Flyweight
1. Demetrious Johnson (24-2-1)
At UFC 197, facing yet another challenger touted as his toughest test to date, Johnson showed exactly why he is considered the world’s premier 125-pound fighter. “Mighty Mouse” made it look easy against decorated wrestler Henry Cejudo on April 23, as he handed “The Messenger” the first loss of his MMA career with a quick and nasty first-round knockout. The victory pushed Johnson’s current winning streak to 10 and extended his record for longest active UFC championship reign to eight fights.2. Joseph Benavidez (24-4)
Benavidez outworked former Bellator titlist Zach Makovsky with high-volume combinations and sharp counter-wrestling to capture a unanimous decision in their Feb. 6 duel. Despite a five-fight winning streak against top-10 opposition, the 31-year-old remains stuck outside the title picture due to his two losses against reigning champ Demetrious Johnson.3. John Dodson (18-7)
Try as he might, Dodson could neither will nor talk himself to victory against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in the UFC 191 main event on Sept. 5. “The Magician” was victimized for a second time by Johnson, as he dropped a unanimous decision in a rematch that never felt competitive. Dodson now finds himself in divisional limbo, having lost to the champion twice in the span of five fights. He has since moved back up to 135 pounds for a quick victory over Manny Gamburyan, but Dodson made it clear that a return to flyweight could be in the cards.4. Henry Cejudo (10-1)
Despite beginning his MMA career on a 10-fight winning streak and his UFC tenure with four straight wins, Cejudo was not prepared to face the world’s top flyweight. The Olympic wrestling gold medalist scored an early takedown against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197 but was soon overwhelmed by the clinch strikes of “Mighty Mouse,” which ended Cejudo’s perfect run in the opening round.5. Jussier da Silva (18-4)
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace “Formiga” once again found himself on the brink of UFC title contention, but he was unable to get anything going against Henry Cejudo in a Nov. 21 decision loss contested mostly on the feet. Da Silva’s 4-3 Octagon record is deceptive, as those three defeats have come against some of the division’s best, but his losses have come at crucial points and kept him from fighting for gold.6. Kyoji Horiguchi (17-2)
Horiguchi passed another test with flying colors on May 8, this time outworking experienced Irishman Neil Seery across three rounds at UFC Fight Night in Rotterdam. The 25-year-old “Kid” Yamamoto protégée has won 11 of his last 12 outings, including six inside the Octagon, with his lone defeat coming against flyweight king Demetrious Johnson.7. Wilson Reis (20-6)
Reis sat out eight months after a disappointing decision loss to Jussier da Silva, but on Jan. 30, he returned in fine form. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt owned Dustin Ortiz in the grappling department en route to a unanimous decision win, raising Reis’ Octagon record to 4-2.8. John Moraga (16-4)
Despite finding some success on the feet at UFC 187, Moraga was ultimately overwhelmed by the takedowns and ground-and-pound of Joseph Benavidez, who pocketed a unanimous decision after three rounds. “Chicano John” continues to be a tough out for most flyweights but has come up short against the division’s elite during his 5-3 Octagon run.9. Dustin Ortiz (15-5)
Ortiz has been involved in some close decisions during his UFC tenure, but his Jan. 30 meeting with Wilson Reis was not one of them. After a competitive opening round, Ortiz was gradually ground out by the Brazilian grappler and suffered his second loss on points in his last three outings.10. Zach Makovsky (19-7)
Back in 2013, Makovsky made a strong impression in his UFC debut by upsetting Scott Jorgensen, but “Fun Size” has faltered of late, dropping three of his last four outings via decision. However, those defeats came against a trio of the flyweight division’s most talented fighters: Jussier da Silva, John Dodson and most recently Joseph Benavidez in a short-notice assignment.Other Contenders: Ray Borg, Tim Elliott, Hiromasa Ogikubo, Justin Scoggins, Louis Smolka.
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