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Bantamweight
1. Sean O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) UFC [1]
O’Malley avenged his lone career defeat in the UFC 299 headliner, putting on a striking masterclass for five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph against Marlon Vera. “Suga” is unbeaten in his last seven Octagon appearances, and a challenging title defense looms against top contender Merab Dvalishvili. However, if O’Malley gets his way, his next assignment will be a crack at two-division dominance against Ilia Topuria in Spain.2. Aljamain Sterling (24-4) | UFC [2]
While it wasn’t the most thrilling performance, Sterling enjoyed a successful featherweight debut, as he stifled Calvin Kattar with grappling and control en route to a clear-cut decision triumph at UFC 300. The former bantamweight king looked strong in his new division, but he’ll likely need a more impressive effort before he can be considered a serious contender at 145 pounds.3. Merab Dvalishvili (17-4) | UFC [3]
Dvalishvili extended his winning streak to 10 at UFC 298, as he pulled away over the final 10 minutes for a unanimous decision triumph against Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. “The Machine” would seem to be the obvious No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, and with his blend of relentless cardio and wrestling, Dvalishvili figures to be a nightmare matchup for reigning champ Sean O’Malley.4. Patrick Mix (19-1) | Bellator [4]
Mix continued to build his case as the world’s best bantamweight at Bellator 301, where he used his grappling to overwhelm Sergio Pettis and unify the 135-pound belt with a second-round submission victory. “Patchy” has won six consecutive outings since falling to Juan Archuleta in a bantamweight title bout at Bellator 246 in September 2020. He’ll make his next title defense in a rematch with Magomed Magomedov at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17.5. Petr Yan (17-5) | UFC [5]
Yan shook off a slow start to outduel Yadong Song over the final 10 minutes to win a unanimous decision in their featured clash at UFC 299 in Miami on March 9. With the victory. the former bantamweight champion snaps a three-fight skid and re-establishes himself as one of the top talents in the UFC at 135 pounds. “No Mercy” should be in line for another marquee matchup for his next Octagon appearance.6. Henry Cejudo (16-4) | UFC [6]
Cejudo started well against Merab Dvalishvili, but he couldn’t hold up against his opponent’s relentless pressure, losing a unanimous decision at UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. Cejudo is 0-2 in the Octagon since ending a three-year retirement this past May, and prior to his most recent outing he claimed he would call it a career again if he were to lose to Dvalishvili.7. Cory Sandhagen (17-4) | UFC [7]
After a scheduled clash with rising star Umar Nurmagomedov fell through, Sandhagen took out his frustrations on Rob Font, using takedowns and top control to cruise to a clear-cut five-round verdict in the UFC on ESPN 50 headliner in Nashville. Since the bout was contested at a 140-pound catchweight, it doesn’t affect Sandhagen’s place in these rankings. However, the UFC tends to approach things differently, and with a three-fight winning streak over Font, Marlon Vera and Yadong Song, “Sandman” appears to be sitting pretty in the bantamweight division.8. Sergio Pettis (23-6) Bellator [8]
While Pettis looked impressive in outstriking Patricio Freire upon his return from knee surgery this past June, “The Phenom” was out of his depth against the grappling of Patrick Mix in their title unification bout at Bellator 301, as he fell victim to a rear-naked choke 1:51 into Round 2 of their co-main event bout. That snapped a six-bout winning streak for the UFC veteran, who had bested the likes of Freire, Kyoji Horiguchi and Juan Archuleta during that period. A rematch with Horiguchi is on tap for Rizin 47 in June.9. Jose Aldo (32-8) UFC [9]
In his first fight since August 2022, Aldo looked quite sharp, as he ended Jonathan Martinez’s six-bout winning streak with a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC 301 co-main event. At 37 years old, Aldo seems more than capable of competing at a high level — it’s just a matter of where, since that marked the final bout on his existing UFC deal. The former featherweight king is 4-1 in his last five UFC appearances at bantamweight, so he still has plenty of options if he elects to remain in the Las Vegas-based promotion.10. Marlon Vera (23-9-1) | UFC [10]
Vera showcased tremendous durability in the UFC 299 headliner, but he was unable to match the overall striking arsenal of Sean O’Mally in a lopsided five-round decision defeat at the Kaseya Center in Miami on March 9. “Chito,” who previously bested O’Malley in an August 2020 bout, received the title shot based largely on that history, but he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Still, Vera figures to remain a dangerous opponent for many would-be contenders in the UFC’s bantamweight division.Other Contenders: Yadong Song, Deiveson Figueiredo, Raufeon Stots, Umar Nurmagomedov, Rob Font.
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