Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (26-2-1)
Cooler heads have prevailed, at least for now, in the public feud between Johnson and UFC President Dana White. “Mighty Mouse” will get the fight he wanted for his potentially record-setting 11th consecutive UFC title defense, staking his 125-pound crown against Ray Borg at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alberta. Whether the UFC pushes for Johnson to return to 135 pounds after the Borg bout remains to be seen.2. Joseph Benavidez (25-4)
Benavidez has long been one of the healthiest and most reliable fighters in the game, but this is MMA and everybody gets hurt from time to time. Benavidez, who is perpetually orbiting just outside a third UFC flyweight title shot against Demetrious Johnson, was lined up to face Ben Nguyen in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 11. However, Benavidez was forced from the bout with a knee injury, with Tim Elliott stepping in as his replacement.3. Henry Cejudo (10-2)
The scale has been the primary rival of Cejudo throughout his four-plus years in the sport, and when illness related to his weight cut knocked him out of his slated UFC 211 bout with Sergio Pettis, it looked like it might be the end of the Olympic gold medalist as a flyweight. Instead, Cejudo will try to avoid losing his third fight in a row at UFC 215 on Sept. 9 in Edmonton, Alberta, where he takes on fellow former UFC title challenger Wilson Reis.4. Kyoji Horiguchi (19-2)
Horiguchi is unquestionably one of the very best flyweights in the world, but he is going back to his previous weight class in 2017, as he has been cast as one of the stars in the Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight grand prix. The former UFC 125-pound title challenger will get a high-profile outing in the first round of the tournament but not necessarily a difficult one, as he takes on slick-grappling Japanese “Cinderella Man” Hideo Tokoro on July 30.5. Wilson Reis (22-7)
Reis was blown out every which way by UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in April before being armbarred in the third round. With that said, Reis seems to have little use for a tune-up fight in his next outing, as the 32-year-old Brazilian has signed on to tangle with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo at UFC 215 on Sept. 9 in Edmonton, Alberta.6. Ray Borg (11-2)
At just 23 years old, Borg is one of the best young fighters in the UFC at any weight. However, even with his posting five wins in his last six starts -- his run includes strong victories over Louis Smolka and Jussier da Silva -- one has to wonder if he is ready for flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. “The Tazmexican Devil” will get his chance to author an upset for the ages when he challenges Johnson for the 125-pound throne at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alberta, on Sept. 9.7. Brandon Moreno (14-3)
No fighter in the sport has roared to prominence in the last eight months like Moreno. Since upsetting Louis Smolka in his short-notice debut in October, Moreno has added wins over Ryan Benoit and sturdy contender Dustin Ortiz. Now, “The Assassin Baby” is going big time: Barely 10 months removed from his official Octagon debut, Moreno will head back to his home nation, headlining UFC Fight Night 114 against Sergio Pettis in Mexico City.8. Jussier da Silva (19-5)
Da Silva has unquestionably been one of the premier flyweights in the world for the better part of eight years, but during his nearly five-year Octagon tenure, the Brazilian has posted a 5-4 mark. While it may seem pedestrian, “Formiga” has consistently faced the creme de la creme of the division. Next time out, the Nova Uniao Kimura product will look to move his UFC winning percentage up to .600, as he takes on fellow crafty grappler Yuta Sasaki at UFC Fight Night 117 on Sept. 23 in Saitama, Japan.9. Magomed Bibulatov (14-0)
Ahead of his promotional debut at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York, Bibulatov attracted attention and criticism for his strong connections to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. Nonetheless, in his bout against Jenel Lausa, “Gladiator” showed why he is the top 125-pound prospect in the world, soundly winning each round to maintain his undefeated record.10. Dustin Ortiz (16-7)
Ortiz dropped to 2-4 in his last six bouts when he was choked out by fast-rising Mexican underdog Brandon Moreno in April. In order to re-affirm his place as one of the 10 best flyweights in the world, he will have to stave off a challenge from another Mexican prospect, this time in Mexico City, where he faces Hector Sandoval on the UFC Fight Night 114 undercard in August.Other Contenders: Tim Elliott, Tyson Nam, Ben Nguyen, Alexandre Pantoja, Sergio Pettis.
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