Fighters to Watch 2022: Flyweights
The 125-pound ranks on both sides of the roster continue to grow deeper, making each amongst the most intriguing in the UFC in 2022
The flyweight divisions are going to be tremendously entertaining in the coming year.
On the women’s side of the roster, dominant champion Valentina Shevchenko still has new challengers climbing the ranks to test themselves against her brilliance, and a bevy of young hopefuls made a serious impact in 2021, establishing themselves as some of the brightest new names in the UFC.
On the men’s side, Brandon Moreno made good on his promise to one day be champion and will have to earn a second straight win over Deiveson Figueiredo later this month in order to solidify his position as top man. Just a few short years after seemingly heading towards being shuttered, the 125-pound ranks are brimming with talent, most of whom are fresh names with very little history with the champion or one another, creating ample opportunities for exciting new pairings in the coming year.
Check out previous instalments in the Fighters to Watch 2022 series here (number of athletes discussed in parenthesis):
Strawweights (29)
FLYWEIGHTS
CHAMPION: VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO
There might not be a more complete fighter on the planet right now than Shevchenko, who posted a third straight year with twin successful title defences in 2021.
In April, she dispatched Jessica Andrade with relative ease, and in September, she effectively pitched a shutout against Lauren Murphy for four rounds before the challenger was granted a stay of execution and the fight was halted. Shevchenko is a perfect 8-0 in the 125-pound ranks, 11-2 in the UFC, and shows no signs of slowing down or letting up.
She also owns a win over the newly minted bantamweight titleholder Julianna Peña as well, which adds an interesting potential wrinkle to what may lie ahead for the 33-year-old superstar in 2022. With Peña’s victory, Shevchenko became the longest reigning champion in the UFC at the moment, and while there are scores of fresh, young fighters looking to work their way into position to try to dethrone her, no one has even come close yet and betting that someone will accomplish the feat in the coming year comes with understandably long odds.
MARIYA AGAPOVA (above): the 24-year-old from Kazakhstan made her return after more than a year away in October and got back into the win column with a dominant effort and third-round finish against Sabina Mazo. Agapova has strong fundamentals and loads of swagger, and if she can consistently put it all together the way she did in 2021, she should be a Top 15 force for years to come.
JESSICA ANDRADE: the former strawweight titleholder was expected to be Shevchenko’s toughest test since moving to the 125-pound weight class, but instead, Andrade got thoroughly out-worked and finished inside of two rounds. She rebounded with another dominant performance of her own at UFC 265, stopping Cynthia Calvillo in the first, and should remain one of the two contenders standing head-and-shoulders ahead of the rest of the pack at the moment.
VIVIANE ARAUJO: they say comparison is the thief of joy, but it’s such a useful tool, especially when trying to explain where a fighter fits in a certain division or what their career arc could end up looking like. Araujo feels like the flyweight Tecia Torres to me — someone that is a fixture in the Top 10, but not going to climb much higher than No. 6 or 7 in the rankings because the skill gap between her and the handful of fighters ahead of her is just too much ground for her to make up as a 35-year-old.
MAYCEE BARBER: it’s been a rough couple years for Barber, who went from talking about breaking Jon Jones’ record for being the youngest champion in UFC history to losing two straight and barely squeaking out a split decision win over Miranda Maverick in her most recent outing. The 23-year-old has the tenacity and grit needed to excel in the sport, plus a little pop, but the actual skills and technique are what's lacking for her at the moment, and until those things catch up to her “want to,” she’s going to have a tough time getting to where she wants to be in the division.
ERIN BLANCHFIELD: Blanchfield might be the best prospect in the UFC, and her dominant win over Maverick at UFC 269 only further cemented that fact. Despite her age and relative inexperience, she knows who she is as a competitor and doesn’t stray from it, working into clinch situations and operating on the ground as often as possible. As her striking continues to develop, Blanchfield is only going to become more formidable. I will be shocked if she doesn’t fight for gold in the next three years.
