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Flyweight
1. Alexandre Pantoja (26-5) | UFC [1]
Pantoja nearly made short work of Brandon Moreno in the UFC 290 co-main event before settling in for an epic five-round battle that saw him crowned as the fifth flyweight champion in promotion history. Including an exhibition win on “The Ultimate Fighter 24,” Pantoja is now 3-0 against Moreno — though the latest triumph was by far the most difficult. “The Cannibal” will take a four-fight winning streak into his first 125-pound title defense against Brandon Royval at UFC 296.2. Brandon Moreno (21-7-2) | UFC [2]
Moreno showed at UFC 290 that he was an improved fighter from the one who faced Alexandre Pantoja earlier in his career. However, that still wasn’t enough, as Moreno dropped a split decision to his Brazilian rival in an instant classic at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Moreno’s stock shouldn’t fall far in defeat, but with his unofficial record against Pantoja is nonetheless 0-3. “The Assassin Baby” will next take on rising contender Amir Albazi in a five-round, co-main event at UFC Mexico.3. Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1) | UFC [3]
Figueiredo enjoyed a successful bantamweight debut, taking a three-round verdict against Rob Font at UFC Austin on Dec. 2. The ex-flyweight champion flashed his power in spurts and also blended in takedowns against his veteran foe, which allowed him to rebound from a loss to longtime rival Brandon Moreno at UFC 283. With no draining weight cuts to navigate, “Deus da Guerra” seems to have found a home at 135 pounds.4. Amir Albazi (17-1) | UFC [4]
In his first fight on the big stage, Albazi captured a contentious split-decision triumph over former interim title challenger Kai Kara-France in the UFC on ESPN 46 headliner. Though many observers felt Albazi didn’t deserve the win, he nonetheless came the closest of the two combatants to finishing the fight when he nearly locked in a rear-naked choke in the third round. The Iraqi flyweight has now won six straight outings — including five in UFC competition. That has earned him a five-round, co-main event showdown against ex-champ Brandon Moreno on Feb. 24 in Mexico City.5. Kai Kara-France (24-11, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
Kara-France hoped that a victory over rising contender Amir Albazi in the UFC on ESPN 46 main event would keep him near the top of the contender’s queue, but instead the City Kickboxing standout suffered a controversial split-decision defeat at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While the bout was extremely competitive for the much of the 25 minutes, Kara-France still outlanded his opponent by more than 50 significant strikes by fight’s end, which led many to believe that “Don’t Blink” deserved the nod. He was supposed to return against Manel Kape at UFC 293 in Sydney, but a concussion forced him to withdraw from the event.6. Askar Askarov (15-1-1) | ACA [6]
After being granted his UFC release in 2022, Askarov sat out for the majority of 2023 before making his return at Absolute Championship Akhmat 166, where he outpointed Alan Gomes on Nov. 24. The 31-year-old Fighting Eagle representative has won four of five outings since 2020, a run that includes noteworthy triumphs against Alexandre Pantoja, Joseph Benavidez and Tim Elliott.7. Brandon Royval (15-6) | UFC [7]
Royval solidified his status as one of the flyweight division’s most entertaining fighters with a brilliant first-round finish of Matheus Nicolau at UFC on ESPN 44. After suffering back-to-back losses to Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, “Raw Dawg” has rebounded with successive triumphs over Nicolau, Matt Schnell and Rogerio Bontorin. Royval will attempt to avenge a previous defeat to Alexandre Pantoja in a title bout at UFC 296.8. Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1) | UFC [8]
Nicolau saw a six-bout winning streak snapped in violent fashion at UFC on ESPN 44, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to fellow Top 10 flyweight Brandon Royval in Kansas City. The Brazilian has lost just twice in his last 14 professional outings dating back to 2013, and with a respectable UFC ledger that includes triumphs over the likes of Matt Schnell, David Dvorak, Tim Elliott and Manel Kape, shouldn’t be too far removed from contention even after his most recent setback. Next, he will meet Kape in a rematch at UFC Fight Night 234 on Jan. 139. Manel Kape (19-6) | UFC [9]
Kape withstood a game effort from replacement foe Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293, as the former Rizin Fighting Federation champion relied on superior striking power and accuracy to capture a unanimous decision triumph in Sydney. “Starboy” has won four straight outings within the Las Vegas-based promotion. He’ll get a chance to avenge a previous defeat when he faces Matheus Nicolau at UFC Fight Night 234.10. Alex Perez (24-7) | UFC [10]
In his first appearance since falling to Deiveson Figueiredo in a flyweight title bout in November 2020, Perez was outclassed by Alexandre Pantoja in a first-round submission loss at UFC 277. After beginning his promotional tenure with wins in six of his first seven appearances, the Team Oyama representative has lost back-to-back fights for the the second time in his professional career, which leaves him plenty of work to do if he hopes to reach the top of the division again. Perez was supposed to meet Manel Kape at UFC on ESPN 43, but a medical issue forced him off the card on the day of the fight.Other Contenders: Matt Schnell, Jarred Brooks, Azamat Kerefov, Muhammad Mokaev, Tim Elliott.
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