Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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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” has been on the shelf since besting Moraes as he recovers from shoulder surgery. However, it appears flyweight is no longer in his plans, as he relinquished the 125-pound belt in late December..

2. Joseph Benavidez (28-5)

If such a thing still exists in the UFC, it appears that Benavidez is once again the No. 1 contender in the flyweight division. The 34-year-old won his third straight — and ninth out of 10 overall — at UFC on ESPN 3, where he improved to 2-0 against Jussier da Silva with a second-round technical knockout victory. After reigning flyweight king Henry Cejudo elected to relinquish his belt, Benavidez was tabbed to face Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant title in the UFC Norfolk headliner on Feb 29.

3. Jussier da Silva (23-6)

By losing to Joseph Benavidez for a second time, “Formiga” may have seen his last best chance at flyweight title contention slip through his fingers. The 34-year-old Brazilian’s second-round TKO defeat to Benavidez at UFC Minneapolis snapped a four-bout winning streak for da Silva. He remains one of the top flyweights in the world, but a climb to a long-desired title shot could prove extremely difficult now.

4. Sergio Pettis (18-5)

A versatile standup attack propelled Pettis to a relatively easy decision victory over replacement foe Tyson Nam at UFC Fight Night 159 in Mexico City on Sept. 21. That triumph halted a two-bout skid for the Roufusport product and marked his return to flyweight after a one-bout stint at 135 pounds. Pettis was expected to meet Kai Kara-France at UFC 245, but he instead left the Las Vegas-based promotion to sign with Bellator MMA, where he will compete at 135 pounds due to the lack of a flyweight division. His promotional debut will come against Alfred Khashakyan at Bellator 238.

5. Deiveson Figueiredo (17-1)

Figueiredo experienced some difficulty in the early going with Tim Elliott’s unorthodox striking at UFC Fight Night 161, but once his opponent shot for a takedown, the Brazilian was able to secure a fight-ending guillotine choke in the opening stanza. The Brazilian has won two in a row since losing to Jussier Formiga in March and is 6-1 overall in UFC competition. The Marajo Brothers Team member will vie for the vacant flyweight crown against Joseph Benavidez at UFC Norfolk after reigning champ Henry Cejudo chose to relinquish his belt.

6. 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.

7. Alexandre Pantoja (22-4)

Pantoja displayed some impressive power at UFC Fight Night 165, finishing “The Ultimate Fighter 24” cast mate Matt Schnell via knockout in the opening frame of their clash in Busan, South Korea. The Brazilian, who has won six of his eight Octagon appearances, is tied for fourth in UFC flyweight history with four finishes. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champ also owns notable wins over the likes of Wilson Reis and Brandon Morena within the Las Vegas-based promotion and figures to be a talent to watch in the coming year.

8. Rogerio Bontorin (16-1)

After earning his way into the UFC with a submission of Gustavo Gabriel Silva on the Brazilian Contender Series, Bontorin has garnered back-to-back victories over Magomed Bibulatov and Raulian Paiva to establish himself as a person of interest at 125 pounds in the Las Vegas-based promotion. Just 27 years old, the Brazilian has finished 11 of his career triumphs as a professional by way of submission. Bontorin will take on former flyweight title challenger Ray Borg at UFC Fight Night in Rio Rancho, N.M., on Feb. 15.

9. Matt Schnell (14-5)

Schnell didn’t hesitate to trade punches during a frenetic duel with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC Fight Night 165 in Busan, South Korea. While “Danger” certainly landed his share — and even buckled his opponent on one occasion — he ultimately succumbed to a counter right hand to lose by knockout in the opening stanza. The defeat halted a four-bout winning streak for the American Top representative, who was coming off consecutive submission wins over Jordan Espinosa and Louis Smolka.

10. Jordan Espinosa (14-6, 1 NC)

Espinosa saw a five-fight winning streak come to an end at UFC on ESPN 5 in August, when he was submitted by a triangle choke from Matt Schnell in the opening round. The 29-year-old Lutrell-Yee MMA product debuted in the Octagon with a decision victory over Eric Shelton at UFC Nashville in August after needing a pair of victories on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his way into the Las Vegas-based promotion. Espinosa will return to action against Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 166 in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 25.

Other Contenders: Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France, Askar Askarov, Alex Perez, Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

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