CYNTHIA CALVILLO: if Araujo is Torres, Calvillo is the flyweight Michelle Waterson — a fighter with clear limitations that continues to get pushed and given opportunities despite never having maximized her previous chances. I just don’t know what Calvillo does particularly well in the Octagon, and with three straight losses, she heads into 2022 in “must-win” territory.
LUANA CAROLINA (above): I’m far from sold on Carolina as a genuine person of interest in the 125-pound weight class, but she’s 3-1 in the UFC and earned a pair of wins in 2021, though she missed weight for the first and edged out a strawweight for the second. She’s still raw, but carries a little pop, and if she wins another fight or two, she’s going to be fighting bigger names, so I want to be prepare for that possibility just in case.
KATLYN CHOOKAGIAN: along with getting hacked on Twitter multiple times, Chookagian just kept doing her thing in the Octagon in 2021, posting a quality victory over Araujo in May to move to 7-3 in 10 flyweight starts. She’s the bronze medalist in the division until someone other than Shevchenko or Andrade beats her (I know, I know, Jessica Eye…) and the perfect litmus test for the host of emerging fighters climbing the ranks to eventually face in order to establish their bonafides.
TRACY CORTEZ: Cortez is 3-0 in the UFC and also holds wins over Blanchfield and Agapova, which should make her someone to be excited about in the division, but that isn’t the case for me. First, I thought Blanchfield won their fight under the Invicta FC banner, and second, she missed weight in her return to the 125-pound ranks, and I think a shift to back to bantamweight is in her future. Additionally, she feels like the successor to Calvillo in the “not quite sure what she does really well” category, but I’m willing to be proven wrong.
MONTANA DE LA ROSA: the fact that she doesn’t turn 27 until the middle of February is part of the reason I’m still high on De La Rosa, who posted a win and a draw in 2021, bouncing back from her February stalemate with Mayra Bueno Silva to stop Ariane Lipski in June. The former TUF contestant has a strong base, good natural gifts, and has fought a solid slate throughout her career — all she needs to do is tighten things up a little and learn how to be a meaner in the Octagon and she could carve out a real nice place for herself in the division.
JESSICA EYE: the veteran has dropped three straight and four of her last five, and feels like she’s at that point where the younger, fresher, hungrier set is going to just keep roaring past her. This coming year is either going to produce a bounce-back where she steadies herself and become a veteran presence in the 7-12 range in the rankings or the final couple steps back in competition that make it clear her most competitive days are behind her.
MANON FIOROT (above): “The Beast” had a breakout rookie season in 2021, registering three wins and two finishes to climb into the Top 15. She’s slated to face Eye in January in what should be a pivotal pairing for both women, and with another couple wins, the French amateur world champion could find herself challenging for championship gold. Her style and striking acumen give her a very distinct feel within the division, and it will be interesting to see who will be the first to really figure out how to get the better of her inside the Octagon.
MELISSA GATTO: the Brazilian finally made her UFC debut in 2021 after more than two years on the roster and a bunch of cancelled fights, walloping Victoria Leonardo in August to maintain her unbeaten record. Last month, she scored a third-round finish over Sijara Eubanks to push her record to 8-0-2 and add her name to the growing list of 25-and-Under prospects showing a ton of promise in the flyweight division.
ALEXA GRASSO: Grasso earned her second victory in as many flyweight appearances in 2021, picking apart Barber in February before having to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Joanne Wood in November. Still just 28, the former Invicta FC standout finally seems to be settling in and fighting to her full potential, working behind her clean, technical striking, while improving her grappling as well. She’s passed the point of being hyped, but Grasso is quietly becoming someone to keep close tabs on in the 125-pound weight class.
