UFC Bantamweight Rankings: Rob Font Returns To Top 10 After Much-Needed Win At UFC Vegas 99

Rob Font has been a top-10 level 135-pounder for the last half-decade. However, heading into his October fight against Kyler Phillips he needed a win badly. He lost four of his last five (all to elite competition) and was bounced from our UFC bantamweight rankings. However, he changed camps and came back with a vengeance. Scoring a big win over a fast-rising star at UFC Vegas 99.

9. Henry Cejudo (16-4)

After three years away from the sport, former two-division champion Henry Cejudo made his Octagon return in May. Unfortunately, he was unable to extend his UFC win streak to seven when he fell by unanimous decision to champion Aljamain Sterling. In defeat, he showed he still has elite-level talent and is willing to climb the ladder to the top.

However, he was dominantly beaten by Sterling’s pal Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. At this point, it is unclear if Cejudo will continue his career with him well out of the title picture now.

8. Yadong Song (20-7)

Yadong Song has been one of the better fighters in the division over the last five years. He has scored some strong wins, including over former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes. However, after a two-fight win streak, he came up short in a big fight against former division king Petr Yan. The loss was a major setback for his title hopes in the near future.

7. Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3)

Some certainly questioned if Deiveson Figueiredo could have the same level of success when he moved from flyweight to bantamweight. But in three fights, he has quickly quieted those doubts with big wins over top-10 stalwarts and one former champion. His most recent victory over Marlon Vera was a huge message to the division on how real he is as a potential title contender.

6. Petr Yan (16-5)

After losing three straight and four of his previous five, Petr Yan got a big bounce-back victory in March against Yadong Song. It showed that he is still among the very best in the division and that concerns he may be past his prime were exaggerated. It will be interesting to see how the promotion books him over the next year. Does he get pushed towards another title opportunity or is used as a big name to create money fights around?

5. Marlon Vera (21-8-1)

Marlon Vera is legitimately one of the best bantamweights on the planet. And his knockout wins over a pair of UFC immortals, Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz, stamped his place in the weight class. He is a tough out in every fight he is in, however, he has failed in some big opportunities that might have landed him a title fight in losses to Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen over the last few years.

Nevertheless, his win at UFC 292 keeps him right in the thick of title contention and he may be a win away from getting his long sought-after championship booking.

4. Umar Nurmagomedov (17-0)

Umar Nurmagomedov has quickly become a fighter to watch in the UFC bantamweight division. Not just because he shares a last name with one of the best fighters in promotion history, but because he has evolved into an elite prospect with world-champion potential.

He has been impressive over his first five bouts in the UFC and continued that consistent dominance with another dominant win at UFC Vegas 87. Nurmagomedov has earned a chance against one of the studs in the bantamweight top five and could push himself into serious title contention with a big win in the summer.

3. Cory Sandhagen (16-4)

Despite his recent setbacks to TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan, Cory Sandhagen is still was of the most dangerous fighters in the division. He showed that again at UFC Vegas 61 when he sliced open rising star Yadong Song with an elbow and eventually got a fourth-round TKO from a doctor stoppage.

At UFC San Antonio he put on another display of his elite talent in a highly anticipated affair with Marlon Vera where he won nearly every round and pushed himself right back toward the front of the contender line. Then at UFC Nashville, he scored a third straight win with another dominant showing, this time over Rob Font.

If Sandhagen isn’t in a title bout next he should be in a title eliminator.

2. Sean O’Malley (18-2-1)

Sean O’Malley has been a divisive talent in the UFC since he first entered the company. Many have questioned his rise by claiming he received favorable matchups and avoided certain competition. Nevertheless, “Sugar” worked his way to a title fight with his impressive showings and a big victory over former champion Petr Yan in 2022.

There were still many doubters when he entered the Octagon against Sterling at UFC 292, but he needed a little over five minutes to put that all to rest. Following a dominant title defense against Marlon Vera, he found out what makes Merab Dvalishvili different and lost his spot at the top of the UFC bantamweight rankings at UFC 306.

1. Merab Dvalishvili (18-4)

After losing back-to-back fights, Merab Dvalishvili really has been a “Machine.” He has won 11 straight, including over bantamweight greats Henry Cejudo, Jose Aldo, and Petr Yan. However, his UFC 306 win over Sean O’Malley made him a bonafide MMA star. It also landed him in our latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings top 10.