Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (20-2-1)
The dynamic king of the flyweights defended his throne yet again at UFC 174, this time with a dominant five-round performance against Ali Bagautinov. In less than two years, the UFC’s 125-pound champion has all but cleaned out his division, notching victories over John Dodson, Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez (twice). With top contender Dodson sidelined, Johnson will next face unheralded Chris Cariaso in the main event of UFC 178.2. Joseph Benavidez (20-4)
Benavidez showed no ill-effects from a December knockout loss to Demetrious Johnson, as he submitted Tim Elliott with a guillotine choke in the opening frame of their UFC 172 bout. Outside of a pair of losses to “Mighty Mouse,” Benavidez has done nothing to hurt his status as one of the world’s three best flyweights. However, Johnson will probably have to relinquish his belt before Benavidez receives another shot at 125-pound gold. He will next battle Dustin Ortiz at a UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 22.3. John Dodson (16-6)
The “Magician” pulled another trick from his bag on June 7, this time using a high knee to explode John Moraga’s nose and force a doctor stoppage after two rounds. The victory and timing made the Jackson-Wink MMA product a perfect choice for champ Demetrious Johnson’s next challenger -- until Dodson suffered an ACL injury which will keep him out of action until 2015.4. Ian McCall (13-4-1)
Fighting for the first time in nearly a year, “Uncle Creepy” made it clear he is still one of the world’s top 125-pounders. In his July 19 bout with fellow bantamweight contender Brad Pickett, McCall’s fast hands and footwork paid dividends against his larger opponent, carrying the Californian to a unanimous decision The 30-year-old Team Oyama export will tackle John Lineker and his heavy hands at a UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 8.5. Jussier da Silva (17-3)
The grappling chops which make “Formiga” a formidable foe for any flyweight were on full display in his Aug. 16 outpointing of former Bellator champ Zach Makovsky. After suffering stoppage losses in two of his first three Octagon appearances, da Silva has quickly righted his course with back-to-back wins over tough outs Makovsky and Scott Jorgensen.6. Ali Bagautinov (13-3)
Bagautinov’s 11-fight winning streak came to a screeching halt when the “Puncher King” ran up against divisional kingpin Demetrious Johnson at UFC 174. The two-time world combat sambo champion never really got going in his 25-minute encounter with “Mighty Mouse,” who used blistering speed and knees in the clinch to shut down Bagautinov at every turn. Bagautinov has since been suspended for a positive drug test and will be out of action for at least one year.7. Zach Makovsky (18-5)
Makovsky’s four-fight winning streak came to an end on Aug. 16 in Bangor, Maine, where he ran up against talented Brazilian grappler Jussier “Formiga” da Silva. A late surge from the former Drexel University wrestler was not enough to overcome a two-round deficit, leading Makovsky to his first loss since exiting Bellator in 2012.8. John Lineker (24-7)
Lineker’s weight problems appear to be a thing of the past, as the Brazilian has now made the 126-pound flyweight limit for two consecutive bouts. Now, “Hands of Stone” can finally be discussed as a legitimate title contender, especially after his rousing third-round stoppage of Alptekin Ozkilic on June 16. Lineker will next confront Ian McCall in a high-stakes UFC Fight Night clash on Nov. 8 in his native Brazil.9. John Moraga (14-3)
Moraga played spoiler to young prospect Justin Scoggins on Sept. 5 at UFC Fight Night in Connecticut. The former title challenger turned Scoggins’ takedowns into offensive opportunities, eventually forcing a second-round submission with a guillotine choke. Moraga is now 4-2 in the UFC flyweight division, with his only losses coming against Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson.10. Kyoji Horiguchi (13-1)
Horiguchi has looked nothing short of phenomenal in his first two Octagon outings. The 23-year-old “Kid” Yamamoto protégé punched out Dustin Pague in his UFC debut in October and then showed a well-rounded game in his sophomore showing, using a mixture of blinding hand speed and strong takedowns to outpoint Darrell Montague in May. Up next for Horiguchi is a fight against Jon Delos Reyes on home soil when the UFC returns to Japan on Sept. 20.Other Contenders: Chris Cariaso, Tim Elliott, Dustin Ortiz, Patrick Holohan, Adriano Moraes.
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