Please note that due to inactivity and vacating the weight class, Dominick Cruz and Brad Pickett are currently ineligible for rankings. Also note that starting this month the rankings will be determined by a panel of MMA Freak members. Last rankings were 2/10/14 in parenthesis:
~ 1 (1) ~
Renan Barao
Right now there are no announcements as to when UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao’s next title defense will be or against whom. The most logical sense as mentioned previously is either a rebounded Michael McDonald or a healthy Dominick Cruz.
~ 2 (2) ~
Urijah Faber
The question of where does Urijah Faber go from here is very prominent in everyone’s mind. Right now he’s taking time off to figure things out. One thing he should probably consider is a move down to flyweight. However, nothing is set in stone.
~ 3 (3) ~
Michael McDonald
After a rebound win the next logical step would be for Michael McDonald to get a rematch with Renan Barao. However, that’s not guaranteed.
~ 4 (tied) (4) ~
Eddie Wineland
Eddie Wineland is currently expected to fight Johnny Eduardo at UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva on May 10, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
~ 4 (tied) (6) ~
Raphael Assuncao
Essentially when Raphael Assuncao’s original UFC 170 opponent dropped out he was given a tuneup match win against Pedro Munhoz. The match actually contributed to making the under card more exciting than the main and co-main events which were controversial at times.
~ 6 (7) ~
T.J. Dillashaw
T.J. Dillashaw will be getting his second top 10 opponent in three fights, this time against Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 173 on May 24, 2014.
~ 7 (9) ~
Eduardo Dantes
It’s still early in the year but Eduardo Dantas may have pulled arguably the Submission of the Year in his Bellator 111 title defense. What is even more impressive about the submission is the fact that he actually called his shot against title replacement Anthony Leone.
~ 8 (10) ~
Marlon Moraes
Marlon Moraes is still on course for his March 29th match against Josh Rettinghouse for the inaugural WSOF Bantamweight Championship.
~ 9 (8) ~
Takeya Mizugaki
It will definitely be Takeya Mizugaki’s largest challenge to date when he faces T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 173 this coming May 24, 2014.
~ 10 (N/A) ~
Bibiano Fernandes
Bibiano Fernandes cracks the bantamweight rankings this month having won the Interim and lineal One FC Bantamweight Championships in this past year. Another contributing factor was Brad Pickett’s move down to flyweight which allowed Ferbandes’ move into the rankings.
~ Contenders ~
The following fighters either received votes or were mentioned as contenders in the bantamweight division: Alex Caceres, Cody Bollinger.