Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Bantamweight

1. Henry Cejudo (17-2) [1]

Cejudo became only the second fighter in promotion history to successfully defend titles in two divisions at UFC 249 when he defeated Dominick Cruz via second-round technical knockout in the evening’s co-main event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. After the victory, the Olympic gold medalist made a surprising retirement announcement, citing a desire to start a family. Retirements often don’t last in MMA, but if it holds up, “Triple C” ends his career with a six-fight winning streak that includes triumphs over Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes and Cruz. The UFC is taking the announcement seriously, as Cejudo’s belt has been vacated.

2. Aljamain Sterling (19-3) [3]

In a merit-based system, Sterling would be part of the UFC’s immediate plans to crown a new bantamweight champion. Instead, after a first-round submission of Top 5 contender Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250, “Funk Master” must wait on the winner of the title tilt between Petr Yan and Jose Aldo, which is expected to go down later this summer. Sterling, with five consecutive 135-pound triumphs under his belt, will be a formidable foe for the winner.

3. Cory Sandhagen (13-2) [5]

Sandhagen rebounded from a first-round submission loss to Aljamain Sterling in emphatic fashion at UFC Fight Night 179, where he knocked out Marlon Moraes with a spinning wheel kick in the second round of their bantamweight headliner in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 10. The highlight-reel finish keeps the Elevation Fight Team product in the title conversation at 135 pounds and sets him up for another marquee matchup in his next promotional appearance.

4. Petr Yan (15-1) [4]

After a competitive opening 15 minutes, Yan imposed his will down the stretch against Jose Aldo at UFC 251, forcing a stoppage behind a brutal barrage of ground-and-pound in the fifth frame. The newly-crowned bantamweight king has won his first six UFC appearances in increasingly impressive fashion. A title defense against Aljamain Sterling likely awaits.

5. Marlon Moraes (23-7-1) [2]

Moraes had a chance to solidify himself as a potential No. 1 contender at UFC Fight Night 179, but those dreams were shattered courtesy of a Cory Sandhagen spinning wheel kick in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 10. The former World Series of Fighting champion’s last three Octagon appearances now include a pair of devastating KO defeats at the hands of Sandhagen and Henry Cejudo along with a controversial split-decision win against Jose Aldo.

6. Frankie Edgar (24-8-1) [6]

After years of contending at both lightweight and featherweight in the UFC, Edgar has swiftly established himself as a person of interest at bantamweight, as well. In typical gritty fashion, Edgar edged Pedro Munhoz via split-decision in his 135-pound debut at UFC on ESPN 15 on Aug. 22. While the scorecards might have been debatable, Edgar’s ability to remain competitive throughout the contest was not, and he will likely be looking at another Top 10 foe for his next Octagon appearance.

7. Pedro Munhoz (18-5, 1 NC) [7]

Munhoz stalked and outlanded Frankie Edgar for the majority of their five-round clash at UFC on ESPN 15, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges, as “Young Punisher” dropped a split-decision in the headlining bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While Munhoz felt that he did enough to win, that makes two straight defeats for the 33-year-old American Top Team representative, who was coming off a decision loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 238.

8. Cody Garbrandt (12-3) [8]

Garbrandt appears to be rejuvenated following a second-round knockout of Raphael Assuncao in the UFC co-main event on June 6. Not only did Garbrandt’s vicious right-hook finish likely end up on a lot of year-end KO lists, but it halted a three-bout skid in which “No Love” repeatedly fell victim to his brawling tendencies. Garbrandt was slated for a title shot at 125 pounds against Deiveson Figueiredo before a torn bicep forced him out of the contest.

9. Raphael Assuncao (27-8) [9]

Assuncao took the bait and paid dearly against Cody Garbrandt, falling victim to a brutal right hook counter just before the second-round horn in their co-headlining encounter at UFC 250 on June 6. Once the bantamweight division’s most unsung contender, the 37-year-old Brazilian has dropped his last three fights within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

10. John Lineker (32-9) [10]

Lineker nearly stopped Muin Gafurov in the opening round at One Championship “Dawn of Valor,” but his opponent proved to be resilient enough to make it to the final bell. Nonetheless, the heavy-handed Brazilian emerged with a unanimous decision triumph in his debut with the Singapore-based promotion. The former UFC competitor has won three of his last four bouts, a streak that could easily be longer were it not for a contentious split decision setback to Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night 150 on April 27.

Other Contenders: Jose Aldo, Jimmie Rivera, Manel Kape, Kai Asakura, Kyoji Horiguchi.

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