Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (27-2-1)
If you are going to break one of Anderson Silva’s marks, you ought to do it in style. This certainly was not lost on Johnson at UFC 216. In a title defense the world knew he would win, “Mighty Mouse” dominated challenger Ray Borg before hitting a breathtaking slam-into-armbar sequence that should earn him “Submission of the Year” honors, to boot. With the victory, Johnson earned his 11th straight UFC title defense, surpassing “The Spider’s” record of 10.2. 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 and has yet to establish a timetable for his return.3. Henry Cejudo (11-2)
A last-minute hand injury knocked Cejudo out of his scheduled UFC 211 fight with Sergio Pettis in May. He went on to record the most dominant win of his career over Wilson Reis four months later at UFC 215 and was once again scheduled to face Pettis at UFC 218 on Dec. 2; and he was not about to let that opportunity slip away. Despite losing his Olympic gold medal and burning his right foot during his escape from the Northern California wildfires, “The Messenger” has elected to stay on the docket. Beating Pettis could put Cejudo right back in the UFC flyweight title hunt despite his relatively recent and one-sided loss to Demetrious Johnson.4. Kyoji Horiguchi (20-2)
Horiguchi dominated Yuki Motoya in April and three months later blew up Hideo Tokoro in less than two minutes to get Rizin Fighting Federation’s bantamweight tournament started. Despite being the focal point of the grand prix, the former Shooto 132-pound champion is the only fighter left in the bracket without an opponent; Horiguchi now awaits Rizin’s decision on who to drop into the final “wild card” spot. Though it should be 10-0 Brazilian Gabriel Leite de Oliveira -- he kneed Tatsuya Kawajiri unconscious in what was billed as a Rizin wild card eliminator -- Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara said the promotion was still considering fighters from Bellator MMA and the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts to potentially face Horiguchi in the quarterfinals on Dec. 29.5. Ray Borg (11-3)
After illness postponed his title fight at UFC 215 in September, Borg finally got his date in UFC championship court at UFC 216 on Oct. 7. Unfortunately for him, his opponent -- his judge, jury and executioner -- was Demetrious Johnson, who predictably took apart Borg for four rounds before ensnaring him in a mind-blowing finishing sequence that saw him slam “The Tazmexican Devil” from the rear waistlock and armbar him before he even hit the mat. Fortunately for Borg, he is only 24 years old and just scratching the surface of his talent. “Mighty Mouse” will not be around forever.6. Jussier da Silva (20-5)
“Formiga” is the longest tenured top-10 flyweight in the game, and it is hard to fathom that in a five-year UFC career he has not been one of the 10 men to face Demetrious Johnson for the 125-pound title. Nonetheless, the Brazilian standout was undeterred by his loss to Ray Borg earlier this year, returning at UFC Fight Night 117 in Saitama, Japan. There, he ran right over talented grappler Yuta Sasaki, choking him out in the first round with his patented back-control skills.7. Wilson Reis (22-8)
Reis is a sturdy veteran and a legitimate top-10 flyweight, but his last two Octagon appearances have been nightmarish. In his April UFC title challenge against Demetrious Johnson, “Mighty Mouse” toyed with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt before effortlessly armbarring him in the third round. Hoping to get back in the title race at UFC 215, Reis ran into an invigorated Henry Cejudo, who pelted him for six minutes before stopping him. Reis is now 3-3 in his last six bouts.8. Sergio Pettis (16-2)
Pettis was set to take on Olympic gold medalist and former flyweight title challenger Henry Cejudo at UFC 211 in May. However, just days before the contest, Cejudo pulled out due to a hand injury. Three months later, “The Phenom” earned his fourth straight win in style, cooling of red-hot Mexican prospect Brandon Moreno in Mexico City. As a result, Pettis has gotten himself rebooked against Cejudo at UFC 218 on Dec. 2.9. Brandon Moreno (14-4)
Moreno was the No. 16 seed in the tournament on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 24 and was choked out by Alexandre Pantoja in the opening round. Moreno made his official UFC debut in October and began a shocking hot streak, as he knocked off Louis Smolka, Ryan Benoit and Dustin Ortiz in a seventh-month span. In front of a partisan Mexican crowd on Aug. 6, however, Moreno was brought back to Earth by fellow up-and-comer Sergio Pettis, who used technique and fitness to best “The Assassin Baby” over 25 minutes.10. John Moraga (18-6)
Moraga put an end to a dismal three-fight losing streak in June, earning a unanimous decision over little-known Ashkan Mokhtarian. His subsequent bout seemed to cast “Chicano John” as the showcase and springboard opponent for undefeated Chechen Magomed Bibulatov, who entered their UFC 216 clash as a -600 favorite. Instead, Moraga came out swinging early and blew away Bibulatov with a devastating left hook, handing him the first loss of his career and claiming perhaps his biggest victory to date.Other Contenders: Magomed Bibulatov, Tim Elliott, Ben Nguyen, Hiromasa Ogikubo, Dustin Ortiz.
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