Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

---

Flyweight

1. Henry Cejudo (15-2)

Few fighters have authored a pair of back-to-back triumphs like Cejudo. After edging pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson to claim flyweight gold at UFC 227, the Olympic gold medalist needed just 32 seconds to dispatch reigning bantamweight king T.J. Dillashaw in the UFC Brooklyn headliner to retain his title. Plenty of uncertainty remains regarding the future of the flyweight division in the UFC, but Cejudo made a strong case to keep it around for a while longer. At the least, he seems to have set up a rematch with Dillashaw for the 135-pound belt down the road if he elects not to defend his flyweight crown.

2. Demetrious Johnson (27-3-1)

All good things must come to an end, including Johnson’s record streak of 11 successful flyweight title defenses. “Mighty Mouse” did not go down easily, losing a tension-filled split decision to Henry Cejudo in the UFC 227 co-main event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. With that, Johnson’s run in the UFC has reached its end, as the promotion “traded” the pound-for-pound stalwart’s contract for that of former One Championship and Bellator welterweight titlist Ben Askren. Johnson is scheduled to take part in One’s upcoming 125-pound grand prix tournament, beginning with a matchup against Yuya Wakamatsu on March 31.

3. Kyoji Horiguchi (26-2)

Horiguchi was stymied by the wrestling of Darrion Caldwell for the better part of two rounds at Rizin 14, but the former UFC flyweight title challenger rallied to submit the reigning Bellator titlist with a guillotine choke in the third frame. Horiguchi’s 11th straight triumph earned him Rizin’s inaugural bantamweight crown and continued to cement his place among the world’s top lighter weight competitors. With Rizin and Bellator planning to collaborate on additional cross-promotional ventures in the future, more interesting matchups could be on the horizon for the Japanese standout Up next will be a showdown with former UFC competitor Ben Nguyen at Rizin 15 on April 21.

4. Joseph Benavidez (27-5)

It was more competitive than their first meeting, but Benavidez nonetheless improved to 2-0 against Dustin Ortiz with a hard-fought decision victory at UFC Brooklyn. The Las Cruces, N.M., native came up short in two title bouts against Demetrious Johnson, but he’s won eight of nine Octagon appearances since that second setback — including a win over current champion Henry Cejudo. If the flyweight division remains, Benavidez looks like a No. 1 contender once again.

5. Ray Borg (11-3)

It has been a year of misfortune for Borg, who has yet to log an Octagon appearance after being submitted by Demetrious Johnson in a flyweight title bout at UFC 216 in October 2017. The Jackson-Wink MMA representative had four separate bouts fall through in 2018 for various reasons. Most recently, Borg withdrew from a proposed clash against Joseph Benavidez at UFC Fight Night 139 due to medical issues.

6. Jussier da Silva (22-5)

It was far from a crowd pleaser, but that matters little to Jussier da Silva, who won his third straight bout with a decision over Sergio Pettis at UFC 229. Once regarded as the top flyweight in the world upon entering the UFC, “Formiga” is getting closer and closer to the top of the division. Next up: da Silva will lock horns will Brazilian countryman Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Nashville on March 23.

7. Sergio Pettis (17-5)

Amid rumors of the flyweight division’s eventual demise in the UFC, Pettis announced his intention to return to bantamweight, where he competed during his first four Octagon appearances. The early returns weren’t promising, as the Roufusport product dropped a clear-cut unanimous verdict to Rob Font at UFC on Fox 31. Following what appeared to be a breakthrough win over Joseph Benavidez at UFC 225, the 25-year-old Pettis has lost two straight.

8. Deiveson Figueiredo (15-0)

Now that Demetrious Johnson’s lengthy reign atop the division is over, Figueiredo currently owns the UFC’s longest winning streak at 125 pounds. The 30-year-old Brazilian earned his most significant victory to date at UFC Fight Night 135, where he stopped former title challenger John Moraga via second-round technical knockout. Not only did Figueiredo end Moraga’s three-fight winning streak, but he instantly became a person of interest in the weight class. Figueiredo will attempt to build on that momentum against Jussier da Silva at UFC Nashville on March 23.

9. John Moraga (18-7)

Moraga had a three-fight winning streak snapped at UFC Fight Night 135 in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he ran into unbeaten Brazilian Deiveson Figueiredo. While “Chicano John” rocked his counterpart early, Figueiredo gradually took control down the stretch, ultimately earning a stoppage via second-round technical knockout. At the very least, the battle-tested Moraga figures to be a tough gatekeeper for the division as his career progresses.

10. Dustin Ortiz (19-8)

While he was certainly improved, Ortiz still couldn’t get the best of Joseph Benavidez in their rematch at UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn, N.Y. The 30-year-old Combat Sports Academy was competitive in all aspects of the fight, but ultimately lost a narrow unanimous decision. Ortiz saw a three-bout winning streak come to an end, but he remains a difficult test for virtually anyone at 125 pounds.

Other Contenders: Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Moreno, Wilson Reis, Hiromasa Ogikubo, Rogerio Bontorin.

Continue Reading » Women’s Featherweight