In the main event of UFC 323, two of the best bantamweights in the world faced off for a second time when current division king Meab Dvalishvili defended his gold against former champ Petr Yan. In a career-defining moment, the world saw the greatest version ever of the Russian, and he became a two-time 135-pound champion.
Let’s take a look at the new pecking order in the UFC bantamweight rankings following UFC 323.
10. Marlon Vera (23-11-1)
Marlon Vera has been one of the division’s most entertaining fighters over the last five years. However, while he did eventually get himself a title opportunity, in the biggest fights of his career, he has often come up short. Now, he has started to lose to fighters he was expected to beat.
That was the case at UFC Vancouver as he was outworked and outpointed by Aiemann Zahabi. It was his third straight setback in the Octagon, and it has him on the verge of falling out of the top 10.
9. Mario Bautista (16-3)
After losing two of his first four inside the Octagon, Mario Bautista has caught fire. The MMA Lab fighter won eight straight, including over UFC legend Jose Aldo, and most recently against former Bellator champion, Patchy Mix. There is no doubt Bautista is a legit top 10 135er in the world.
In his biggest opportunity yet, he battled former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov on the main card of UFC 321. Despite his best efforts, he came up short by unanimous decision.
8. Yadong Song (22-8-1)
Yadong Song has long been seen as a fighter with the potential to fight for gold one day. However, after putting a few wins together, he always seems to be halted by a key loss to one of the division’s elites. However, he has a strong resume, and adding Henry Cejudo to his list of wins in February keeps his place in the top 10 in very good standing.
7. Aiemann Zahabi (14-2)
After a pair of losses, Aiemann Zahabi was probably one more loss away from having to look for a job elsewhere. However, over the last four years, he has won seven straight, including a huge UFC 315 win over living legend Jose Aldo. Yet that was not the peak moment of his current hot streak.
At UFC Vancouver in October, he scored another big win over a ranked foe when he got the split-decision over former title challenger Marlon Vera. The Canadian seems to just be hitting his prime at 37 years old.
6. Deiveson Figueiredo (24-5-1)
Former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo had a strong start to his move up to 135 pounds, including wins over one-time champ Cody Garbrandt and fan-favorite Marlon Vera. However, back-to-back losses, including a worrisome knee injury during his most recent loss in May, have completely cooled talk of a title fight at bantamweight. Still, the Brazilian is a legit top 10-level fighter and deserving of a spot in our UFC bantamweight rankings.
5. Cory Sandhagen (18-6)
Cory Sandhagen has been many fight fans’ favorite bantamweight for several years. He is gutsy, highly skilled, and rarely in a boring fight. In September, he was finally able to lock up an elusive title opportunity at UFC 320. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was just the latest victim of bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili. One has to wonder if he will be able to get back to a chance at the gold after it took him seven years before he finally got a championship fight.
4. Sean O’Malley (18-3-1)
Former champ Sean O’Malley is one of the UFC’s most popular fighters. He has the unique look, charisma, and most importantly, the knockout striking that turns fighters into stars. However, his back-to-back losses to the division’s current champ have pushed “Suga” to the back of the contender line. While he still has a sizable fan base, he won’t be fighting for gold again, at least until late 2026.
3. Umar Nurmagomedov (19-1)
Umar Nurmagomedov has quietly been one of the best bantamweights in the world for quite some time. In January, he had the chance to be the second Nurmagomedov to win gold in the UFC, but came up just short. Nevertheless, in that fight against champion Merab Dvalishvili, he showed his well-rounded talents and that he is not far off from being a world champion in the near future.
In his first bout since the setback, he took on the challenge of red-hot, ranked 135-pounder Mario Bautista. It was a dangerous matchup for the Russian, but he proved there are levels to this and scored a unanimous decision win. Keeping him in the running for a title fight in 2026.
2. Merab Dvalishvili (21-5)
Merab Dvalishvili truly is “The Machine.” His relentlessness and wrestling have turned him into one of the greatest bantamweights of all time. If there were any doubters after his 2024 win over Sean O’Malley, he silenced them with a decisive rematch victory, as well as two other title defenses.
However, staying at the top is always tough, and his title reign came to a definitive end at UFC 323 at the hands of Petr Yan. While he is no longer the champ, his place in division history is set.
1. Petr Yan (20-5)
Three straight losses had many wondering if Petr Yan’s days as a top-five bantamweight were over. However, his recent wins over Yadon Song, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee helped rebuild his title contender status. Earning a title shot at UFC 323.
In a rematch with a man who defeated him two years ago, the Russian was the greatest version of himself as he decisively defeated Merab Dvalishvili to become a two-time bantamweight champion. “No Mercy” proved he is completely back to being an elite fighter in the world.
