Top 5 flyweights in UFC history

The co-main event of UFC 270 will see Brandon Moreno defend his flyweight title in a trilogy bout against Deiveson Figueiredo. The pair make up two of the four flyweight champions since the UFC started the division. With that being said, just where do they rank in the top five flyweights in UFC history?

The flyweight division is the most recent men's division to be added, meaning it doesn't have the wealth of history other weight classes do. A four-man tournament was devised to determine the inaugural champion in 2012 and the flyweights have been entertaining fans ever since.

While flyweights don't tend to carry the same amount of power as heavier fighters, they bring a level of speed to the table that is unparalleled. This has resulted in some amazing action over the years and, while the division appeared to be in jeopardy at one point, it now seems secure as a permanent fixture.

With so many great fighters gracing the division since its inception, narrowing it down to a top five all-time is no simple task. In doing so, the overall record in the division, title reigns and defense and the quality of wins have all been taken into account.

Here are the top five in UFC history:

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#5. Joseph Benavidez - 4x UFC flyweight title challenger

Benavidez went 13-6 in the octagon as a flyweightt

Joseph Benavidez never managed to win flyweight gold. However, he repeatedly challenged for the belt between 2012 and 2020, consistently proving himself to be one of the best flyweights on the planet over an impressive length of time. Due to this, Benavidez has earned his spot among the greatest flyweights in history.

Benavidez first entered the octagon as a bantamweight and only ever lost at that weight to one Dominick Cruz. He then found his home at 125 lbs, amassing a 13-6 record at flyweight. The losses the American suffered were nothing to be scoffed at either.

His defeats came twice in title fights with Demetrious Johnson, one to current Bellator champion Sergio Pettis, two more title defeats to Deiveson Figueiredo and one to undefeated Askar Askarov. This latest loss led to the veteran retiring but he left his mark as one of the greatest to ever do it at 125 lbs.

#4. Brandon Moreno - current UFC flyweight champion

Moreno is 7-2-2 in the octagon as a flyweight

The current UFC flyweight champion faces a big test this Saturday which will determine how far up this list Brandon Moreno can climb. While he has done incredibly well to get to where he is today, the Mexican is yet to record his first title defense, so at this point it is tough to justify ranking him any higher.

Moreno has spent the entirety of his octagon career at flyweight, earning an octagon record of 7-2-2. His two defeats came one after the other which led to his UFC release. However, he's bounced back in spectacular fashion. Since returning, Moreno has gone 4-0-2 and claimed the flyweight title in his last fight.

While Moreno only comes in at number four for the moment, he may be better placed to climb these rankings than anyone else. At just 28 years old, 'The Assassin Baby' could be poised for a lengthy run atop the division should he get past Figueiredo on Saturday.

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#3. Deiveson Figueredo - former UFC flyweight champion

Figueredo is 8-2-1 in the octagon as a flyweight

While Deiveson Figueiredo's stock took a significant hit last time out when he lost to Brandon Moreno, the Brazilian's record at flyweight speaks for itself. Figueiredo has spent his entire career at flyweight and his octagon record of 9-2-1 doesn't tell the whole story with seven of these wins coming inside the distance.

The major blot on his record is his rivalry with Moreno as he is currently 0-1-1 in that series. However, Figueiredo does have a successful title defense under his belt and would have won gold sooner had he made weight in his first fight with Joseph Benavidez.

Should Figueiredo win on Saturday, he would likely move up these rankings and become the second-best flyweight in UFC history. After that, if he is able to put together a lengthy title run, maybe he could one day take the top spot.

#2. Henry Cejudo - former UFC flyweight champion

Cejudo went 7-2 in the octagon as a flyweight

While Henry Cejudo has been in the news recently in the UFC for his interest in pursuing a fight at featherweight, his contributions to the flyweight division should not be overlooked. In fact, if Cejudo had lost to T.J. Dillashaw in 2019, the flyweight division could easily have disappeared from the promotion for good.

Having won freestyle wrestling gold at the 2008 Olympics, Cejudo made his octagon debut at bantamweight. He then dropped down to 125 lbs. Cejudo's first attempt to win the gold from Demetrious Johnson was unsuccessful. However, he was able to win the rematch at UFC 227 to snatch away the title.

Cejudo's only title defense at flyweight was the division-saving win over Dillashaw. From there, he moved up to win a second championship at bantamweight and while he has since retired, it certainly seems like he is interested in one day returning to the octagon.

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#1. Demetrious Johnson - former UFC flyweight champion

Johnson went 11-1-1 in the octagon as a flyweight

One only has to look at the number of successful title defenses Demetrious Johnson has had at flyweight to see why he is ranked number one. 'Mighty Mouse' defended the belt a record-breaking 11 consecutive times. Figueiredo holds second place in this regard with one win and one draw as champion.

Johnson was the inaugural champion at flyweight and held the belt from 2012 to 2018 when he lost the gold via split decision to Henry Cejudo. That was the last time he competed inside the octagon as Johnson was traded to ONE championship. Since that loss, he has gone 3-1 during his spell with the Asian promotion.

Johnson has secured a vice grip on flyweight GOAT status and it will be incredibly tough to knock him off the top spot. He has set the benchmark and it is now up to future flyweights to see if they can surpass his unbelievably high standards.