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)
After spending the better part of a year on the sidelines recovering from ACL surgery, Benavidez will make his Octagon return against Sergio Pettis at UFC 225 in Chicago. Benavidez, a two-time flyweight title challenger, has won six straight fights since his most recent loss to reigning champ Demetrious Johnson. A victory over Pettis could make it hard to deny Benavidez his third championship opportunity.3. Henry Cejudo (13-2)
Back-to-back losses to champ Demetrious Johnson and perpetual top challenger Joseph Benavidez have not hampered Cejudo. “The Messenger” bounced back from his first two career defeats in style in 2017, clobbering Wilson Reis in September and then dominating Sergio Pettis on the floor on Dec. 2 to nab consecutive top-10 wins and reassert himself in the UFC 125-pound title picture.4. Kyoji Horiguchi (23-2)
Horiguchi is unquestionably one of the finest flyweights in the world, but lest you forget he began his career as a Shooto 132-pound world champion, the Japanese standout was made the focal point of Rizin’s bantamweight grand prix. During the New Year’s season, in the span of 48 hours, Horiguchi demolished three solid opponents. The only man to defeat the two-division standout over his last 18 bouts is Demetrious Johnson, the best fighter in the sport. Horiguchi will return to action against fellow UFC veteran Ian McCall in a 134-pound contest at Rizin Fighting Federation 10 on May 6.5. Ray Borg (11-3)
Borg was hoping to erase the memory of being on the wrong end of 2017’s “Submission of the Year” in a title bout defeat against Demetrious Johnson, but with one destructive act, Conor McGregor erased that opportunity. Originally booked to face Brandon Moreno on April 7 in Brooklyn, New York, Borg was pulled from the UFC 223 card after glass shards from McGregor’s infamous dolly throw landed in his eye while he was being transported on a fighter bus. Fortunately, Borg and Moreno have been rebooked for UFC Fight Night 129 in Chile on May 19.6. Jussier da Silva (21-5)
“Formiga” showcased a different aspect to his game at UFC 221, where he walloped 125-pound prospect Ben Nguyen with a perfectly timed spinning backfist before locking in his signature rear-naked choke at the 1:43 mark of the third round. The 32-year-old Brazilian has won three of his last four inside the Octagon, and with a dearth of new challengers in the division, he could be on the verge of a title shot. Da Silva believes he is ready now: He called for UFC President Dana White to “give me my shot” at flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson after his latest victory.7. Sergio Pettis (16-3)
Pettis could not cope with the wrestling of Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo at UFC 218 on Dec. 2 and lost a unanimous verdict, bringing an end to his four-fight winning streak. Things will not get any easier for the Roufusport product in his next outing, as he has been booked to face two-time title challenger Joseph Benavidez at UFC 225 on June 9 in Chicago.8. John Moraga (18-6)
Native Arizonan “Chicano” John earned a hard-fought victory on home soil over former fellow title challenger Wilson Reis at UFC on Fox 29, giving him three consecutive victories at 125 pounds. In addition to Reis, Moraga owns an impressive first-round KO of prospect Magomed Bibulatov during his current run, and he could be inching his way back to title contention after initially challenging for flyweight gold in just his third Octagon appearance in July 2013.9. Brandon Moreno (14-4)
Moreno may have lost a one-sided 25-minute decision to Sergio Pettis in Mexico in August 2017, but “The Assassin Baby” really dodged a bullet after the contest when he was found faultless in his positive test for clenbuterol. However, Moreno’s scheduled bout at UFC 223 against former title challenger Ray Borg was scrapped after Conor McGregor’s attack on a fighter bus shattered a window and sent glass shards into Borg’s eye, rendering him unable to compete. The bout vs. Borg has been rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 129 in Chile on May 19.10. Wilson Reis (22-8)
After working his way to a title shot in April 2017, Reis has faltered against the division’s toughest competition. Those struggles continued against John Moraga at UFC on Fox 29, as the 33-year-old Brazilian dropped a unanimous verdict to the Arizona native, giving him three consecutive defeats in the Octagon.Other Contenders: Magomed Bibulatov, Tim Elliott, Ben Nguyen, Hiromasa Ogikubo, Dustin Ortiz.
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