Bantamweight
1. T.J. Dillashaw (11-2)
The UFC bantamweight champion made the most of a bad situation when Renan Barao dropped out of their rematch at UFC 177. Dillashaw outclassed last-second replacement Joe Soto for 20 minutes before finishing with a head kick and follow-up punches in the fifth round -- just as he did to Barao to claim the title in May.2. Renan Barao (32-2, 1 NC)
It has been a rough couple months for the former king of the bantamweight division. First, Barao saw his reign ended in a stunning May loss to T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 173. Then, the Brazilian was forced to withdraw from a rematch with Dillashaw on the eve of UFC 177, the result of a weight cut gone awry. To earn another crack at the belt, Barao will first have to make it past Canadian up-and-comer Mitch Gagnon on Dec. 20.3. Dominick Cruz (20-1)
It had been three years since Cruz last stepped into the Octagon, but at UFC 178, he looked like the same old “Dominator.” The former bantamweight king showed no ill effects from multiple knee surgeries, as he executed a flawless, 61-second dismantling of perennial contender Takeya Mizugaki. Cruz went on to announce his plan to “beat up more Alpha Fails,” angling for a shot at T.J. Dillashaw, who currently holds the belt that Cruz never lost.4. Urijah Faber (32-7)
Faber’s win at UFC 181 was not without controversy, as “The California Kid” tapped Francisco Rivera with a second-round bulldog choke after inadvertently poking Rivera in the eye. Regardless, the Team Alpha Male leader improved to 8-3 inside the Octagon and continued his streak of winning every non-title affair he has fought under Zuffa employ.5. Raphael Assuncao (23-4)
Assuncao continued his climb up the 135-pound ranks on Oct. 4 by halting the momentum of Bryan Caraway with a steady diet of leg and body kicks. The Atlanta-based Brazilian's current seven-fight winning streak stretches back to 2011 and includes a split decision victory over current champion T.J. Dillashaw.6. Iuri Alcantara (31-5, 1 NC)
Alcantara got a hard-fought win over tough Hawaiian Russell Doane on Sept. 13, using long, powerful punches, knees and takedown defense to capture a unanimous decision. Since suffering a loss to Urijah Faber 13 months ago, “Marajo” has picked up three consecutive victories.7. Takeya Mizugaki (20-8-2)
Mizugaki was riding a five-fight winning streak, once again closing in on title contention -- and then he ran into Dominick Cruz. The Japanese import had no answer for Cruz’s speed, takedowns and ground-and-pound in his knockout loss to the former champ at UFC 178, marking just the second time Mizugaki has been stopped in 15 fights under the Zuffa banner.8. Marlon Moraes (14-4-1)
Moraes has encountered little difficulty in clearing out the World Series of Fighting bantamweight division; now, the problem has become finding suitable opposition. The talented Brazilian earned his sixth straight win under the WSOF banner on Sept. 13, disposing of overweight late replacement Cody Bollinger via second-round rear-naked choke in a catchweight, non-title affair.9. Joe Warren (12-3)
After a protracted war of words, “The Baddest Man on the Planet” finally got the chance to back up his taunting of Eduardo Dantas on Oct. 10. Over the course of five rounds, Warren did exactly that, using repeated takedowns and clinch work to outlast the younger, rangier man and unify Bellator’s bantamweight titles. He will face Marcos Galvao at Bellator 134 in a rematch of their controversial April 2011 encounter.10. Eduardo Dantas (16-4)
Dantas relinquished his hold on the Bellator MMA bantamweight throne on Oct. 10, as he dropped a five-round unanimous decision to Joe Warren at Bellator 128. The defeat halted his modest two-fight winning streak and quieted some of the considerable hype surrounding the 25-year-old Nova Uniao-trained Brazilian. Dantas will look to get back on track against Mike Richman at Bellator 134 on March 27.Other Contenders:Bryan Caraway, Johnny Eduardo, Rob Font, Mitch Gagnon, Francisco Rivera.
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