Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Bantamweight

1. Merab Dvalishvili (21-4) | UFC [1]

Dvalishvili continued his impressive run through the bantamweight division at UFC 320, as he outworked Cory Sandhagen for a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph in the evening’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “The Machine” nearly called his shot by knocking out his opponent in Round 2, but the Georgian ultimately did what he always does: overwhelm through pace, pressure and grappling. Dvalishvili has 14 consecutive UFC triumphs — including three title defenses in 2025 — to his credit, making a credible case for consideration as bantamweight GOAT.

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 its breakout stars, O’Malley is now at a crossroads — especially as long as Dvalishvili reigns atop the bantamweight division.

3. Petr Yan (19-5) | UFC [3]

Yan authored another solid performance in the UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event on July 26, as he ended Marcus McGhee’s four-bout promotional winning streak with a unanimous decision triumph. “No Mercy has followed a three-fight skid with three consecutive triumphs. The Russian wants another shot at bantamweight gold, but he’ll have to wait on the result of Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320.

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

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. Next, he’ll face Mario Bautista on the UFC 321 main card.

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

Sandhagen started well against Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 320 co-headliner, but he ultimately fell victim to his opponent’s renowned grappling and cardio in a unanimous decision defeat. The “Sandman” showed great heart by rallying back from a near stoppage in Round 2, but he was ultimately outstruck and taken down 20 times by the Georgian standout. At 33 years old, Sandhagen might have just seen his final championship opportunity come and go at UFC 320 — though he is likely to still have plenty of high-profile fights awaiting him in the months to come.

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

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. He can further establish himself in that regard with a win over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 321

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. That fight has been rescheduled for UFC Qatar.

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

He did not compete at UFC Fight Night 261, but the “King of Rio” put in a royal appearance, walking out to the Octagon in street clothes and laying his gloves in the center of the cage as the Brazilian crowd roared its adulation. The emotional farewell served to confirm that his in-cage retirement at UFC 315 this May was the real deal, and if so, will leave fans with a final memory more befitting of his status as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.

9. Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1) UFC [9]

“Deus da Guerra” served notice that he is far from a spent force, as he turned back red-hot rising contender Montel Jackson at UFC Rio in a clash that was much more one-sided than the split verdict implied. In snapping Jackson’s six-fight win streak and confounding the oddsmakers who had installed Figueiredo as a prohibitive underdog, the 37-year-old former flyweight champ righted the ship after back-to-back losses against Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan, and left the UFC with a wealth of compelling matchups for his next outing.

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

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: Sergio Pettis, Marlon Vera, Vinicius Oliveira, David Martinez, Jakub Wiklacz.

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