Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Bantamweight

1. T.J. Dillashaw (15-3)

Dillashaw lost his UFC bantamweight title by the slimmest of margins in January 2016, dropping a split decision to two-time champion Dominick Cruz. It took him nearly two years, but now “Killashaw” is back on top of the bantamweight world: At UFC 217, he finally got his showdown with former Team Alpha Male training partner Cody Garbrandt and overcame nearly being stopped in the opening round to knock out “No Love” and take back the UFC title. A Garbrandt rematch or a showdown with someone like Jimmie Rivera seemed most apt, but the newly minted champ called out flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson for what would be a monumental superfight.

2. Cody Garbrandt (11-1)

Through five minutes of his UFC 217 co-main event on Nov. 4, Garbrandt looked well on his way to both defending his UFC bantamweight title for the first time and knocking out former teammate turned rival T.J. Dillashaw. Then, Round 2 came and Dillashaw cracked him with a right hand, pounded him out, took his title and handed him the first loss of his career. Whether or not “No Love” gets an immediate title rematch in 2018 remains to be seen.

3. Dominick Cruz (22-2)

How quickly we forget how intimate a role injuries play in Cruz’s career. After a slew of knee and groin injuries limited Cruz to just one fight in over four years, we were blessed when he stepped into the Octagon three times in 2016. However, in the wake of his UFC title loss to Cody Garbrandt in December, he complained of plantar fasciitis limiting his mobility; and when he was lined up in a title eliminator situation against Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219, he sustained a broken arm that knocked him out of the cage once again.

4. Raphael Assuncao (26-5)

Few men in the entire sport, let alone the UFC, are a less desired opponent than Assuncao. If you want to see why, look at the veteran’s handiwork in his Nov. 11 bout with little-known prospect Matthew Lopez, whom he dominated for nearly 12 minutes before savagely knocking him out. The Atlanta-based Brazilian is now 10-1 as a UFC bantamweight, and the only man to beat him is current champion T.J. Dillashaw -- someone over whom Assuncao also owns a win. Naturally, Assuncao called out the new champ following his Lopez triumph, though a rubber match between the two is hardly on the priority list for Dillashaw or the UFC.

5. Marlon Moraes (20-5-1)

Moraes sure knows how to exorcise a demon or two. He made his long-awaited UFC debut in his native Brazil in June, losing a razor-thin split decision to Raphael Assuncao. How has he responded? He earned a split verdict of his own over the ever-tough John Dodson on Nov. 11. Then, substituting for Rani Yahya on short notice four weeks later at UFC Fight Night 123, he leveled Aljamain Sterling with a devastating knee. Despite an unsuccessful and still very recent Octagon debut, the “Magic” bantamweight is in the thick of the UFC title hunt.

6. Jimmie Rivera (21-1)

With 20 straight pro wins and a 5-0 mark in the Octagon, Rivera was primed for a title eliminator in the UFC. That is exactly what he got after besting Thomas Almeida in July and then calling out former two-time champ Dominick Cruz. Of course, after Rivera-Cruz was added to the docket, Cruz suffered a broken arm and was forced out of the contest. Fear not, as Rivera will still compete at UFC 219 and his fight still packs a punch. In fact, in terms of raw power, it packs even more of a punch now, as “El Terror” will instead square off with Brazilian bomber John Lineker on Dec. 30.

7. Bryan Caraway (21-7)

The UFC bantamweight division has been beset by injuries over the last few weeks, and based on recent history, it was unfortunately safe to assume that Caraway would be among the afflicted. After losing out on a chance to tangle with Jimmie Rivera in January, “Kid Lightning” sustained his second injury of 2017, knocking him out of a Dec. 9 date with once-beaten Luke Sanders. Andre Soukhamthath faced “Cool Hand Luke” in his stead and stopped the Tennessee native in the second round.

8. John Lineker (30-8)

A broken jaw courtesy of T.J. Dillashaw kept Lineker out of the cage for most of 2017. “Hands of Stone” returned on Oct. 28, pounding out a unanimous decision over Marlon Vera to get back in the win column. Eager to make up for the year’s lost time, the big-hitting Brazilian has filled in for an injured Dominick Cruz, accepting a high-risk, high-reward assignment against red-hot contender Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219 on Dec. 30.

9. Thomas Almeida (22-2)

Sure, Almeida has lost two of his last three bouts, but those defeats came to former champion Cody Garbrandt and perhaps a soon-to-be title challenger in Jimmie Rivera; there is no shame in those defeats. With that said, coming off of his wild, woolly brawl with Rivera in July, you would think “Little Tom” might want a tune-up bout or something. Well, perish the thought. Almeida, 26, has signed on to face fellow fight-ending threat Rob Font at UFC 220 on Jan. 20 in the latter’s own Boston backyard.

10. Darrion Caldwell (11-1)

Caldwell is no longer just an NCAA Division I national wrestling champion; he is a serious MMA champ, too. At Bellator 184 on Oct. 6, “The Wolf” used his wrestling and sublime suplexing skills to stymie Eduardo Dantas for five rounds and take the Bellator 135-pound title. It is possible his first title defense will come against another Brazilian, Leandro Higo. He defeated the only man to ever beat Caldwell, “Baby” Joe Taimanglo, as part of the Bellator 184 main card.

Other Contenders: Eduardo Dantas, Shintaro Ishiwatari, Brett Johns, Pedro Munhoz, Aljamain Sterling.

Continue Reading » Flyweight