UFC 323 featured a pair of huge matchups in the UFC flyweight rankings. In the co-main event, division king Alexandre Pantoja defended his gold against fast-rising star Joshuan Van. Plus, early on the main card, 125-pound legend Brandon Moreno took on dangerous Japanese fighter Tatsuro Taira.
Following a couple of major matchups in the top 10, let’s see how the UFC flyweight rankings now look after UFC 323.
10. Tim Elliott (21-13-1)
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)
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. Asu Almabayev (22-3)
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.
7. Manel Kape (21-7)
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.
6. Brandon Royval (17-8)
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.
5. Amir Albazi (17-2)
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.
4. Brandon Moreno (22-9-2)
Few flyweights have been better than Brandon Moreno in division history. He has been a part of some of the greatest fights in the weight class and is a two-time champion. However, some wondered if his best days were behind him after a pair of losses. He quieted those doubters in his last two fights by scoring decisive wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg.
Unfortunately, competing at the highest levels all the time is difficult. At UFC 323, he faced another top-five talent in Tatsuro Taira. Things did not go his way, and while some will feel it was an early stoppage, there the Japanese star handed the Mexican the first TKO loss of his career at the event.
3. Joshua Van (16-2)
Joshua Van has quietly put together an impressive run in the Octagon. At UFC 317, he got a massive opportunity in a clash with top-five stalwart Brandon Royval and scored a hard-fought career-defining decision victory. The win earned the Myanmar native a championship opportunity at UFC 323.
In the co-main event of the card, he became the second-youngest champion, but it was bittersweet after Pantoja suffered a freak non-contact injury to his elbow that forced an immediate end to the fight in Round 1. He is the new king of the division, but he didn’t earn the top spot in that fight.
2. Tatsuro Taira (18-1)
It has been a very long time since Japan has had a fighter representing the country at the highest levels of the sport. However, former Shooto champ Tatsuro Taira has a real chance to eventually be the first UFC champ from the land of the rising sun.
After nine fights, he is 8-1 with one razor-thin loss to Brandon Royal. However, at UFC 323, he likely elevated himself into a title opportunity in 2026 with a huge TKO win over division legend Brandon Moreno.
1. Alexandre Pantoja (30-5)
Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja 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 a dominant champion since, scoring wins over Brandon Royval and a second win against Moreno. However, his reign came to an unfair end at UFC 323 when a non-contact injury to his elbow forced the fight to be stopped early in Round 1. Due to the freak incident, he holds on to his top spot in our latest UFC flyweight rankings.
