Flyweight is by far the youngest weight class within the UFC. There wasn’t a division for 125-pounders in mixed martial arts’ top promotion until 2012.
On top of that, the division has often been criticized for its lack of finishes and looked down upon as MMA’s least vital division. Flyweights are continuously attempting to prove that they belong, and a few all-time legends are finally beginning to emerge from the division. So try the gallery to see the five best flyweights in UFC history.
5. Deiveson Figueiredo
Deiveson Figueiredo’s time at the highest of the flyweight rankings was interrupted by Brandon Moreno. The 2 fought in 4 straight bouts, and Figueiredo won only certainly one of those 4 matchups. They fought to a draw once, and Figueiredo’s lone victory over his rival resulted in a choice.
Figueiredo’s lack of success against Moreno is the one thing holding his flyweight resume back. The fighter, who has since moved as much as bantamweight, was 9-1 within the UFC before taking up Moreno. That run included two separate title reigns. Moreno was the primary person off of this list, and considering he was also a two-time Flyweight Champion, he had a case to be here over Figueiredo.
Figueiredo has a record of 24-5-1 as compared to Moreno’s 23-8-2 win-loss total, though. He narrowly gets the sting among the many biggest UFC flyweights ever for now, but with Moreno still doing work at 125 kilos, he could quickly pass his longtime rival.
4. Joseph Benavidez
Joseph Benavidez first made his name in WEC before the corporate merged with the UFC. Then he fought at bantamweight before flyweight existed in the corporate. He had his most success once he was given the likelihood to maneuver all the way down to 125 kilos, though.
There, Benavidez became probably the most lively flyweight in UFC history. His 19 fights within the division are a record as are his 13 wins and five knockout victories.
Unfortunately, he was never capable of hoist gold as he fought concurrently Demetrius Johnson. More on Mighty Mouse later, but Benavidez lost to Johnson in two of his three title shots together with his third shot on the belt ending in defeat against the subsequent fighter on this list.
Benavidez ended his profession with a 28-8 record. While he lost his last three fights before retiring, he had won nine out of 10 before that. He was within the shadow of Johnson, but he’s among the best nonchampions in UFC history, no matter weight class.
Henry Cejudo is nicknamed Triple C because he was a triple champion. The previous gold medalist became certainly one of just 4 simultaneous champ-champs when he beat Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 to earn the Bantamweight Championship, but he did most of his work before that at flyweight.
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Together with his background in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo obviously knows the way to take his opponents down. He has actually dedicated much of his MMA profession to the stand-up, though. He became the Flyweight Champion at UFC 227 when he bested Johnson. On the time, it didn’t look like anybody would defeat the inaugural Flyweight Champion.
Cejudo then defended his belt against TJ Dillashaw before moving as much as bantamweight and vacating his first UFC championship belt. Fans wish Cejudo would have stayed at 125 kilos longer, and he temporarily retired way too early in 2020 before making a comeback attempt that has led to a few straight losses within the bantamweight division.
Despite all of that, Cejudo’s time at 125 kilos was quite memorable. In any case, he was the one fighter to beat Johnson in his weight class.
2. Alexandre Pantoja
The present Flyweight Champion is Alexandre Pantoja, and he has been running through the division and all of the technique to second place among the many biggest UFC flyweights ever. The Cannibal is on a seven-fight winning streak, which incorporates championship victories over Moreno, Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura.
Kai Kara-France is next in line at UFC 317. Pantoja is a force in the case of grappling, but he isn’t any slouch as a striker. He also has great stamina and a steel chin. Pantoja has a protracted technique to go before he can grow to be the flyweight GOAT, but it surely is difficult to picture any lively fighters on the roster slowing him down.
1. Demetrious Johnson
Eleven successful flyweight title defenses, a championship reign of two,142 days, a flyweight-record five submission victories, 13 straight wins. These statistics can all be used to justify why Johnson will not be only the clear-cut best flyweight ever but in addition among the best overall UFC fighters in history.
Mighty Mouse was the first-ever Flyweight Champion, and he showed just what the division can bring to the table by dominating with speed and a mastering of jiu-jitsu. Johnson’s technical ability was on display every night he stepped foot within the octagon, but there isn’t any higher example of how talented he was than when he submitted Ray Borg with a flying armbar at UFC 216.
When Cejudo finally ended Johnson’s reign, he was traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren. It was an unprecedented move in the game, and while Johnson’s time in ONE has no bearing on his rating here, he did proceed to thrive in that promotion as well.
