Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Flyweight

1. Joshua Van (17-2) | UFC [1]

Van proved he was no imposter champion, as he weathered some adversity to earn a fifth-round technical knockout victory over Japanese standout Tatsuro Taira in the UFC 328 co-main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 9. Despite being grounded multiple times, “The Fearless” gradually began to put a beating on Taira with his superior boxing, ultimately earning a stoppage in the final frame. By retaining the flyweight crown and extending his winning streak to seven, Van likely sets up a rematch with former champ Alexandre Pantoja at a later date.

2. Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) | UFC [2]

After authoring four successful flyweight title defenses, Pantoja’s reign ended in unfortunate fashion, as he fell to Joshua Van via technical knockout in just 26 seconds after suffering an arm injury in the UFC 323 co-main event. Prior to that defeat, “The Cannibal” had been victorious in eight straight Octagon appearances dating back to 2021 and was well on his way to cementing his place as one of the top 125-pound talents of all time. Given the nature of the loss, it’s difficult to imagine Pantoja not being given a chance to regain the title when he returns to full health.

3. Manel Kape (22-7) | UFC [3]

Kape added a significant feather to his cap in the UFC Vegas 112 headliner, as he dispatched former title challenger Brandon Royval with punches just 3:18 into the opening stanza of their Dec. 13 encounter at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The makes three straight finishes in the Octagon for the former Rizin champion, who has won seven of his last eight UFC appearances overall. Next, “Starboy” will face Kyoji Horiguchi in a potential title eliminator on June 20 at the UFC Apex.

4. Brandon Royval (17-9) | UFC [4]

Looking to bounce back from an upset loss against Joshua Van in June, Royval ran into a buzzsaw against Manel Kape, as he suffered a first-round knockout loss in the UFC Vegas 112 main event on Dec. 13. “Raw Dawg” has dropped three of his last five promotional outings, including the aforementioned title bout against Pantoja at UFC 296 in December 2023. Still, with a record that includes noteworthy triumphs over the likes of Brandon Moreno, Tatsuro Taira and Kai Kara-France, Royval remains among the top flyweights in the world. Next, Royval will face Lone’er Kavnagh in a main card matchup at UFC 329.

5. Tatsuro Taira (18-2) | UFC [5]

With Alexandre Pantoja still recovering from injury, Taira was thrust into a championship opportunity in the UFC 328 co-main event. While the Japanese standout had his moments, notably grounding Joshua Van on multiple occasions, he couldn’t withstand his opponent’s onslaught on the feet, as he fell to a barrage of strikes in the final stanza. At just 26 years old, Taira has plenty of time to build momentum for another title shot down the road.

6. Kyoji Horiguchi (36-5, 1 NC) | UFC [6]

Horiguchi looked the part of flyweight contender in the UFC Vegas 113 co-main event, as he confounded Amir Albazi at every turn en route to a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph. It’s been more than 10 years since “Karate Kid” unsuccessfully challenged for flyweight gold against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 186, but Horiguchi still appears to be at the top of his game at 35 years old. The former Rizin champ might need another victory before he can truly claim No. 1 contender status in the UFC at 125 pounds. He’ll get the chance to solidify his position when he faces Manel Kape on June 20.

7. Lone'er Kavanagh (10-1) UFC [7]

One bout removed from a knockout loss to Charles Johnson, Kavanagh accepted a short-notice fight against Brandon Moreno in the UFC Mexico headliner. While that would seem to be a tall task for someone making his fourth Octagon appearance, Kavanagh was up to the challenge, as he earned a unanimous decision to upset the former flyweight king in his home country. Not only did the 26-year-old Brit rebound from a devastating defeat, but he delivered on the expectations assigned to him after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2024. Kavanagh will return to action against Brandon Royval at UFC 329.

8. Brandon Moreno (23-10-2) | UFC [8]

Originally scheduled to face Asu Almabayev in the UFC Mexico headliner, Moreno was given a short-notice curveball in the form of English prospect Lone’er Kavanagh when Almabayev withdrew from the event. While the two-time flyweight champion was a clear favorite heading into the bout, he dropped a unanimous decision to his younger adversary at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Feb. 28. “Assassin Baby” has now lost back-to-back fights for the second time in his career, and in this instance, both defeats came against rising talents at 125 pounds in Kavanagh and Tatsuro Taira.

9. Amir Albazi (17-3) | UFC [9]

After returning from the second lengthy layoff of his Octagon tenure, Albazi had no answers for Kyoji Horiguchi in a unanimous decision loss in the UFC Vegas 113 co-headliner. For the second consecutive outing, “The Prince” was outclassed by one of the top talents in the division (He dropped a lopsided verdict to Brandon Moreno in November 2024). While Albazi looked like a promising talent when he began his UFC career with five straight wins, it appears he has some work to do if he wants to remain in the upper echelon of the flyweight division.

10. Muhammad Mokaev (16-0, 1 NC) | Brave CF [10]

Mokaev continued his successful journey outside the UFC, as he knocked out Gerard Burns in the second round of the Brave Combat Federation 100 headliner to capture the promotion’s flyweight crown. “The Punisher” is now 3-0 since his UFC release in July 2024. However, a chance to build upon that momentum was lost when viisa issues forced Mokaev out of a high-profile booking against former ONE Championship title holder Adriano Moraes at MVP “Rousey vs. Carano.”

Other Contenders: Ramazonbek Temirov, Charles Johnson, Kai Kara-France, Steve Erceg, Asu Almabayev.

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