Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Flyweight

1. Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) | UFC [1]

Pantoja was masterful in his latest outing, as he outclassed Kai Kara-France on the feet and on the mat en route to a third-round submission victory in the UFC 317 co-main event. After wresting the belt from Brandon Moreno in July 2023, “The Cannibal” has authored successful title defenses against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kara-France. A future showdown against surging young contender Joshua Van looms large in the coming months for the 35-year-old Brazilian.

2. Joshua Van (15-2) | UFC [14]

Just three weeks removed from a third-round stoppage of Bruno Silva at UFC 316, Van put on the performance of a lifetime against former title challenger Brandon Royval, earning a unanimous decision triumph to stake his claim to a future title shot at 125 pounds. Van’s vaunted boxing carried him to victory yet again, as a late knockdown sealed a victory in which he went toe-to-toe with one of the division’s best. Still just 23 years old, Van has won eight of his nine Octagon appearances.

3. Brandon Royval (17-8) | UFC [2]

Originally slated to face Manel Kape, Royval got more than he bargained for in a short-notice-booking against Joshua Van at UFC 317. While “Raw Dawg” was plenty game during a three-round slugfest, he couldn’t match the tight combinations and punching power of his 23-year-old opponent. Ultimately, a late knockdown sealed the decision loss for Royval, who was on the verge of a second flyweight title shot prior to the defeat.

4. Brandon Moreno (23-8-2) | UFC [3]

Moreno delighted the home crowd at UFC Mexico, taking a hard-fought five-round verdict over Steve Erceg in the evening’s main event at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on March 29. With back-to-back triumphs over Erceg and Amir Albazi, it’s clear that “Assassin Baby” belongs near the top of the flyweight division. After his latest victory, Moreno expressed a desire to fight on the upcoming Noche UFC card set for Guadalajara, Mexico on Sept. 13.

5. Amir Albazi (17-2) | UFC [4]

In his first Octagon appearance since June 2023, Albazi never got going against Brandon Moreno, losing a clear-cut unanimous decision in the UFC Edmonton headliner at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Nov. 2. Not only did “The Prince” suffer his first loss in six Octagon appearances, but he appeared to be a clear level below his Mexican opponent. It’ll be back to the drawing board for Albazi, who could have entered the title discussion had his night gone differently. Next, Albazi will face Japanese prospect Tatsuro Taira in a main event bout on Aug. 2.

6. Kai Kara-France (25-12, 1 NC) | UFC [5]

On the heels of a knockout victory against Steve Erceg, Kara-France’s punching power figured to be a serious threat in his title opportunity against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 317. Instead, “Don’t Blink” appeared to be out of his depth for the entirety of the bout before succumbing to a rear-naked choke in the third stanza at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kara-France has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances dating back to July 2022.

7. Muhammad Mokaev (15-0, 1 NC) | Brave CF [6]

Mokaev is doing his best to stay active since being released by the UFC following a victory over Manel Kape in July 2024. After dispatching the unheralded Joevincent So via first-round submission under the Brave Combat Federation banner in December, “The Punisher” outpointed Thomas Assis in the 971 FC 2 main event on June 14. In between those efforts, Mokaev also earned a TKO victory in a non-MMA booking at Karate Combat. Whether any of his recent efforts earns the soon to be 25-year-old another shot in the UFC remains to be seen.

8. Steve Erceg (12-4) | UFC [7]

Though he actually outstruck Brandon Moreno in the UFC Mexico headliner, Erceg nonetheless lost a unanimous decision to the former flyweight king at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on March 29. After going 3-0 to begin his Octagon tenure, “Astro Boy” has dropped three consecutive outings — albeit all against top-tier competition in Moreno, Kai Kara-France and Alexandre Pantoja. Next, Erceg will square off against Alex Perez on Aug. 9.

9. Manel Kape (21-7) | UFC [8]

Kape continued to make his case for a title shot in the UFC Vegas 103 headliner, as he stopped Asu Almabayev via third-round technical knockout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kape has now won six of his last seven outings. Unfortunately, “Starboy” was forced to withdraw from a pivotal clash against Brandon Royval at UFC 317 due to a broken foot.

10. Tatsuro Taira (16-1) | UFC [9]

Taira wasn’t quite ready to make the leap at UFC Vegas 98, where he dropped a split decision to Brandon Royval in the evening’s main event at the UFC Apex on Oct. 12. The Japanese standout looked dominant at times with his grappling, but his striking wasn’t on the same level — and that proved to be the difference in one of the year’s best fights. Taira’s stock didn’t fall too far in a competitive defeat, and he will return to action against Amir Albazi in a UFC Fight Night headliner on Aug. 2.

Other Contenders: Ramazonbek Temirov, Charles Johnson, Asu Almabaev, Tagir Ulanbekov, Alex Perez.

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