Updated UFC Flyweight Rankings After UFC Qatar: Horiguchi Makes Destructive Return to Top 10
On Saturday, UFC Qatar featured a pair of major matchups at flyweight. On the prelims, Asu Almabayev looked to hold on to his spot in the top 10 when he took on talented veteran Alex Perez. And on the main card, former Rizin and Bellator champion Kyoji Horiguchi made his return to the UFC after nine years in a tough matchup against Tagir Ulanbekov.
Let’s look at how the UFC flyweight rankings were affected by the pair of bouts this weekend.
10. Tim Elliott (21-13-1)
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Tim Elliott will probably never win UFC gold, but he continues to remain among the best flyweights in the world. He proved that once again at UFC 319 when he was a big underdog against much hyped former Rizin champ Kai Asakara, and scored a stunning submission win. It doesn’t ever look pretty, but Elliott knows how to win at the highest levels of the sport.
9. Kyoji Horiguchi (35-5)
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After leaving the UFC nearly a decade ago, Kyoji Horiguchi put together a fantastic run and has long been viewed as the best flyweight outside the company. While he has had some notable setbacks in recent years, there is no denying his resume, including a run as a dual Rizin and Bellator champion.
In November, he made his long-awaited return in a matchup with a top-15 talent in Tagir Ulanbekov. Over three rounds, the 35-year-old showed why he remains an elite talent and could make a run at a title shot in 2026.
8. Joshua Van (15-2)
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Joshua Van has quietly put together an impressive run in the Octagon. The 23-year-old already has nine fights inside the UFC and scored his biggest win yet at UFC 317. He was matched up with top-five stalwart Brandon Royval and scored a hard-fought career-defining decision victory. The Myanmar native is set up for a big fight later this year.
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Former M1 and Brave CF star Asu Almabayev entered the UFC having won 13 straight. He extended his hot streak inside the Octagon by winning his first four fights and scored victories over top 15 fighters Matheus Nicolau and Ode Osbourne. Unfortunately, when he took a big step up in competition against Manel Kape in March, he suffered his first loss in eight years.
However, he has bounced back from the setback with a pair of victories, including a big submission win over top-15 stalwart Alex Perez in November.
6. Manel Kape (21-7)
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It hasn’t always been easy for Manel Kape in the UFC, but “Starboy” remains one of the division’s most exciting fighters. In his last seven fights, he is 6-1 with four finishes. One of the biggest knocks on his Octagon resume is the lack of marquee wins. While Asu Almabayev isn’t a household name, he is still a ranked foe. Giving Kape the sort of win he needs to jump into the title contention conversation this year.
5. Brandon Royval (17-8)
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Brandon Royval has quietly been one of the best 125-pound fighters in the world for quite some time. While he has come up short in some big fights, he owns a few impressive victories, including one over former division king Brandon Moreno. However, fighting the best constantly comes with risk. At UFC 317, he took on the challenge of rising star Joshua Van and was surprisingly outgunned by the 23-year-old. The loss puts a serious dent in his title hopes over the next year.
4. Tatsuro Taira (17-1)
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It has been a very long time since Japan has had a fighter representing the country at the highest levels of the sport. However, unbeaten prospect Tatsuro Taira has put the land of the rising sun back on the UFC map over the last year.
At UFC Vegas 98, he got a huge test in former title challenger Brandon Royval. And while he was not victorious, he showed he could compete with the best of the best in a split-decision loss to the American. In August, he made his return with a dominant second-round submission over Hyun Sung Park. It was his 13th finish in 17 career wins.
3. Amir Albazi (17-2)
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Amir Albazi was one of the hottest fighters in the 125-pound division heading into his UFC Edmonton clash with former champion Brandon Moreno. He had won six straight, including over a top-10 fighter, Kai Kara-France. Unfortunately for him, Moreno showed there are levels to this and soundly defeated him in November. Now the native of Iraq must go back to the drawing board and rebuild his contender’s resume.
2. Brandon Moreno (22-8-2)
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Few flyweights have been better than Brandon Moreno. He has been a part of some of the greatest fights in division history and is a two-time champion. However, some wondered if his best days were behind him after a pair of losses. But he has shut up all the doubters in his last two fights by scoring decisive wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg. The Mexican legend may not get a title fight soon, but he remains among the very best 125-pounders on the planet.
1. Alexandre Pantoja (30-5)
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Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja has had a long, hard road to becoming the UFC flyweight king. He toiled away inside the division for years before he was finally able to earn a title fight at UFC 290. In his first chance at being champion, he made good by scoring a second (third unofficial) win over division king Brandon Moreno.
He has been on a roll ever since and is putting himself in the discussion as one of the best 125ers of all time. At UFC 317, he extended his win streak to eight straight with another dominant win, this time over Kai Kara-France. Pantoja has a case as the best flyweight ever, not named Demetrious Johnson.
After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka … More about Jason Burgos
