Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Bantamweight

1. Merab Dvalishvili (20-4) | UFC [1]

While much of the talk ahead of UFC 316 revolved around the changes Sean O’Malley made, Dvalishvili ultimately proved to be the more improved athlete, as he gradually wore down his rival en route to a third-round submission victory on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Dvalishvili has won 13 consecutive Octagon appearances — including a pair of title defenses — and warrants serious consideration as the bantamweight GOAT. “The Machine” already appears to be eagerly looking ahead to a future date with top contender Cory Sandhagen next.

2. Sean O’Malley (18-3, 1 NC) UFC [2]

O’Malley repaired his ailing hip and changed his lifestyle ahead of UFC 316, but it was to no avail. Despite making some visible improvements, he was still no match for Merab Dvalishvili, who submitted “Suga” with a north-south choke in the third round of their rematch at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7. Once targeted by the promotion as one of their breakout stars, O’Malley is now at a crossroads — especially as long as Dvalishvili reigns atop the bantamweight division.

3. Petr Yan (18-5) | UFC [4]

While some might have written Yan off after a three-bout skid between 2022 and 2023, the former bantamweight king still has plenty left in the tank. “No Mercy” made a statement in the UFC Macau headliner, as he outdueled former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo to take a five-round unanimous decision triumph. It’s the second consecutive victory for the Russian, who also bested Yadong Song at UFC 299, and it prompted him to call out reigning bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili for a title rematch. Even if that fight doesn’t come to fruition, Yan should be in line for another high-profile matchup in his next Octagon appearance.

4. Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1) UFC [5]

For two rounds, Nurmagomedov appeared to be well on his way to claiming bantamweight gold against Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 311 co-main event. However, the champion’s trademark pace ultimately took control, and Nurmagomedov suffered his first career setback in a competitive unanimous decision defeat. Nurmagomedov’s stock shouldn’t fall too far, especially considering that he later revealed that he broke his hand early in the fight.

5. Cory Sandhagen (18-5) | UFC [6]

Sandhagen entered the cage at UFC Des Moines on May 3 needing to prove he is still a factor in the bantamweight title picture and he delivered, winning nearly every exchange against former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo before a knee injury forced Figueiredo to tap out late in Round 2. The win puts the “Sandman” back on track after his loss to Umar Nurmagomedov last August and positions him as the next challenger to Merab Dvalishvili, who vanquished Sean O’Malley in their rematch at UFC 316.

6. Mario Bautista (16-2) UFC [8]

One bout removed from a closely-contested triumph over Jose Aldo, Bautista added another significant feather to his cap at UFC 316, as he outdueled ex-Bellator champ Patrick Mix for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision win at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Bautista’s striking looked crisp throughout the contest, and with his eighth consecutive victory in tow, it’s going to be difficult to overlook the MMA Lab representative as a serious title contender going forward.

7. Kyoji Horiguchi (34-5, 1 NC) Rizin [7]

Horiguchi retained his flyweight crown at Rizin 49 “Decade,” taking a unanimous decision triumph against Nkazimulo Zulu on New Year’s Eve in Saitama, Japan. The UFC veteran is unbeaten in his last six outings and with a recent triumph over Sergio Pettis at bantamweight on his ledger, has shown the ability to have success at both 125 and 135 pounds in recent outings. Horiguchi was expected to remain at 125 pounds for his Octagon return, a UFC Baku showdown with Tagir Ulanbekov. However, the Japanese standout was forced to withdraw from the booking.

8. Jose Aldo (32-10) UFC [9]

Not much went right for Aldo at UFC 315. After it was determined he would be unable to make the bantamweight limit, his scheduled clash against Aiemann Zahabi was moved to 145 pounds. While Aldo had his moments during the bout, a strong finish from Zahabi in Round 3 propelled the Canadian to a unanimous decision triumph in front of a supportive crowd in Montreal. After the defeat, the Nova Uniao standout announced his retirement for a second time (he also called it a career in 2022). Since it came in the heat of the moment, it’s possible the decision doesn’t stick. If he does return, it will likely be at 145 pounds.

9. Deiveson Figueiredo (24-5-1) UFC [10]

“Deus da Guerra” was not completely outclassed by Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Des Moines but looked significantly undersized and seemed a step behind for most of nine minutes before succumbing to a knee injury late in Round 2. The former flyweight champ still boasts recent wins over solid bantamweight contenders including Marlon Vera and Rob Font, but at age 37 and now facing possible shelf time, his future in his new division looks cloudier than ever.

10. Yadong Song (22-8-1, 1 NC) UFC [11]

Song returned to the win column at UFC Seattle, earning a technical decision against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo on Feb. 22. The 27-year-old “Kung Fu Kid” has won six of his last eight Octagon appearances, with his only two defeats during that stretch coming at the hands of perennial contenders Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen.

Other Contenders: Patrick “Patchy” Mix, Sergio Pettis, Marlon Vera, Rob Font, Marcus McGhee.

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