
UFC Unfiltered
For the first time in a long time, the bantamweight title picture has some real clarity to it. Aljamain Sterling successfully defended the undisputed belt for a record-setting third consecutive time as he turned away former champ Henry Cejudo via split decision in New Jersey. Afterward, “Suga” Sean O’Malley joined Sterling in the Octagon, and the two took to building their fight up right away.
That said, there’s still myriad challengers for whomever comes away with the belt after that fight, so let’s take a look at where the bantamweight division stands at present:
Last Fight: Split Decision Win vs Henry Cejudo (5/6/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: “Funkmaster” pulled out a high-level, gritty victory over the self-proclaimed “Triple C” in New Jersey, and he now has a legitimate case to call himself the most accomplished bantamweight ever (although Dominick Cruz has a mightily decorated case against that). That aside, it’s time for Sterling to get his flowers after extending his undefeated run to nine. Stylistically, his matchup against O’Malley plays well into his favor considering his grappling prowess. Whether that fight comes in the end of the summer or early fall, it is certainly one of the more high-profile fights to make right now, and it could add yet another notch to Sterling’s quality list of accomplishments. He made his goals clear ahead of the Cejudo fight: beat Cejudo, beat O’Malley and move up to featherweight. He’s a third of the way there now.
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Win vs Petr Yan (3/11/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia punches Petr Yan of Russia in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on March 11, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Outlook: We all deserve a loyal friend in our life like Merab Dvalishvili. Never once has “The Machine” wavered on his refusal to fight Sterling for the title despite his clear status as the No. 1 contender. That puts him in the position of title-shot gatekeeper for most hopeful contenders until Sterling ultimately moves up a weight class. For now, Dvalishvili’s next move is up in the air. Cory Sandhagen made the rare move of calling him out, so that’s a fight that could easily be made at some point to keep both in the picture past the upcoming title fight, but Dvalisvhili was also the name on the tip of Cejudo’s tongue, as well. Regardless, the menace that is Merab will wreak havoc on whatever path is laid before him.
Last Fight: Split Decision Win vs Petr Yan (10/22/2022)
Next fight: N/A
Sean O'Malley punches Petr Yan of Russia in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 280 event at Etihad Arena on October 22, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Outlook: It’s hard to dispute the fact that O’Malley has played his last few years perfectly. Since his return from a two-year layoff from 2018 to 2020, “Sugar” has fought frequently (eight times from March 2020 to October 2022) and impressively (six wins, five finishes), if not always against the most notable competition. However, the level and frequency of entertaining performances led him to an opportunity against former champ Petr Yan, and he came away with the split decision win, cementing himself as a legitimate title contender. After his in-Octagon appearance at UFC 288, the stage is set for “The Sugar Show.” The technicolor striker has made his recent love for grappling known, but it’ll get tested in full against Sterling. Few if any bantamweights can match O’Malley’s combination of size, speed and power. Now, it’s time to finally see if he can create that spectacular moment against someone of Sterling’s caliber and skill set.
Last Fight: Split Decision Loss vs Aljamain Sterling (5/6/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Henry Cejudo knees Aljamain Sterling in the UFC bantamweight championship fight during the UFC 288 event at Prudential Center on May 06, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Outlook: Even in defeat, Cejudo – coming off three years away – was impressive in his return to action. The result against Sterling could’ve gone either way, and considering the struggles of fighters older than 35 in lighter weight classes when it comes to championship fights, “Triple C” reminded everyone he is much more than The King of Cringe. That all said, it’s hard to see where Cejudo goes from here, and he relayed as much after the fight. He is in this to prove he is the best, and losing to Sterling threw a wrench in his plans to chase a third belt at featherweight. It felt like Cejudo might go back into retirement, but as he is wont to do, he has made noise on social media about fighting Dvalishvili. Whether that happens is uncertain, but Cejudo certainly showed he is more than capable of being that ultimate competitor at an advanced age.
Last Fight: Split Decision Win vs Marlon Vera (3/25/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Cory Sandhagen knees Marlon Vera of Ecuador in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at AT&T Center on March 25, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Outlook: After dropping decisions to TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan in 2021, Sandhagen bounced back looking better than ever in his TKO win over Song Yadong and split decision win over Marlon “Chito” Vera. In typical fashion, Sandhagen believes he doesn’t deserve a title shot until he gets past Dvalishvili and he called his shot in San Antonio. Whether that fight comes to fruition is yet to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine another top contender calling out the Georgian any time soon. Sandhagen is likely one more win away from a clear spot as the next title contender.
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Loss vs Merab Dvalishvili (3/11/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Petr Yan of Russia celebrates after his victory over Cory Sandhagen in the UFC interim bantamweight championship fight during the UFC 267 event at Etihad Arena on October 30, 2021 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Outlook: The peculiar case of Petr Yan continues. The illegal knee he threw against Sterling remains one of the biggest “what ifs” in recent memory, considering his dominant run to the title. Since then, he has lost three in a row. It says something about his strength of schedule and quality of performances that he remains in the Top 5 without any real controversy. However, he is obviously in desperate need of a win. Fights against Vera, Rob Font or Song Yadong all make sense, as does one against Cejudo if the former two-division champ is indeed staying around.
Outlook: Bantamweight is probably the deepest division in the UFC at the moment. Little separates the Top 15 and those on the fringe, and there are truly no straightforward, easy fights. Dominant and entertaining win streaks aren’t enough to get a shot at the title, as Vera learned, and he hopes to bounce back from a disappointing outing against Sandhagen. Fights against Yan and Font make sense for him, and if O’Malley gets past Sterling, there is plenty of narrative there.
For Font, the New England Cartel representative emphatically earned a must-win fight against the surging Adrian Yanez to cement himself in the outer ring of the title picture for the time being. After tough losses to José Aldo and Vera, he needed a big result, and a first-round KO was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Speaking of bounce-back wins, Song Yadong did as much in his fifth-round knockout win over Ricky Simon. It was exactly the kind of performance that you want to see from a younger fighter, especially coming off a loss where he was competitive but not as impressive. He is likely China’s best chance at a male champion right now, and he showed as much against Simon.
On the outside looking in is Umar Nurmagomedov. “Cousin Umar” is a fight few people seem eager to take, but he is an immensely intriguing test for everyone in the Top 10.