Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Flyweight

1. Deiveson Figueiredo (19-1) [1]

With no issues on the scale this time around, Figueiredo claimed the vacant flyweight crown with a first-round submission of Joseph Benavidez in the UFC Fight Night 172 headliner on July 18. Now a dominant 2-0 against the sport’s longtime No. 2 at 125 pounds, Figueiredo looks like a formidable champion. The 32-year-old Brazilian has won eight of his nine Octagon appearances since joining the promotion in 2017. Figueiredo was slated to make his first defense against former 135-pound king Cody Garbrandt at UFC 255, but a torn bicep knocked “No Love” out of the fight. Now, Figueiredo will meet Alex Perez on Nov. 21.

2. Joseph Benavidez (28-7) [2]

Benavidez fell to 0-4 in flyweight title bouts at UFC Fight Night 172, where he suffered a disheartening first-round submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in a rematch on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Benavidez wasn’t competitive in either bout against the Brazilian, and he acknowledged it was likely his last shot at UFC gold. However, he wants to go out on a winning note before calling it a career, so expect to see Benavidez back in the Octagon in the not-too-distant future.

3. Sergio Pettis (20-5) [3]

Pettis earned a future bantamweight title shot at Bellator 242, as he punctuated the California-based promotion’s return from a COVID-19-mandated hiatus with a unanimous verdict over Ricky Bandejas in the evening’s main event at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. “The Phenom” utilized a multi-faceted striking arsenal to keep his opponent off balance, setting up a matchup with the Patrick Mix-Juan Archuleta winner down the road. Pettis is 2-0 since leaving the UFC to join the California-based promotion and has won three in a row overall.

4. Askar Askarov (12-0-1) [4]

Relentless pace and pressure carried Askarov to his most significant victory to date at UFC Fight Night 172, as he outpointed fellow contender Alexandre Pantoja on Yas Island in Abu Dhai on July 18. Though Askarov may have been fortunate to earn a majority draw against Brandon Moreno in his UFC debut, back-to-back decision wins over Pantoja and Tim Elliott have put him on the short list of top contenders for Deiveson Figueiredo.

5. Alexandre Pantoja (22-5) [5]

Pantoja had a strong opening round but faded down the stretch against Askar Askarov’s constant pressure and solid boxing, losing a unanimous verdict at UFC Fight Night 172 in Abu Dhabi. The Nova Uniao product has sandwiched decision losses to Askarov and new-champ Deiveson Figueiredo around a first-round KO of Matt Schnell in his last three promotional appearances.

6. Brandon Moreno (17-5-1) [6]

Moreno has come a long way in a short time since a brief release from the UFC in 2018. “The Assassin Baby” secured the biggest win of his career to date at UFC Fight Night 170, where he took a closely-contested unanimous decision over perennial contender Jussier Formiga. The 26-year-old Mexico native is unbeaten in his last four bouts and owns other notable wins over Kai Kara-France and Dustin Ortiz during his UFC tenure. A matchup with surging prospect Brandon Royval is in the works for UFC 255.

7. Alex Perez (24-5) [7]

Perez was a man on a mission at UFC 250, as he targeted Jussier Formiga’s legs early and often en route to a technical knockout victory at the 4:06 mark of Round 1.In victory, the Team Oyama representative became just the 11th fighter in promotion history to finish a fight with leg kicks. Perez has won six of his seven Octagon appearances and looks like a legitimate contender at 125 pounds. With Cody Garbrandt suffering a torn bicep, Perez will step in and challenge Deiveson Figueiredo for flyweight gold at UFC 255.

8. Jussier Formiga (23-8) [8]

After authoring a four-bout winning streak from September 2017 to March 2019, Formiga appeared to be on the verge of securing a long-awaited title shot in the UFC. Since then, the Brazilian has lost three fights in a row, including a first-round TKO loss to Alex Perez at UFC 250. The man once regarded by many as the world’s top flyweight could be looking at a gatekeeper role in the coming months.

9. Rogerio Bontorin (16-2) [9]

Bontorin tasted defeat for just the second time in his professional career at UFC Fight Night 167, as he was grounded repeatedly and outwrestled in a unanimous decision loss to Ray Borg at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., on Feb. 15. While Borg missed weight, it doesn’t make the setback any easier to accept for the Brazilian, who began his promotional tenure with triumphs over Raulian Paiva and Magomed Bibulatov.

10. Matt Schnell (14-5) [10]

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.

Other Contenders: Brandon Royval, Kai Kara-France, David Dvorak, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Joshua Pacio.

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