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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. Moreno will have to vanquish Figueiredo again when they square off in a trilogy matchup at UFC 269.2. 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. He’ll get a chance to avenge that defeat in a trilogy bout against the Mexican title holder at UFC 269.3. Askar Askarov (14-0-1) [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. 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. Askarov was supposed to face Alex Perez on Aug. 28 but was forced to pull out of the fight after suffering a broken hand.4. Alexandre Pantoja (24-5) [4]
Thanks to a powerful right hand and a crafty submission game, Pantoja overcame Brandon Royval’s exhausting pace for a second-round rear-naked choke victory in a featured matchup at UFC on ESPN 29 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 21. Pantoja has won three of his last four promotional outings and notably owns two victories over reigning champ Brandon Moreno — one at UFC Fight Night 129 and one on “The Ultimate Fighter 24.”5. Joseph Benavidez (28-8) [5]
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 announced his retirement in September 2020 after suffering the first three-bout losing streak of his professional tenure. His rankings eligibility will expire on March 6, 2022.6. 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. Perez was slated to face top contender Askar Askarov on July 31, but after his original foe suffered an injury, the Team Oyama member was shifted to a Dec. 4 showdown against Matt Schnell.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. Schell will get his shot against Perez on Dec. 4.9. Brandon Royval (12-6) [9]
Royval was as game as ever at UFC on ESPN 29, as he scrambled out of danger and attacked Alexandre Pantoja with volume striking. However, he was unable to avoid his Brazilian foe’s dangerous submission skills, tapping to a rear-naked choke 1:46 into the second stanza at the UFC Apex on Las Vegas on Aug. 21. After beginning his UFC career with back-to-back submission victories, “Raw Dawg” has dropped consecutive fights against tough competition in Pantoja and Brandon Moreno.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 March 6. The City Kickboxing representative now has earned his first finish in UFC competition and has won five of his seven promotional appearances overall. Kara-France will welcome Cody Garbrandt to the flyweight division on Dec. 11.Other Contenders: Rogerio Bontorin, David Dvorak, Joshua Pacio, Amir Albazi, Azamat Kerefov.
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