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Some of the shortest male fighters in UFC history have been the most successful ones.
UFC is the world's biggest MMA promotion when it comes to housing the best talent in the world. Be it the fighter with the hardest punch in the world or the one with the longest reign, the UFC houses them all.
In the sport of MMA, athletes are required to be big, fast, and strong. While training and skill gets fighters on the same level in terms of strength and agility, being big can only be left to genetics. Therefore, it might not be ideal for aspiring fighters to grow up to be, well, short. But some of the best divisions in the UFC feature some of the smallest competitors.
The UFC is known to house some of the shortest male fighters in the history of combat sports. Let's take a look at the five shortest male fighters in UFC history:
#5. Henry Cejudo - Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion (163 cm)
Henry Cejudo is one of the shortest male fighters in the UFC, but while he is not the only 5'4" athlete, he is certainly the most successful one. Cejudo made his UFC debut in 2014 after going 6-0 in his initial MMA career. While fighting with several promotions, Cejudo became the WFF bantamweight champion.
'Triple C' dethroned Demetrious Johnson to become UFC flyweight champion in 2018. Johnson, who is also one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history, was widely considered the most dominant flyweight until he was defeated by Henry Cejudo.
After conquering UFC flyweight gold, Cejudo went on to win the bantamweight title in less than a year. In doing so, he became the fourth UFC fighter to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously.
Despite being one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history, 'Triple C' had an illustrious career. He retired after defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. Cejudo is also the only UFC champion to have won an Olympic gold medal.
Check out his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience below:
#4. John Lineker - Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight (160 cm)
John Lineker fought in the UFC for eight years after making his promotional debut in 2012. Despite being one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history, Lineker was a bulky dude. While he fought in the flyweight division for almost half of his career, he missed weight multiple times.
However, with John Lineker's durability and performance inside the octagon, the UFC retained him but made him fight in the bantamweight division. Following the ninth loss of his MMA career, and fourth in the UFC against Cory Sandhagen, the Brazilian was released from the UFC in 2019.
He might be one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history but he's been one of the most active athletes in the sport. The 5'3" fighter is 34-9 in his MMA career with 16 knockout wins. On top of that, he has never been knocked out by any opponents. Currently, he is ranked No.1 in the ONE Championship bantamweight division.
#3. John Dodson - Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight (160 cm)
John Dodson is an MMA veteran who has been competing since 2004. He is one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history but that is not what he is known for. Dodson was the winner of TUF: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, having knocked out T.J. Dillashaw in the finale. The 5'3'' fighter competed in the UFC for nine years and was a two-time title challenger in the bantamweight division.
Despite his size, John Dodson was one of the most exciting low-weight fighters. He was quick and agile and proved to be a problem for many MMA veterans, such as Manvel Gamburyel and former champion Dillashaw.
'The Magician' came unbelievably close to winning the UFC flyweight championship twice in his career against Demetrious Johnson. But in a battle between two of the shortest male fighters in UFC history, it was Dodson who fell short.
#2. Demetrious Johnson - Former UFC flyweight champion (160 cm)
At 5'3", Demetrious Johnson is one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history. However, he is also one of the most successful and dominant fighters throughout the promotion's existence. 'Mighty Mouse' made his UFC debut in 2011 after picking up a 12-1 record in his initial MMA career.
Despite being one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history, Johnson tried his hand at the bantamweight division. However, following a title fight loss against Dominick Cruz in 2011, he moved down to 125 pounds. He became the first UFC flyweight champion after defeating Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 and went on to defend it 11 times, which remains a promotional record.
Despite being one of the shortest male fighters in UFC history, 'Mighty Mouse' reigned in the flyweight division for six years.
#1. Hector Sandoval - Former UFC flyweight (157 cm)
Hector Sandoval is the shortest male fighter in UFC history. He is the only male fighter in the MMA promotion who is listed below 160 cm. He started his MMA career in 2008 and joined the UFC in 2016 after picking up a 12-2 record. Sandoval went 2-2 in the UFC, with all of it coming via stoppages except a decision win.
Hector Sandoval made it to the biggest MMA promotion and competed for just two years as the shortest male fighter in UFC history. He was scheduled to face Jarred Brooks in June 2018 but pulled out due to undisclosed reasons. Four months later, Sandoval was released by the UFC.
The 5'2'' Mexican-American moved on to a local MMA promotion in California called Combate, picking up a decision win there in 2019. He is 15-4 in his career with four knockouts, two submissions and nine decision wins. Nicknamed 'Kid Alex', the 34-year-old is a former TPF flyweight champion.
