From pound-for-pound legends who defined the division to scrappy underdogs who never got their title shot, the 125-pound weight class has produced no shortage of unforgettable talent. Who tops your list?
1Demetrious JohnsonThe inaugural UFC flyweight champion, widely considered the greatest 125-pound fighter ever with a record 11 consecutive title defenses.1000pts
2Henry CejudoFormer Olympic wrestling gold medalist who dethroned Demetrious Johnson to become UFC flyweight champion.551pts
3John DodsonAn explosive striker and one of the earliest title challengers in UFC flyweight history.551pts
4Askar AskarovA Russian sambo specialist known for his dominant grappling and long unbeaten UFC flyweight run.466pts
5Joshua VanMyanmar-born Houston fighter who took the title from Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 in December 2025, then defended it against Tatsuro Taira and Pantoja in 2026.466pts
6Tim ElliottA durable, high-output flyweight known for his chaotic scrambling style across a long UFC career.466pts
7Sergio PettisA well-rounded contender whose underrated title-era run included wins over several top-ranked flyweights.466pts
8Ian McCallA pioneering early flyweight who fought in the division's first-ever tournament and helped establish the weight class.363pts
9Joseph BenavidezA perennial title contender who went 10-2 in a stretch of dominance without ever capturing UFC gold.363pts
10Alexandre PantojaA relentless Brazilian champion known for his grappling instincts and long reign atop the flyweight division.0pts
11Kai Kara-FranceA hard-hitting New Zealand striker who challenged for the flyweight title and became a fan-favorite finisher.0pts
12Deiveson FigueiredoA two-time UFC flyweight champion known for his explosive power and historic four-fight rivalry with Brandon Moreno.0pts
13Brandon MorenoMexico's first UFC champion, famed for his instant-classic trilogy and tetralogy of fights against Deiveson Figueiredo.0pts
14Manel KapeAngolan-Portuguese former Rizin bantamweight champion whose knockout power made him a top-ranked UFC flyweight, with a win over Brandon Royval.
15Tatsuro TairaJapanese grappler who climbed the rankings with wins over Alex Perez and others and challenged Joshua Van for the title at UFC 328 in May 2026.
16Jussier FormigaBrazilian jiu-jitsu specialist who spent most of the 2010s ranked among the division's top five, beating a string of future and former contenders.
17Kyoji HoriguchiJapanese striker who challenged Demetrious Johnson for the title in 2015, losing to a last-second armbar, and later won titles in Rizin and Bellator.
18John MoragaArizona wrestler who challenged Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title in 2013 and stayed in the division's top ten for years afterwards.
19Ali BagautinovDagestani fighter who earned a title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 174 in 2014 after wins over Tim Elliott and John Lineker.
Photo credits
- Henry Cejudo — Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Manel Kape — Bruno Massami, CC BY 3.0
- Tatsuro Taira — 에이든 우지, CC BY 3.0
- Jussier Formiga — Bruno Massami, CC BY 3.0
- Kyoji Horiguchi — Bruno Massami, CC BY 3.0
- John Moraga — DanTheWolfman, CC BY 3.0
- Ali Bagautinov — Роман Русаков, CC BY 3.0
