Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (25-2-1)
In spite of criticisms of “The Ultimate Fighter 24” being used to find a contender for perhaps the finest fighter on Earth, season winner Tim Elliott gave Johnson an entertaining fight despite soundly losing the final four rounds. When “Mighty Mouse” heads into his 10th title defense, it will likely be against rival Joseph Benavidez, over whom Johnson owns a pair of wins.2. Joseph Benavidez (25-4)
After he was savagely knocked out in his UFC flyweight title rematch with Demetrious Johnson in December 2013, it seemed unlikely that Benavidez was going to earn a third crack at Johnson and the 125-pound title. After six straight wins over elite flyweights, capped by his split decision against Henry Cejudo at “The Ultimate Fighter 24” Finale, it appears Benavidez will get one final shot to get revenge on “Mighty Mouse” and claim a UFC title in 2017.3. Henry Cejudo (10-2)
Demetrious Johnson blew Cejudo out of the water in less than three minutes at UFC 197 in April. Hoping for a second crack at the 125-pound king, Cejudo coached opposite fellow former Johnson victim Joseph Benavidez on the 24th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” but came up short at the season’s finale, dropping a razor-thin split decision to Benavidez and suffering his second straight loss after starting his career 10-0.4. Jussier da Silva (19-4)
A winner of four of his last five Octagon bouts, da Silva missed out on a quality opportunity at the UFC Fight Night event in Phoenix on Jan. 15, as he pulled out of his bout with Sergio Pettis. “Formiga” was quickly rescheduled and will now take on rising prospect Ray Borg in his native Brazil at the UFC Fight Night 106 bill on March 11 in Fortaleza.5. Kyoji Horiguchi (18-2)
He had to wait a few extra weeks for the fight after a UFC card in the Philippines was canceled, but when Horiguchi got to face fellow former UFC title challenger Ali Bagautinov on Nov. 19 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he was in control for the entire 15 minutes and won a unanimous decision. The 26-year-old former Shooto world champion is now 3-0 since his April 2015 title loss to reigning champion Demetrious Johnson.6. Wilson Reis (21-6)
Reis’ UFC title shot against Demetrious Johnson went out the window when the flyweight champion was injured over the summer. Reis’ path to a UFC title shot now runs through Japanese grappler Yuta Sasaki. They will meet at UFC 208 on Feb. 11 in Brooklyn, New York.7. Dustin Ortiz (16-6)
Headed into UFC 206 in Toronto, Ortiz had lost three of his last four, and so had his opponent, Zach Makovsky. On top of that, they both have similar, scramble-oriented styles. However, in the cage, Ortiz was a step ahead of Makovsky the whole way, used his style more successfully and earned a deserved split decision to buoy himself in the 125-pound division.8. Matheus Nicolau Pereira (12-1-1)
After two quick and impressive wins in the Octagon, Pereira had a prime opportunity to announce his arrival as a UFC flyweight title challenger. Instead, the Brazilian upstart was yanked from his slated Nov. 19 bout with Yuta Sasaki in Sao Paulo, Brazil, due to a potential anti-doping violation which will stick Pereira on the sidelines for the immediate future.9. Magomed Bibulatov (13-0)
Bibulatov's talent is undeniable, but with his strong ties to his homebase of Akhmat MMA -- he is head of security for Chechnya President Ramzan Kadyrov -- and the way his World Series of Fighting tenure seemed to fizzle, it seemed questionable if the undefeated 28-year-old would ever make a jump to the UFC. Well, money certainly is not everything: At the latest Akhmat MMA card on Feb. 4, “Gladiator” and his handlers made a great show of his UFC signing, taking time during their broadcast between fights to literally show Bibulatov signing his deal to move into the Octagon. It is expected that Bibulatov will debut against Jenel Lausa on April 8, when UFC 210 hits Buffalo, New York.10. Sergio Pettis (15-2)
With his family name and youth, the 23-year-old Pettis has long been expected to take on elite status, regardless of which division he chose. However, losses to Alex Caceres at 135 pounds and more recently Ryan Benoit at flyweight have tripped him up along the way. Still, “The Phenom” has now won three straight bouts in the UFC, including victories over former title challengers Chris Cariaso and John Moraga. Other Contenders: Ali Bagautinov, Tim Elliott, Brandon Moreno, Ben Nguyen, Hiromasa OgikuboContinue Reading » Women’s Bantamweight