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The UFC bantamweight division is one of the promotion's most stacked lineups. It always has been. Some of the sport’s greatest legends have competed in the 135-pound weight class. Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, TJ Dillashaw, Renan Barao and Henry Cejudo are some of the top names the weight class has given us. The current crop of bantamweights is keeping this division's reputation intact.
At the moment, the UFC's bantamweight division has contenders and prospects galore. But the 135-pound division is now missing one key component. An impressive and must-watch champion. It almost doesn't feel like there is a bantamweight champion. The title feels vacant, which is no disrespect to Aljamain Sterling. The 31 year old was illegally struck by Petr Yan and clearly wouldn't have wanted to win the title that way.
Nonetheless, the state of the championship doesn’t change how stacked the bantamweight roster is. Yan had shown the hallmarks of becoming a dominant champion. Sterling is as talented a bantamweight as they come and his victory over Cory Sandhagen showed he belongs at the top.
Contender-wise, the weight class is stacked. With highlight reel KO’s galore, Cory Sandhagen has established himself as one of the best. The division will go from strength-to-strength when he welcomes back former champion TJ Dillashaw in July. Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font bring excitement, and veterans like Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar are big names still active at 135-pounds.
With exciting prospects like Sean O’Malley rising the ranks, the bantamweight division could soon become the clear strongest division in the promotion..
With that said, here are five upcoming fights in the UFC bantamweight division to look forward to.
#5 Sean O'Malley vs. Louis Smolka - UFC 264
Whatever you think about this matchup, there's no denying a Sean O'Malley fight is one to look forward to, whoever the opponent is. At UFC 264, 'Sugar' will face Hawaiian Louis Smolka.
Sean O’Malley’s hype train has found its way back to the UFC tracks. There aren’t many superlatives that do justice for O’Malley’s performance at UFC 260. Against an undoubtedly tough opponent in Thomas Almeida, the 26 year old displayed his speed, his power and his special style.
O'Malley secured another highlight finish in brutal fashion. Having dropped Almeida for a second time, O’Malley was forced to cancel his second attempt at a walk-off and connect with Almeida again, dropping a bomb as he fell onto the stricken Brazilian. It was fairly clear he was as good as out before the right hand connected; there was no doubt after.
Given the way he beat Almeida and the fact he was ranked prior to his defeat to Marlon Vera, many have understandably questioned O'Malley's upcoming opponent.
Louis Smolka is 8-7 in the UFC. 'De Last Samurai' was initially released in 2017 after experiencing a four-fight losing skid. Since then, Smolka has gone 6-2, been re-signed by the UFC and registered a submission win over the highly touted Su Mudaerji. Like O'Malley before him, Smolka recently picked up a TKO win over Jose Alberto Quinonez.
Ultimately, O'Malley isn't ranked and a win over Smolka will push him back into the top-15. We should then see him up against some of the division's top names. For now, let's enjoy this fight for what it should be, a highly entertaining scrap.
#4 Adrian Yanez vs. Randy Costa - UFC Fight Night (July 24)
Adrian Yanez is one of the most exciting new names in the UFC. Having made his case for a fight with Randy Costa over social media, Yanez got his wish. The two bantamweight prospects will enter the octagon together at the UFC's July 24 event.
Since moving to 7-3 in MMA, Houston's Yanez has built a six-fight winning streak. The 27 year old earned a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series after knocking out Brady Huang just 39 seconds into their bout. Two KO's in two UFC fights since have firmly established his name as one to watch in the 135-pound division.
His knockout of Gustavo Lopez is worth watching...
Against someone with the hype of Adrian Yanez, Randy Costa's potential may fly under the radar slightly heading into this one. But Costa shouldn't be overlooked.
'Zohan' has been defeated just once in his seven-fight MMA career. Against Brandon Davis on debut, Costa was caught in a rear-naked choke in the second round. Two first-round knockouts since have seen the 26 year old rebound in style.
Both men will head into this fight in good form and with active winning streaks. And with both possessing knockout power and exciting striking, this bout won't be one you'll want to miss.
#3 Marlon Vera vs. Davey Grant II - UFC Vegas 29
What a rematch this is. Two big-swinging bantamweight names are set to collide at UFC Vegas 29. Fan-favorite Marlon 'Chito' Vera will look to strengthen his position in the 135-pound rankings against England's 'Dangerous' Davey Grant.
Ecuador's Vera has grown in popularity since his UFC debut in 2015. He first fought Grant in what was his second fight in the promotion. Having been defeated by the Englishman, 'Chito' won three of his next five before beginning a streak that would see him earn a number next to his name.
