Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Flyweight

1. Demetrious Johnson (22-2-1)

Johnson continues to reign supreme over the 125-pound division. His latest feat came at UFC 186, where the 28-year-old defended his belt for the sixth time with a trouncing of Japanese prospect Kyoji Horiguchi which ended with the latest finish in UFC history. In less than three years as champion, “Mighty Mouse” has taken out all contenders in his division, and he has done so in convincing fashion.

2. Joseph Benavidez (21-4)

With two losses to divisional ruler Demetrious Johnson, Benavidez has found himself in a tough situation, but that has not prevented Team Alpha Male’s top flyweight from staying productive. Since falling to “Mighty Mouse” for the second time, Benavidez has looked sensational in knocking off prospects Tim Elliott and Dustin Ortiz. Benavidez will go for his third straight win against another former title challenger, John Moraga, at UFC 187.

3. John Dodson (16-6)

Before he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL last year, Dodson looked to be on his way to a rematch with flyweight king Demetrious Johnson. Now, after nearly a year away from the cage, “The Magician” will reappear at UFC 187, where he will attempt to affirm his contender status with a win over former Bellator bantamweight ace Zach Makovsky.

4. Ian McCall (13-5-1)

McCall got off to a strong start in his rescheduled bout with John Lineker at UFC 183, but the Brazilian turned up the heat in rounds two and three, eventually taking a unanimous decision over “Uncle Creepy.” While the loss stopped any immediate thought of McCall earning a third bout with Demetrious Johnson, it did not impact the 30-year-old’s ranking due to Lineker weighing in at 130 pounds.

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. Riding back-to-back wins over tough opponents, da Silva was forced to withdraw from a December clash with John Moraga. He will be back in action on May 30, when he collides with Wilson Reis at a UFC Fight Night event in Brazil.

6. Zach Makovsky (19-5)

After suffering his first Octagon defeat in an August decision loss to Jussier da Silva, former Bellator champ Makovsky righted the ship by earning a unanimous nod against Tim Elliott on Feb. 14. The 32-year-old is now 3-1 under the UFC banner, with all four fights going to the judges’ scorecards. “Fun Size” could propel himself into title contention with a victory in his next bout -- a meeting with the returning John Dodson at UFC 187.

7. John Moraga (16-3)

Moraga overcame an early knockdown and rear-naked choke scare from Willie Gates on Dec. 13 to turn the tide and finish the former Tachi Palace Fights titlist with a choke of his own in the third round. The hometown win capped a 3-1 year for the Phoenix native, who also knocked off prospects Justin Scoggins and Dustin Ortiz in the past 12 months. Moraga’s only losses have come at the hands of the division’s elite: flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson and top contender John Dodson. He will confront Team Alpha Male standout Joseph Benavidez at UFC 187 on May 23.

8. Kyoji Horiguchi (15-2)

Horiguchi looked sensational in his first four Octagon appearances but had little to offer champ Demetrious Johnson, who repeatedly took down the Japanese import at UFC 186 before winning via last-second armbar. The loss snapped a nine-fight winning streak for the 24-year-old student of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and marked the first time Horiguchi has been finished in 17 pro bouts.

9. John Lineker (25-7)

Lineker put on a strong performance against Ian McCall at UFC 183, mixing submission attempts with his trademark power punches to earn a unanimous decision. The win was bittersweet, however, as “Hands of Stone” missed weight for the fourth time in eight Octagon appearances; according to UFC President Dana White, Lineker will now be forced to move up to bantamweight.

10. Henry Cejudo (8-0)

Two years into his MMA career, Cejudo is finally where he belongs. The Olympic gold medalist made his long-delayed flyweight debut at UFC 185 and used his world-class wrestling to grind out Chris Cariaso over three rounds. Cejudo, the son of Mexican immigrants, will be featured on the UFC 188 card in Mexico City, where he will clash with Chico Camus.

Other Contenders: Ray Borg, Adriano Moraes, Yuki Motoya, Dustin Ortiz, Wilson Reis.

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