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Flyweight
1. Deiveson Figueiredo (21-2-1) [1]
After relocating to Fight Ready in Arizona, Figueiredo evened the score with Brandon Moreno at UFC 270, winning a closely contested unanimous decision in the evening’s co-main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 22. In a bout where each round was difficult to score, Figueiredo’s more powerful offense might have made the difference and allowed him to regain the UFC flyweight crown. With the series against Moreno knotted up at 1-1-1, a fourth bout seems well within the realm of possibility.2. Brandon Moreno (19-6-2) [2]
Moreno looked better than ever at UFC 270, but despite a well-crafted game plan, “Assassin Baby” wound up on the wrong end of the scorecards in a unanimous decision loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in the evening’s co-headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Calif., on Jan. 22. While Moreno’s flyweight championship reign ends without a title defense to his credit, the possibility for a fourth bout against Figueiredo is quite likely, as the rivals are 1-1-1 in their three meetings thus far.3. Kai Kara France (24-9, 1 NC) [3]
Kara France scored a significant triumph at UFC on ESPN 33, taking a unanimous verdict over fellow flyweight contender Askar Askarov in a featured affair at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 26. The City Kickboxing representative survived early adversity before asserting himself on the feet to earn his third consecutive triumph — and seventh in nine Octagon appearances overall. The win could be enough to solidify “Don’t Blink” as the No. 1 contender in waiting, though he may have to see how the rumored fourth meeting between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno unfolds.4. Askar Askarov (14-1-1) [4]
Askarov could have locked up a future title shot with a win over Kai Kara France at UFC on ESPN 33, but after a strong start, the Dagestani was unable to dictate the terms of the action down the stretch in a unanimous decision defeat. It’s the first career setback for the man known as “Bullet,” and a resume that includes wins over Joseph Benavidez, Alexandre Pantoja — along with a draw against Brandon Moreno — means that he shouldn’t be too far removed from contention. He’ll just have a little more work to do than he did prior to UFC on ESPN 33.5. Alexandre Pantoja (24-5) [5]
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. 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.”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. Perez has been victorious in six of his eight promotional appearances, with his only defeats coming to Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez. A scheduled UFC 269 showdown with Matt Schnell fell through when his opponent was not medically cleared to compete. The clash was then rebooked for UFC 271 but canceled after Perez missed weight.7. Brandon Royval (13-6) [7]
While his takedown suspense was suspect, his active grappling and a strong finish carried Royval to a hard-fought split-decision triumph against Rogerio Bontorin at UFC on ESPN 32 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Jan. 15. “Raw Dog” returns to the win column after being finished in back-to-back Octagon appearances against Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, and his wide open style continues to make him one of the most entertaining fighters to watch in the UFC’s flyweight division. Royval will return to action against Matt Schnell at UFC 274.8. Matt Schnell (15-5, 1 NC) [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, losing a unanimous decision that was eventually overturned to a no contest when Bontorin tested positive for a diuretic. Then, the fight with Perez was rebooked on two separate occasions only to fall through both times for various reasons. Schnell is now scheduled to face Brandon Royval at UFC 274.9. Rogerio Bontorin (16-4, 2 NC) [9]
A career best eight takedowns and some solid positional control weren’t enough for Bontorin, who dropped a split decision to Brandon Royval in a featured flyweight bout at UFC on ESPN 32. Although it was the third loss in four outings for the Brazilian, he has nothing to be ashamed of after hanging tough against the all-action Royval. The 29-year-old figures to be a difficult matchup for much of the flyweight division going forward.10. Matheus Nicolau (18-2-1) [10]
Nicolau was a step ahead of David Dvorak all night at UFC on ESPN 33, repeatedly beating the Czech to the punch on his way to a well-deserved unanimous decision. In snapping Dvorak’s incredible 16-fight win streak, he extended his own tally to five straight since dropping his UFC debut to Dustin Ortiz nearly four years ago. With consecutive wins over Top 15-quality fighters in Manel Kape, Tim Elliott and now Dvorak, the 29-year-old Brazilian has done more than enough to certify himself a contender at flyweight.Other Contenders: David Dvorak, Joshua Pacio, Amir Albazi, Azamat Kerefov, Tim Elliott.
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