Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Flyweight

1. Joseph Benavidez (28-5)

If such a thing still exists in the UFC, it appears that Benavidez is once again the No. 1 contender in the flyweight division. The 34-year-old won his third straight — and ninth out of 10 overall — at UFC on ESPN 3, where he improved to 2-0 against Jussier da Silva with a second-round technical knockout victory. After reigning flyweight king Henry Cejudo elected to relinquish his belt, Benavidez was tabbed to face Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant title in the UFC Norfolk headliner on Feb 29.

2. Jussier da Silva (23-6)

By losing to Joseph Benavidez for a second time, “Formiga” may have seen his last best chance at flyweight title contention slip through his fingers. The 34-year-old Brazilian’s second-round TKO defeat to Benavidez at UFC Minneapolis snapped a four-bout winning streak for da Silva. He’ll look to start a new streak against Brandon Moreno at UFC Brasilia on March 14.

3. Sergio Pettis (19-5)

Back at 135 pounds, Pettis made a statement in his Bellator debut. The Roufusport representative rocked Alfred Khashakyan with a right hook and follow-up punches before locking in a guillotine choke at the 3:07 mark of Round 1 at Bellator 238. Pettis’ eligibility at 125 pounds won’t expire until September, as he bested Tyson Nam in a flyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 159. However, with no flyweight division in Bellator, it’s likely that Pettis stays put at bantamweight for the foreseeable future.

4. Deiveson Figueiredo (17-1)

Figueiredo experienced some difficulty in the early going with Tim Elliott’s unorthodox striking at UFC Fight Night 161, but once his opponent shot for a takedown, the Brazilian was able to secure a fight-ending guillotine choke in the opening stanza. The Brazilian has won two in a row since losing to Jussier Formiga in March and is 6-1 overall in UFC competition. The Marajo Brothers Team member will vie for the vacant flyweight crown against Joseph Benavidez at UFC Norfolk after reigning champ Henry Cejudo chose to relinquish his belt.

5. Alexandre Pantoja (22-4)

Pantoja displayed some impressive power at UFC Fight Night 165, finishing “The Ultimate Fighter 24” cast mate Matt Schnell via knockout in the opening frame of their clash in Busan, South Korea. The Brazilian, who has won six of his eight Octagon appearances, is tied for fourth in UFC flyweight history with four finishes. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champ also owns notable wins over the likes of Wilson Reis and Brandon Morena within the Las Vegas-based promotion and figures to be a talent to watch in the coming year.

6. Rogerio Bontorin (16-2)

Bontorin tasted defeat for just the second time in his professional career at UFC Fight Night 167, as he was grounded repeatedly and outwrestled in a unanimous decision loss to Ray Borg at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., on Feb. 15. While Borg missed weight, it doesn’t make the setback any easier to accept for the Brazilian, who began his promotional tenure with triumphs over Raulian Paiva and Magomed Bibulatov.

7. Matt Schnell (14-5)

Schnell didn’t hesitate to trade punches during a frenetic duel with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC Fight Night 165 in Busan, South Korea. While “Danger” certainly landed his share — and even buckled his opponent on one occasion — he ultimately succumbed to a counter right hand to lose by knockout in the opening stanza. The defeat halted a four-bout winning streak for the American Top representative, who was coming off consecutive submission wins over Jordan Espinosa and Louis Smolka.

8. Alex Perez (23-5)

Perez made a statement at UFC Fight Night 166 in Raleigh, N.C., submitting Jordan Espinosa with an arm-triangle choke in the opening round of their flyweight bout. In his last 11 professional outings, Perez has only lost to perennial contender Joseph Benavidez. In the aftermath of his latest victory, the 27-year-old Team Oyama product expressed interest in a bout against Askar Askarov.

9. Brandon Moreno (16-5-1)

After briefly parting ways with the UFC following a two-bout skid from 2017 to 2018, Moreno seems to be back on track. “The Assassin Baby” is unbeaten in his last three professional outings, a stretch that includes a flyweight title victory in Legacy Fighting Alliance and a unanimous verdict against Kai-Kara France in his most recent appearance at UFC 245. He’ll square off against Jussier Formiga next at UFC Brasilia on March 14.

10. Kai Kara-France (20-8, 1 NC)

New Zealand’s Kara-France kicked off his UFC tenure with a bang, scoring a trio of decision triumphs against Elias Garcia, Raulian Paiva and Mark De La Rosa to announce his presence as a flyweight contender. “Don’t Blink” came up short in his most recent appearance, however, falling to Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision at UFC 245. Kara-France will attempt to get back on track when he meets Tyson Nam at UFC Auckland.

Other Contenders: Jordan Espinosa, Askar Askarov, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Joshua Pacio, Yunus Evloev.

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