A Champion in pursuit of records, familiar names at the top, and a lot of question marks.

Title Picture

With a training injury putting Demetrious Johnson out of the Co-Main Event at UFC 201 where he was expected to defend his belt against veteran Wilson Reis, the title picture is currently a bit cloudy. It is still up in the air as to who Johnson will fight upon returning, possibly depending on how Reis performs against replacement Sean Santella at 201. If Reis is able to handle his business, we could see the fight that fans of this division were expecting to see when Johnson heals up. If the newcomer Santella is able to pull off an upset, the UFC will be looking for an alternative contender to face the Flyweight king. Here are some possibilities.

Immediate Contenders

TUF 24 Champion

Season 24 of the Ultimate Fighter will feature 16 of the best flyweights from different promotions around the world, with the winner slated to get his chance to challenge the UFC champion. This is expected to take place in early December, which may be Johnson’s next fight in the octagon since he will need time off to rehab his injuries. This will be a unique way of fighting a title challenger, but one way to attract attention to a division that is often overlooked.

Benavidez/Cejudo

While these two contenders are familiar with Johnson, posting a combined record of 0-3 against the champion, they’ve also made a habit of winning fights against anyone not named Demetrious Johnson. The two top contenders are coaching against one another of TUF 24, and will have a long awaited fight on TUF finale, which could decide the next #1 contender after Johnson fights the TUF winner. While the UFC may be hesitant to make a 3rd Johnson-Benavidez fight or a Johnson-Cejudo rematch, the winner of this fight will be tough to deny given the lack of depth in the division.

Jussier Formiga

Formiga is the current #3 contender, and while he is 4-3 in the UFC, all of his losses are to former title challengers in John Dodson, Joseph Benavidez, and Henry Cejudo. If he can get back in the octagon and get another win or two over Top 10 opponents, there is a serious argument that could be made for Formiga to challenge for the title in a division that is starving for contenders.

Rising Contenders

Louis Smolka

Since losing to Chris Cariaso in May of 2014, the Hawaiian has put together a 4 fight win streak that includes 3 finishes. At the age of 24, he has the highest ceiling in the division, and could be a name that fans of this sport are talking about for a long time. As of today, he is the #12 Flyweight, but with a 1st round TKO victory last night in Sioux Falls, he is guaranteed to climb those rankings in the near future. Expect to see him fighting a Top 5 opponent in his next appearance, and a win would solidify his place at the top of the division.

Sergio Pettis

Since their the respective fights at UFC 185, the Pettis brothers have taken 2 different journeys. While Anthony has lost two in a row since losing the belt in Dallas, Sergio has gotten back on the horse with 2 consecutive decision victories. He is 5-2 since coming to the UFC, and has built a reputation as a dominant striker under the tutelage of Duke Roufus. Although he has 7 UFC fights under his belt, he is still only 22 years old, and only continues to improve as he moves toward title contention.