Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

---

Flyweight

1. Brandon Moreno (19-5-2) [1]

Moreno made history at UFC 263, becoming the first Mexican-born champion in promotion history with a third-round submission of Deiveson Figueiredo at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 12. Moreno was much more dominant in the rematch after battling the Brazilian to a majority draw in their first meeting at UFC 256. “The Assassin Baby” is unbeaten in six Octagon appearances since his initial release from the promotion, but a draw against Askar Askarov in September 2019 could set the stage for a rematch against the Dagestani flyweight in the near future.

2. Deiveson Figueiredo (20-2-1) [2]

Figueiredo’s first meeting with Brandon Moreno at UFC 256 resulted in a majority draw that was one of the best fights of 2020 and arguably the greatest flyweight bout ever. The rematch was not nearly as competitive, as “Daico” struggled to get going before tapping to a rear-naked choke from his Mexican opponent 2:26 into Round 3 of the UFC 263 co-main event on June 12. The 33-year-old Brazilian looked like a flyweight champ with staying power during a five-bout winning streak that included four finishes, but he may have found his kryptonite in Moreno.

3. Askar Askarov (13-0-1) [3]

In the Octagon, Askarov was impressive as he could be in a dominating unanimous verdict over multi-time flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez at UFC 259. On the basis of that alone, the former Absolute Championship Berkut title holder would seemingly be next in line to challenge for 125-pound gold in the UFC. However, Askarov’s failure to make weight one day prior tarnishes the victory and raises questions about his ability to make the flyweight limit in the future.

4. Joseph Benavidez (28-8) [4]

For years, Joseph Benavidez was able to vanquish all but the champions of the UFC’s flyweight division. That no longer appears to be the case, as he was outclassed both on the feet and on the canvas in a unanimous decision loss to Askar Askarov at UFC 259 on March 6. Benavidez, who has acknowledged that he’s probably had his last title opportunity, is now mired in the first three-fight losing streak of his professional career.

5. Alexandre Pantoja (23-5) [5]

Pantoja proved he was no steppingstone at UFC Fight Night 184, as he relied on superior volume and activity to earn a unanimous decision triumph over former Rizin bantamweight king Manel Kape at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 6. The victory allows “The Cannibal” to bounce back from a decision loss to fellow flyweight contender Askar Askar last July and gives the Brazilian seven wins in 10 UFC appearances overall. Next, Pantoja meets Brandon Royval on Aug. 21.

6. Alex Perez (24-6) [6]

Perez’s attempt to take Deiveson Figueiredo to the mat proved to be ill advised in their UFC 255 title bout, as the reigning flyweight champion applied a tight guillotine choke to earn a tapout 1:57 into the opening stanza at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. That disappointing defeat halts a three-bout winning streak for the Dana White’s Contender Series alum. Perez has been victorious in six of his eight promotional appearances, with his only defeats coming to Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez. He was supposed to face Matt Schnell at UFC 262 but had to withdraw from the contest.

7. Jussier Formiga (23-8) [7]

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 is now looking for a new home after being released by the UFC.

8. Matt Schnell (15-6) [8]

After originally being booked against Alex Perez at UFC 262, Schnell instead squared off against replacement foe Rogerio Bontorin at the Toyota Center in Houston on May 15. The bad news is “Danger” dropped a unanimous decision — his second loss in his last three outings. The good news, for Schnell at least, is that it occurred at 135 pounds, so the result won’t affect his standing in the flyweight rankings.

9. Brandon Royval (12-5) [9]

In just three Octagon appearances, Brandon Royval has established himself as an all-action fighter in the UFC’s flyweight division. After kicking off his promotional tenure with back-to-back submissions of Tim Elliott and Kai Kara France, “Raw Dawg” fell to top contender Brandon Moreno via first-round technical knockout at UFC 255. The 28-year-old Factory X representative will face Alexandre Pantoja in his next UFC appearance on Aug. 21.

10. Kai Kara-France (22-9, 1 NC) [10]

Kara France lived up to his “Don’t Blink” moniker at UFC 259, as he rallied from a grappling-based domination at the hands of Rogerio Bontorin to make his opponent face-plant with a powerful series of right hands at the 4:55 mark of Round 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Marhc 6. The City Kickboxing representative now has earned his first finish in UFC competition and has won five of his seven promotional appearances overall.

Other Contenders: Rogerio Bontorin, David Dvorak, Joshua Pacio, Amir Albazi, Azamat Kerefov.

Continue Reading » Women’s Featherweight