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Flyweight
1. Henry Cejudo (16-2)
After a shaky first round, Cejudo turned up the heat on Marlon Moraes in the UFC 238 main event, winning via third-round technical knockout to become the fourth simultaneous two-division champion in the history of the Las Vegas-based promotion. It’s difficult to deny the Olympic gold medalist as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best given recent wins over Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw and Moraes. “The Messenger” plans on defending on both his flyweight and bantamweight belts – and he even has designs on making an eventual move to 145 pounds. All those plans will likely have to wait until 2020 as Cejudo recovers from shoulder surgery.2. Demetrious Johnson (28-3-1)
Johnson kicked off his One Championship tenure with a second-round guillotine choke submission of Yuya Wakamatsu in the opening round of the promotion’s flyweight grand prix. “Mighty Mouse” survived a game effort from his unheralded opponent before locking in a power guillotine choke at the 2:40 mark of the second round at One “A New Era” on March 31. A closely contested split-decision setback against Henry Cejudo in his final UFC appearance is Johnson’s only loss since 2011. The AMC Pankration product will look to continue his run through the bracket when he locks horns with Tatsumitsu Wada at One “Dawn of Heroes” on Aug. 2.3. 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. Another rematch looms for Benavidez, as he will meet Jussier da Silva at UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis on June 29.4. Jussier da Silva (23-5)
Da Silva continues to make a strong case for a title shot, but that’s only if the division remains active in the UFC as 2019 moves forward. “Formiga” relied on his superior grappling to hand Deiveson Figueiredo his first defeat in 16 career appearances, winning their 125-pound encounter via unanimous decision at UFC Nashville. The 33-year-old Brazilian has now won four straight in the Octagon, adding Figueiredo to a streak that also includes Sergio Pettis, Ben Nguyen and Yuta Sasaki. Da Silva will look to avenge a previous loss when he rematches Joseph Benavidez at UFC on ESPN 3 on June 29.5. 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. Pettis was forced to pull out of a proposed 135-pound clash against Ricardo Ramos at UFC on ESPN 3 due to injury.6. Deiveson Figueiredo (15-1)
Figueiredo tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career at UFC Nashville, as he was unable to thwart the grappling of Jussier da Silva in losing a unanimous decision. The 31-year-old Brazilian kicked off his promotional tenure with four straight triumphs, including back-to-back TKOs of Joseph Morales and John Moraga. Next, Figueiredo will lock horns with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 240.7. 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.8. 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. Ortiz completed his UFC contract in Brooklyn and could be competing elsewhere if he chooses to continue fighting at flyweight.9. Alexandre Pantoja (21-3)
In a division where much of the talent is either leaving the UFC or moving up a weight class, Pantoja stands out as a star to watch at 125 pounds. “The Cannibal” notched his third consecutive victory at UFC 236, defeating former flyweight title challenger Wilson Reis via technical knockout 2:58 into the opening round. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion has won five of his six Octagon appearances overall and has a showdown with Deiveson Figueiredo lined up for his next bout at UFC 240.10.Jordan Espinosa (14-5)
After needing a pair of victories on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender series to earn a UFC contract, Espinosa was successful in his Octagon debut, taking a clear-cut unanimous decision over Eric Shelton at UFC Nashville in March. The Luttrell-Yee MMA product has won five bouts in a row and has lost just once in his last 12 professional appearances dating back to July 2014. Espinosa will look to continue his momentum when he faces Matt Schnell at UFC on ESPN 5.Other Contenders: Rogerio Bontorin, Brandon Moreno, Ali Bagautinov, Kai Kara-France, Askar Askarov.
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