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Flyweight is by far the youngest weight class in the UFC. There wasn't a division for 125-pounders in mixed martial arts' top promotion until 2012.
On top of that, the division has often been criticized for its lack of finishes and looked down upon as MMA's least important division. Flyweights are constantly trying to prove that they belong, and some all-time legends are finally starting to emerge from the division. So check out the gallery to see the five best flyweights in UFC history.
5. Deiveson Figueiredo
Deiveson Figueiredo's time at the top of the flyweight rankings was interrupted by Brandon Moreno. The two fought in four straight bouts, and Figueiredo won only one of those four matchups. They fought to a draw once, and Figueiredo's lone victory over his rival ended in a decision.
Figueiredo's lack of success against Moreno is the only thing holding his flyweight resume back. The fighter, who has since moved up to bantamweight, was 9-1 in the UFC before taking on Moreno. That run included two separate title reigns. Moreno was the first person off of this list, and considering he was also a two-time Flyweight Champion, he had a case to be here over Figueiredo.
Figueiredo has a record of 24-5-1 in comparison to Moreno's 23-8-2 win-loss total, though. He narrowly gets the edge among the greatest UFC flyweights ever for now, but with Moreno still doing work at 125 pounds, he could quickly pass his longtime rival.
4. Joseph Benavidez
Joseph Benavidez first made his name in WEC before the company merged with the UFC. Then he fought at bantamweight before flyweight existed in the company. He had his most success once he was given the possibility to move down to 125 pounds, though.
There, Benavidez became the most active flyweight in UFC history. His 19 fights in the division are a record as are his 13 wins and five knockout victories.
Unfortunately, he was never able to hoist gold as he fought at the same time as Demetrius Johnson. More on Mighty Mouse later, but Benavidez lost to Johnson in two of his three title shots with his third shot at the belt ending in defeat against the next fighter on this list.
Benavidez ended his career with a 28-8 record. While he lost his last three fights before retiring, he had won nine out of 10 before that. He was in the shadow of Johnson, but he is one of the best nonchampions in UFC history, regardless of weight class.
3. Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo is nicknamed Triple C because he was a triple champion. The former gold medalist became one of just four simultaneous champ-champs when he beat Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 to earn the Bantamweight Championship, but he did most of his work before that at flyweight.
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With his background in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo obviously knows how to take his opponents down. He has actually dedicated much of his MMA career to the stand-up, though. He became the Flyweight Champion at UFC 227 when he bested Johnson. At the time, it didn't seem like anybody would defeat the inaugural Flyweight Champion.
Cejudo then defended his belt against TJ Dillashaw before moving up to bantamweight and vacating his first UFC championship belt. Fans wish Cejudo would have stayed at 125 pounds longer, and he temporarily retired way too early in 2020 before making a comeback attempt that has led to three straight losses in the bantamweight division.
Despite all of that, Cejudo's time at 125 pounds was quite memorable. After all, he was the only fighter to beat Johnson in his weight class.
2. Alexandre Pantoja
The current Flyweight Champion is Alexandre Pantoja, and he has been running through the division and all the way to second place among the greatest UFC flyweights ever. The Cannibal is on a seven-fight winning streak, which includes championship victories over Moreno, Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura.
Kai Kara-France is next in line at UFC 317. Pantoja is a force when it comes to grappling, but he is no slouch as a striker. He also has great stamina and a steel chin. Pantoja has a long way to go before he can become the flyweight GOAT, but it is hard to picture any active fighters on the roster slowing him down.
1. Demetrious Johnson
Eleven successful flyweight title defenses, a championship reign of 2,142 days, a flyweight-record five submission victories, 13 straight wins. These statistics can all be used to justify why Johnson is not only the clear-cut best flyweight ever but also one of the best overall UFC fighters in history.
Mighty Mouse was the first-ever Flyweight Champion, and he showed just what the division can bring to the table by dominating with speed and a mastering of jiu-jitsu. Johnson's technical ability was on display every night he stepped foot in the octagon, but there is no better example of how talented he was than when he submitted Ray Borg with a flying armbar at UFC 216.
When Cejudo finally ended Johnson's reign, he was traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren. It was an unprecedented move in the sport, and while Johnson's time in ONE has no bearing on his rating here, he did continue to thrive in that promotion as well.