KAY HANSEN: Hansen didn’t compete in 2021, taking the year to deal with some serious personal and health issues. She’s still only 22 years old, and has shown flashes of serious upside in the past, including her last-second win over Sharon Jacobsen and her victory over Jinh Yu Frey in her UFC debut. She’s set to return at UFC 270 and is one to watch as a potential breakout talent in the 125-pound division this year and going forward.
ANDREA LEE: “KGB” picked up a pair of finishes in 2021 to establish herself as one of those fresh names working towards a championship opportunity. After submitting Antonina Shevchenko in May, the 32-year-old Texan took it to Calvillo in November, forcing her corner to call off the fight between the second and third rounds. She’s fought top competition — and fought them close — throughout her career, and seems like she’s finally hitting the point where she’s putting everything together with the kind of consistency you need in order to work into title contention.
MIRANDA MAVERICK: don’t let the consecutive losses fool you — Maverick is still a major prospect; she’s just now a little more aware of the things she needs to shore up in order to keep moving forward in the division. After starting the year with a good win over Gillian Robertson, the 24-year-old dropped a janky devision to Barber, and then filled in for Barber opposite Blanchfield and got dragged around the cage. I would love to see how much training with an elite set of coaches and training partners would do for the athletic, strong, promising flyweight.
MARYNA MOROZ: Moroz has quietly gone 2-0 since moving to flyweight, and despite some dreadful performances, is 5-3 in the UFC, which is honestly better than I thought. She hasn’t fought since March 2020 though after pulling out of a couple fights in 2021 for undisclosed reasons. Moroz is slated to step in against Agapova in March, and given that the two have serious beef, we should get a real good read on where she fits through that contentious contest.
LAUREN MURPHY: I said a few times down the stretch in 2021 that flyweight is one of those weight classes where everyone from No. 3-15 in the rankings feels pretty evenly matched and anyone could beat anyone else on any given Saturday. Murphy strung together a bunch of victories and got herself a title shot in September, getting blown out by Shevchenko, and I’m genuinely curious to see how she rebounds in 2022 because I could just as easily see her settling into a top-end gatekeeper role as I could envision her dropping her next three and calling it a day.
CASEY O’NEILL (above): the 2021 Rookie of the Year for most people, O’Neill racked up three wins, three finishes, and one performance bonus in her first year of action, ascending to No. 15 in the rankings, all whilst being just 24 years old. The Scottish-Australian standout, who trains at Xtreme Couture, is tenacious and solid everywhere, and can take another big step forward with a win over Roxanne Modafferi in February. While I think Blanchfield is the best prospect in the division, O’Neill will likely be the first of the group to challenge for championship gold.
GILLIAN ROBERTSON: Robertson has already logged 11 appearances inside the Octagon, moving to 7-4 with a first-round submission win over Priscila Cachoeira in December. The 26-year-old Canadian, who lives and trains in South Florida, is a strong grappler who is very good from top position, but needs to round out the rest of her repertoire because she’s a little too one-dimensional still. If she can sharpen up her striking a little and continue working on her wrestling and entries, Robertson should continue to be an active, competitive presence in the division for the foreseeable future.
TAILA SANTOS: after earning her first two UFC wins in 2020, Santos really broke through in 2021, posting consecutive victories over Modafferi and Wood to climb into the Top 5 and stand as the next logical title challenger in the flyweight division. The 28-year-old Brazilian has a strong, all-around offensive approach, but while winning four straight is tremendous, it’s a whole different ball game trying to unseat Shevchenko. That said, I hope we get a chance to see her try in the first half of this year.
CHAMPION: BRANDON MORENO
“The Assassin Baby” reached the mountain top in 2021, crafting a masterful performance to claim the flyweight title from Deiveson Figueiredo in April, completing a unique odyssey that included The Ultimate Fighter, an early debut, getting released, and finally delivering the best performance of his career when it mattered most.
Now comes the hard part: holding onto the title and defending his spot atop the division.
