Unlike some of MMA's most prominent divisions, bantamweight has a very short history of battles under the sport's brightest lights.
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Because the fighters are smaller in stature than their counterparts in other divisions, bantamweight fights can be explosive affairs with lethal quick striking and a relentless pace.
Some of the finest bantamweight fights in UFC history are among the best in the company’s history, and we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 for you to enjoy!
Here are the fan favorites and our picks for the top five greatest bantamweight fighters of all time.
Dominick Cruz, the UFC’s inaugural bantamweight champion, has a résumé that makes it difficult not to consider him the finest 135-pound fighter of all time. Cruz won 13 consecutive fights at the height of his career. Seven of those battles saw him earn or defend a championship. During his legendary run, he defeated notable fighters such as Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson, TJ Dillashaw, and Urijah Faber to win titles.
Cruz never lost his first-ever UFC bantamweight belt. He was stripped of the championship due to injuries but reclaimed it by beating Dillashaw. Cruz lost the bantamweight belt to Cody Garbrandt in 2016.
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Regardless of only fighting twice in the division, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo established himself as one of the best fighters to have ever competed at 135 pounds. Cejudo chose to test himself by attempting to capture the championship in the next division up as the UFC Flyweight Champion, a title he gained by defeating the most dominating champion in UFC history, Demetrious Johnson.
Cejudo defeated Marlon Moraes to win the vacant championship when TJ Dillashaw was stripped of it due to a failed drug test. He subsequently successfully defended his championship against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in 2020. Cejudo announced his retirement from the sport following the fight. He will now face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288.
He defended the championship once in a rematch against Garbrandt before having it stripped due to a failed drug test. But, TJ Dillashaw has been nearly unbeatable at 135 pounds since his UFC debut in 2011. Despite failing to win The Ultimate Fighter in his debut, Dillashaw went on to win five of his next six fights, earning him a title shot. Dillashaw stunned the world by knocking out Renan Barao to capture the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
During his time in the UFC, Dillashaw has demonstrated not only dominance but also resilience. Dillashaw lost his first championship defense to Dominick Cruz via split decision. He bounced back with victories over John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao to earn another championship opportunity. He defeated Cody Garbrandt to win the bantamweight belt in the second fight.
Despite winning the title under unusual circumstances, current UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has one of the division’s most impressive resumes. Sterling won the bantamweight championship in his previous bout after being the victim of an illegal knee from Petr Yan. Sterling won five consecutive fights to earn his championship match. Sterling’s career highlights include victories against Cory Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz, Jimmie Rivera, and former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao.
Renan Barao, the former UFC Bantamweight Champion, was unbeaten for over a decade, winning 32 consecutive fights. Seven of the fights were held in the infamous octagon. Barao won four championship fights during his winning run. Due to the injury to Dominick Cruz, Barao won an interim championship after defeating Urijah Faber in 2012. Barao went on to successfully defend his temporary championship twice more. He knocked out former WEC champion Eddie Wineland and submitted Michael McDonald.
Barao was eventually upgraded to undisputed champion and defended the title once against Faber in a rematch. TJ Dillashaw defeated him for the championship in 2015.
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