts and has lost just one of 10 promotional appearances overall. Another ranked opponent should be in store for the “Kung Fu Monkey.”Other Contenders: Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar, Pedro Munhoz, Kyoji Horiguchi, Ricky Simon.
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