Jason Burgos
The UFC bantamweight rankings showcase a division that has evolved into arguably the most talent-rich in the sport. Where lightweight was once considered the deepest weight class in the promotion, 135 pounds has surpassed it with an impressive and wide variety of fighters. With that in mind, here is the official Sportsnaut top-10 for the organization’s bantamweight class.
10. Marlon Vera (23-12-1)
Marlon Vera has been one of the division’s most entertaining fighters over the last six years. However, while he did eventually get himself a title opportunity, he has gone into a steep decline since trying to take the top spot at the mountaintop.
The fan-favorite Ecuadorian has lost four straight, with his latest coming in February as he came up just short in a clash with David Martinez in Mexico City. “Chito’s” days as a top-10 fighter seem to be numbered.
9. Yadong Song (23-9-1)
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.
Heading into his UFC Macau clash with Deiveson Figueiredo, he had lost two of his last four. In May, he earned one of the best wins of his career when he submitted the former flyweight champion in Round 2 of their main event matchup.
8. Aiemann Zahabi (14-3)
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 five years, he has won seven straight, including a huge UFC 315 win over living legend Jose Aldo, then in his native Canada over Marlon Vera.
He got the biggest opportunity of his career at UFC Freedom 250 when he took on former champion Sean O’Malley. Unfortunately for him, he was outclassed and knocked out in Round 2. The loss probably ends the 38-year-old’s hopes of ever fighting for UFC gold.
7. Cory Sandhagen (18-7)
Cory Sandhagen has been many fight fans’ favorite bantamweight for several years. He is gutsy, highly skilled, and rarely in a boring fight. In October 2025, he finally got an elusive title opportunity at UFC 320. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was just another victim of former bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili.
Sandhagen was back in the Octagon at UFC 329 but was outworked by rising star Mario Bautista. He has now lost three of his last four and is as far outside the title picture as he has ever been.
6. David Martinez (14-1)
After an outstanding run in Combate Global, where he went 10-1, David Martinez has emerged as a top 10 bantamweight in the No. 1 company in the world, the UFC. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, he has reeled off three straight wins in the Octagon. Including a big victory over Marlon Vera in February. He has fairly earned his spot in our rankings after winning 10 straight overall.
5. Mario Bautista (18-3)
Since his UFC debut seven years ago, Mario Bautista has steadily climbed the rankings. Scoring wins over top 15 talent like Jose Aldo and Ricky Simon. However, the biggest win of his career came at UFC 329 when he got a chance at revenge against Cory Sandhagen. The man who beat him in his UFC debut.
After three hard-fought rounds, the MMA Lab product earned a decision win and is right on the cusp of a title opportunity in the next year.
4. Umar Nurmagomedov (20-1)
Umar Nurmagomedov has been one of the best bantamweights in the world for quite some time. Last year, 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.
Since he has posted a pair of decisive decision wins, the most recent came at UFC 324 against former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo.
3. Sean O’Malley (20-3)
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 former champ have pushed “Suga” to the back of the contender line. But he has found new momentum in recent fights.
He was in a must-win situation at UFC 324 if he ever wanted to fight for gold again. In a hard-fought bout, he got a big W against top-10 fighter Yadong Song. O’Malley then followed it up with a TKO win over a surging Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250. The win may have earned him a title shot in his next bout.
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.