He turned 28 at the start of last month and is slated to run it back with Figueiredo for a third time later this month, so we won't have to wait long to learn whether his reign will be short-lived or longer than his predecessor.
AMIR ALBAZZI: “The Prince” picked up a win in his UFC debut midway through 2020, followed it up with a unanimous decision victory at UFC 257 in January, and hasn’t been seen since. He was forced out of a July assignment opposite Ode’ Osbourne, but has nothing on the books at the moment for 2022. He’s 14-1 as a pro and looked good in his tandem victories, so I’m genuinely intrigued to see what improvements he’s made and get a better read on both where he fits in the division and how far he could climb once he returns to action.
ASKAR ASKAROV: unbeaten in 15 professional appearances, Askarov earned the biggest win of his career in 2021, out-hustling Joseph Benavidez to collect his third straight victory. He missed weight for that assignment and has to get that dialled in, but having already battled Moreno to a standstill in his promotional debut, the 14-0-1 deaf fighter from Dagestan can’t be more than one more quality win away from title contention.
ROGERIO BONTORIN: 2021 was an uneven year for Bontorin, who got knocked out in the waning seconds of the opening round by Kai Kara-France in a fight he had been dominating, then rebounded with a win at bantamweight, but missed weight. He’s a Top 10 staple in the flyweight division, but he needs to show some consistency in order to maintain his place in the pecking order, yet alone potentially make a move up the ranks. He pencilled in opposite Brandon Royval on January 15 and the results of that one should provide a clearly understanding of what this year might hold for each man.
DAVID DVORAK (above): the Czech “Undertaker” is my dark horse contender to watch in the 125-pound weight class in 2022. He’s 3-0 in the UFC, 20-3 overall, and has won 16 straight fights, earning finishes in 14 of those contests. Limited activity has kept him out of the spotlight and off peoples’ radars, but if he can land a recognizable name for his season debut and keep things moving in the right direction, more people will be talking about Dvorak as a contender than just me.
DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO: the former champ has a chance to reclaim his belt later this month at UFC 270, but it’s going to take a much better effort than the one he put forth against Moreno in April. Figueiredo always seemed likely to move up in weight, but that hasn’t happened yet, so for now, he remains an elite contender and unique finishing threat in all realms in the flyweight division.
CODY GARBRANDT: “No Love” is listed here because he’s a gigantic question mark for me, which feels weird to write because it mostly means that I feel weird saying his best days are well behind him and his suspect chin is going to prevent him from having consistent success in the UFC ever again. He’s too emotional and hard-wired to scrap to become a technician, and while he’s got pop and good hand speed, he’s too hittable and chinny to hang with quicker, sharper fighters at ‘25 or ‘35. The fact that he’s actively pursuing a fight with Sean O’Malley feels like a suicide mission if I’m being completely honest.
JAKE HADLEY: I won’t be including many DWCS graduates on these lists because they need time to develop and I want to get another look at them all before building any kind of meaningful judgements, but Hadley feels like a legit prospect after coming over from Cage Warriors and maintaining his unbeaten record while earning a contract. He’s signed up to face Francisco Figueiredo in March, and with a strong showing, I expect he’ll receive the opportunity to make an accelerated run towards to the rankings.
MANEL KAPE: it took him a couple fights, but Kape finally got it all the way right in his fourth and final appearance of 2021, collecting a first-round stoppage win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov. The former RIZIN standout is now 2-2 in the Octagon, having rebuild his hype after a pair of close decision losses to begin his rookie season, and with the constant support and push from Daniel Cormier, he should end up getting a date with a Top 10 opponent to start his 2022 campaign.
KAI KARA-FRANCE: “Don’t Blink” put a hurting on Garbrandt at UFC 269, collecting his second first-round stoppage win of the year by knocking out the former bantamweight champ. The New Zealander is 6-2 inside the Octagon, with one of those losses coming against the current champion, and with a couple more big efforts, Kara-France could earn himself the opportunity to run it back with Moreno towards the end of this year or early next year, depending on how things shake out.
