Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Flyweight

1. Demetrious Johnson (27-2-1)

If you are going to break one of Anderson Silva’s marks, you ought to do it in style. This certainly was not lost on Johnson at UFC 216. In a title defense the world knew he would win, “Mighty Mouse” dominated challenger Ray Borg before hitting a breathtaking slam-into-armbar sequence that should earn him “Submission of the Year” honors, to boot. With the victory, Johnson earned his 11th straight UFC title defense, surpassing “The Spider’s” record of 10.

2. Joseph Benavidez (25-4)

After spending the better part of a year on the sidelines recovering from ACL surgery, Benavidez will make his Octagon return against Sergio Pettis at UFC 225 in Chicago. Benavidez, a two-time flyweight title challenger, has won six straight fights since his most recent loss to reigning champ Demetrious Johnson. A victory over Pettis could make it hard to deny Benavidez his third championship opportunity.

3. Henry Cejudo (13-2)

Back-to-back losses to champ Demetrious Johnson and perpetual top challenger Joseph Benavidez have not hampered Cejudo. “The Messenger” bounced back from his first two career defeats in style in 2017, clobbering Wilson Reis in September and then dominating Sergio Pettis on the floor on Dec. 2 to nab consecutive top-10 wins and reassert himself in the UFC 125-pound title picture.

4. Kyoji Horiguchi (24-2)

If you thought a showdown with fellow UFC veteran Ian McCall would slow Horiguchi’s momentum, think again. The Japanese standout needed just nine seconds to score a knockout victory against “Uncle Creepy” in a 134-pound affair at Rizin Fighting Federation 10 on May 6. Horiguchi has now won nine fights in a row, and the only person to defeat him in his last 19 contests is reigning UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson. The American Top Team representative will get back to work when he faces Hiromasa Ogikubo in a 132-pound contest at Rizin 11 on July 29.

5. Ray Borg (11-3)

Borg was hoping to erase the memory of being on the wrong end of 2017’s “Submission of the Year” in a title bout defeat to Demetrious Johnson, but with one destructive act, Conor McGregor erased that opportunity. Originally booked to face Brandon Moreno on April 7 in Brooklyn, New York, Borg was pulled from the UFC 223 card after glass shards from McGregor’s infamous dolly throw landed in his eye while he was being transported on a fighter bus. Borg and Moreno were rebooked for UFC Fight Night 129, but the New Mexican withdrew from that contest to care for his newborn son, who recently underwent brain surgery.

6. Jussier da Silva (21-5)

“Formiga” showcased a different aspect to his game at UFC 221, where he walloped 125-pound prospect Ben Nguyen with a perfectly timed spinning backfist before locking in his signature rear-naked choke at the 1:43 mark of the third round. The 33-year-old Brazilian has won three of his last four inside the Octagon, and with a dearth of new challengers in the division, he could be on the verge of a title shot. Da Silva believes he is ready now: He called for UFC President Dana White to “give me my shot” at flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson after his latest victory.

7. Sergio Pettis (16-3)

Pettis could not cope with the wrestling of Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo at UFC 218 on Dec. 2 and lost a unanimous verdict, bringing an end to his four-fight winning streak. Things will not get any easier for the Roufusport product in his next outing, as he has been booked to face two-time title challenger Joseph Benavidez at UFC 225 on June 9 in Chicago.

8. John Moraga (18-6)

Native Arizonan “Chicano John” earned a hard-fought victory on home soil over former fellow title challenger Wilson Reis at UFC on Fox 29, giving him three consecutive victories at 125 pounds. In addition to Reis, Moraga owns an impressive first-round knockout of prospect Magomed Bibulatov during his current run, and he could be inching his way back to title contention after initially challenging for flyweight gold in just his third Octagon appearance in July 2013.

9. Alexandre Pantoja (19-3)

Pantoja accepted a fight with Brandon Moreno on short notice at UFC Fight Night 129, but you would not have known by his performance. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion battered his former “Ultimate Fighter 16” castmate for the better part of three rounds, busting open Moreno’s nose en route to earning a unanimous verdict. Pantoja has been victorious in three of his four UFC appearances.

10. Brandon Moreno (14-5)

After having a proposed bout with Ray Borg fall through on three separate occasions, Moreno was matched with former “Ultimate Fighter 16” opponent Alexandre Pantoja at UFC Fight Night 129. While Moreno’s submission loss to Pantoja on the reality show was merely an exhibition, a clear-cut decision defeat to “The Cannibal” in Santiago, Chile, left no doubt as to who was the superior fighter. After beginning his UFC tenure with three straight wins, Moreno has dropped back-to-back fights.

Other Contenders: Magomed Bibulatov, Ben Nguyen, Hiromasa Ogikubo, Dustin Ortiz, Wilson Reis.

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