After a loss to Douglas Silva de Andrade in 2018, Vera won six consecutive bantamweight fights. A narrow decision loss to Song Yadong in a featherweight bout last May was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect few years. Having become the first man to defeat Sean O'Malley, Vera earned the opportunity to face the legendary Jose Aldo.
Despite being defeated, the 28 year old took the former champion to a decision and will be looking to secure another opportunity against a top bantamweight name with a win over Davey Grant.
'Dangerous' Davey Grant has fought just five times since his victory over Vera in 2016. Vera has entered the octagon 13 times in the same period. But despite being less active than his upcoming opponent, Grant has certainly been living up to his moniker recently.
After falling to consecutive defeats against Damian Stasiak and Manny Bermudez, Grant has resurrected his UFC career with an impressive three-fight winning streak. His last two fights have ended in brutal knockouts and saw him collect back-to-back Fight of the Night bonuses.
With Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori 2 and Deiveson Figuieredo vs. Brandon Moreno 2 scheduled for UFC 263, this rematch is likely to slide under the radar. It certainly shouldn't.
#2 Jose Aldo vs. Pedro Munhoz - UFC 265
It'll be Brazil versus Brazil at UFC 265 when UFC legend Jose Aldo takes on the always-entertaining Pedro Munhoz. With Amanda Nunes set to defend her UFC women's bantamweight title against Julianna Pena on the same card, the PPV will certainly be one for the South American nation to keep an eye on.
Aldo is one of the most successful men in the promotion's history. From 2006 to 2015, 'Junior' built an incredible 17-fight winning streak which included an unbeaten 7-0 UFC record and seven defenses of his UFC featherweight championship.
Since a 13 second KO loss to Conor McGregor, the Brazilian has been inconsistent. Subsequent to a move down to bantamweight in 2019, Aldo has gone 1-2 in his new division. A debatable split decision loss against Marlon Moraes came before a rough TKO defeat to Petr Yan in a 135-pound title fight.
Aldo recorded his first win in the division against Marlon Vera last December and looked good doing it. If he can get back to his best and secure a win over Munhoz, he won't be far away from title contention again.
Pedro Munhoz, meanwhile, has always been on the cusp of breaking into the group of bantamweight elites.
A four-fight winning streak that included a victory over Rob Font was broken by John Dodson in 2018 and a three-fight winning streak that included a victory over former champion Cody Garbrandt was broken by Aljamain Sterling at UFC 238.
A five-round loss to Frankie Edgar last August saw 'The Young Punisher' suffer consecutive setbacks for the first time in his 24-fight MMA career. Having rebounded well against Jimmie Rivera in February, Munhoz will be looking to establish his title credentials against Jose Aldo in August.
Pedro Munhoz fights are always a good watch. A matchup with Jose Aldo has the potential to steal the show at UFC 265.
#1 Cory Sandhagen vs. TJ Dillashaw - UFC Fight Night (July 24)
We've been made to wait a little longer for this one but what a matchup it is. It should be worth the wait. Cory Sandhagen will welcome TJ Dillashaw back to the UFC on July 24. Providing he fights to the same level he did in his career before his suspension, adding Dillashaw back into the bantamweight mix makes for an even more stacked division.
For Sandhagen, this matchup represents an opportunity to continue his hot run of form against one of the UFC's most recognized bantamweight names. After making his UFC debut in 2018, 'The Sandman' won his first five fights, including victories against John Linekar and Raphael Assuncao. A defeat to Aljamain Sterling dented his title aspirations, but not many have rebounded from defeat in as impressive fashion as Sandhagen has.
Against two top contenders, the 29 year old has registered two highlight reel knockouts. A spinning wheel kick against Marlon Moraes came first in 2020, before a 'Knockout of the Year' contender against Frankie Edgar left 'The Answer' unconscious after less than 30 seconds earlier this year.
Leading up to 2019, TJ Dillashaw was one of the biggest names in the UFC and one of the greatest bantamweights of all time. He became a two-time UFC bantamweight champion and collected wins over the likes of Cody Garbrandt, Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao.
A two-year suspension after testing positive for EPO has threatened to tarnish his legacy as a fighter. Against Sandhagen, Dillashaw will be looking to show he can rebound from a tough period and can ascend to the same level his career reached prior to 2019, without the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
If Dillashaw is back to his natural best, we're in for a blockbuster fight between the former champion and Cory Sandhagen.