JEFF MOLINA: a couple years from now, Molina is going to be a Top 10 staple and in the title picture; that’s my prediction. The kid already has the toughness and tenacity you can’t teach, plus his all-around skill set is already sharp, but with plenty of room to grow. He earned two good wins in his rookie year, trains with an outstanding crew at Glory MMA & Fitness, and has the personality and presence to earn a push in 2022.
ALLAN NASCIMENTO: you’re not going to find many 0-1 UFC fighters in this series, but I thought Nascimento did enough to merit the nod against Tagir Ulanbekov in his debut, and am including him because I won’t be the least bit surprised if he collects a couple wins and makes a little noise in 2022. The 30-year-old Brazilian is outstanding on the ground and should, at the very least, be a tough out with the skills to spring a couple upsets in the year ahead.
MATHEUS NICOLAU: back in the UFC after a mini-hiatus when the division was going to be shuttered, Nicolau earned a pair of narrow decision wins this past year to claw his way back into the Top 10. He turns 29 in a couple days, has faced solid competition throughout his twin UFC stints, and has the kind of skills and approach that could lead to a Lauren Murphy-like extended winning streak that carries him into title contention. He’s a pain in the ass for anyone to fight, and only a couple more quality wins away from title contention.
ALEXANDRE PANTOJA: Pantoja politely requested a championship opportunity following his win over Brandon Royval in August, and that was the plan until the Brazilian jacked up his knee, putting his title shot on hold. He’s also got two wins over Moreno under his belt — one inside the TUF house, and one in the UFC — and it could just be one of those situations where every fighter has someone or some style that is their personal brand of kryptonite, and Pantoja might be that for the reigning champion from Mexico.
ALEX PEREZ: the former titleholder spent the whole of 2021 scheduled to face Matt Schnell without ever sharing the cage with “Danger” or anyone else. His last appearance came in his quick championship fight opposite Figueiredo at UFC 255, so it will be interesting to see where he slots into the division after more than a year on the sidelines and more than a few names climbing up the ranks in his stead. When he’s on and sharp, Perez is a legit Top 5 talent.
BRANDON ROYVAL: after starting his UFC tenure with two quality submission wins over Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France, Royval enters 2022 on a two-fight skid, having been finished by both Moreno and Pantoja in his last two outings. The 29-year-old Factory X Muay Thai representative can right the ship and steady himself in the standings with a win over Bontorin in a couple weeks, and if he does so, another Top 10 assignment should follow.
BRUNO SILVA (above): the 31-year-old “Bulldog” lost his first three UFC starts and seemed destined to be another “friend of someone with influence” that didn’t pan out. But then Silva looked crisp against JP Buys in March, and even sharper against Victor Rodriguez two months later, earning finishes and bonuses in each fight to establish himself as a potential late bloomer and person of interest in the 125-pound weight class.
SUMUDAERJI: after losing his promotional debut, “The Tibetan Eagle” has earned three straight victories, including two straight since moving to flyweight. Sumudaerji has tremendous size and reach for the division, flashed pop against Malcolm Gordon, and is part of that generation of Chinese fighters that has a ton of experience while still being young and with plenty of room to grow. He was sidelined for the second half of 2021 with a knee injury, so how he looks in his first start of this year will go a long way to determining where he slots into the divisional hierarchy and where his ceiling may rest.
TAGIR ULANBEKOV: Ulanbekov moved to 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the UFC with a favorable decision win over Nascimento at the end of October. The 30-year-old from Dagestan has won five straight, trains with the Eagles FC crew, helmed by head coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, and has the opportunity to force his way further up the rankings with a win in his March assignment against Elliott. A couple crisp outings and people will be talking about Ulanbekov as a potential contender, simply because of his style and his affiliations.
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment in the 2022 Fighters to Watch series, where we’ll take a look at the bantamweight divisions.