Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Flyweight

1. Demetrious Johnson (23-2-1)

Johnson continues to reign supreme over the 125-pound division. His latest feat came at UFC 191, where the 29-year-old defended his belt for the seventh time with a lopsided decision over John Dodson. In a little less than three years as champion, “Mighty Mouse” has taken out all contenders in his division, and he has done so in convincing fashion. Johnson will carry a nine-fight winning streak into his next appearance.

2. Joseph Benavidez (23-4)

Benavidez extended his winning streak to four with a tactical decision win over returning Russian slugger Ali Bagautinov at UFC 192. The Team Alpha Male fighter has a stranglehold on the No. 2 spot at flyweight but is stuck behind Demetrious Johnson, a man to whom he has lost twice. If he continues to knock off contenders, however, it may become impossible to deny Benavidez a third shot at the crown. Benavidez will go for his fifth straight win on Feb. 6 when he meets Zach Makovsky at UFC 196.

3. John Dodson (17-7)

Try as he might, Dodson could neither will nor talk himself to victory against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in the UFC 191 main event on Sept. 5. “The Magician” was victimized for a second time by Johnson, as he dropped a unanimous decision in a rematch that never felt competitive. Dodson now finds himself in divisional limbo, having lost to the champion twice in the span of five fights.

4. Henry Cejudo (10-0)

Cejudo continued to flex his developing standup game in a Nov. 21 bout with Jussier da Silva, and his decision to strike with the Brazilian submission specialist paid off in the form of a three-round split verdict. The win, in all likelihood, puts Cejudo in line for a crack at dominant UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in 2016.

5. Jussier da Silva (18-4)

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace “Formiga” once again found himself on the brink of UFC title contention, but he was unable to get anything going against Henry Cejudo in a Nov. 21 decision loss contested mostly on the feet. Da Silva’s 4-3 Octagon record is deceptive, as those three defeats have come against some of the division’s best, but his losses have come at crucial points and kept him from fighting for gold.

6. Ian McCall (13-5-1)

McCall got off to a strong start in his rescheduled bout with John Lineker at UFC 183, but the Brazilian turned up the heat in rounds two and three, eventually taking a unanimous decision over “Uncle Creepy.” While the loss stopped any immediate thought of McCall earning a third bout with Demetrious Johnson, it did not impact the 31-year-old’s ranking due to Lineker weighing in at 130 pounds. McCall was slated to rematch Dustin Ortiz on Aug. 8 but withdrew from the bout with an injury.

7. Zach Makovsky (19-6)

Makovsky’s left hand found its target throughout his UFC 187 meeting with John Dodson, but the former Bellator champion failed to do enough to earn the judges’ nod. Since a hot 2-0 start to his Octagon run, “Fun Size” has dropped two of his last three, with all five of his UFC bouts going to the scorecards. Makovsky will try to get back on track at UFC 196 when he faces perennial contender Joseph Benavidez.

8. John Moraga (16-4)

Despite finding some success on the feet at UFC 187, Moraga was ultimately overwhelmed by the takedowns and ground-and-pound of Joseph Benavidez, who pocketed a unanimous decision after three rounds. “Chicano John” continues to be a tough out for most flyweights but has come up short against the division’s elite during his 5-3 Octagon run.

9. Kyoji Horiguchi (16-2)

In his first fight since a failed bid to take Demetrious Johnson’s title, Horiguchi bounced back with a strong showing against Chico Camus on Sept. 27 in Japan. The 25-year-old was in top form as he used superior speed and movement to beat Camus to the punch across 15 minutes. The unanimous decision moved Horiguchi’s Octagon record to 5-1.

10. Dustin Ortiz (15-4)

Ortiz nullified the offensive firepower of Willie Gates in their Aug. 8 duel, repeatedly flooring the late replacement -- a fill-in for Ian McCall -- and punching his way to a third-round stoppage before a hometown crowd in Nashville. Ortiz’s first finish since his Octagon debut in 2013 put him back in the win column after dropping a decision to Joseph Benavidez in November. He will be back on the cage on Jan. 30, when he faces Wilson Reis at UFC on Fox 18.

Other Contenders: Kairat Akhmetov, Ray Borg, Adriano Moraes, Wilson Reis, Louis Smolka.

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