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 the man they call “No Love” gets an immediate title rematch 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)
In his much-awaited UFC debut in June, Moraes dropped a close split to Raphael Assuncao but quickly rebounded with wins over John Dodson and Aljamain Sterling. His public feud with Jimmie Rivera seemed like it may force a showdown to materialize. More recently, however, Rivera says he has grown disinterested in a bout with the Brazilian, leaving the former World Series of Fighting champ to wait for his next booking.6. Jimmie Rivera (21-1)
UFC 219 could have been a monumental moment for Rivera. First, he was supposed to face Dominick Cruz before the former two-time UFC champion suffered a broken arm. He then got an appetizing bout with John Lineker, only to see the Brazilian bomber pulled during fight week over an infected wisdom tooth. Rivera briefly used social media to stump for a showdown with Marlon Moraes, but since the bout failed to materialize, “El Terror” says he has “moved on” from the former World Series of Fighting champion.7. Bryan Caraway (21-7)
Injuries continue to play a central role in Caraway’s career. “Kid Lightning” has fought just once in over two years, and in 2017 alone, his inability to stay healthy nixed bouts with Jimmie Rivera and Luke Sanders. Fortunately, Caraway -- at least for now -- is back on the docket and lined up to face once-beaten prospect Cody Stamann at UFC 222 on March 3.8. John Lineker (30-8)
A broken jaw courtesy of T.J. Dillashaw in December 2016 put Lineker on the sideline for most of 2017, but “Hands of Stone” was eager to make up for lost time. After hammering out a decision over Marlon Vera in November, Lineker looked to make a quick turnaround, stepping in for an injured Dominick Cruz against elite contender Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219 on Dec. 30. Dismayingly, disaster struck for Lineker during fight week, as an infected wisdom tooth necessitated emergency surgery, knocking Lineker out of what would have been the biggest fight of his career.9. Kyoji Horiguchi (23-2)
Horiguchi is unquestionably one of the finest flyweights in the world, but lest you forget he began his career as a Shooto 132-pound world champion, the Japanese standout was made the focal point of Rizin’s bantamweight grand prix. During the New Year’s season, in the span of 48 hours, Horiguchi demolished three solid opponents. After stopping the previously undefeated Gabriel Leite de Oliveira and Manel Kape, he put away bantamweight King of Pancrase Shintaro Ishiwatari for the second time in his career. The only man to defeat the two-division standout over his last 18 bouts is Demetrious Johnson, the best fighter in the sport.10. Darrion Caldwell (10-1)
Caldwell’s last three victories have all come in Thackerville, Oklahoma, including his Oct. 6 championship win over Eduardo Dantas. “The Wolf” is now headed back to Thackerville for his first title defense on March 2, when he headlines Bellator 195 against Brazil’s Leandro Higo.Other Contenders: Eduardo Dantas, Rob Font, Brett Johns, Pedro Munhoz, Aljamain Sterling.
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