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Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC Flyweight Rankings: Steve Erceg Returns To Top 10 After Big UFC Vegas 109 Win
The UFC flyweight rankings showcase the very best fighters in the 125-pound division. While this weight class may often not get the respect it deserves, it has always featured some of the most well-rounded and fastest MMA fighters on the planet. With that in mind, here is the official Sportsnaut top 10 for the organization's flyweight divisions. Related: 1. Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) Brazil's Alexandre Pantoja has had a long, hard road to becoming the UFC flyweight king. He toiled away inside the division for years before he was finally able to earn a title fight at UFC 290. In his first chance at being champion, he made good by scoring a second (third unofficial) win over division king Brandon Moreno. He has been on a roll ever since and is putting himself in the discussion as one of the best 125ers of all time. At UFC 317, he extended his win streak to eight straight with another dominant win, this time over Kai Kara-France. Pantoja has a case as the best flyweight ever not named Demetrious Johnson. 2. Brandon Moreno (22-8-2) Few flyweights have been better than Brandon Moreno. He has been a part of some of the greatest fights in division history and is a two-time champion. However, some wondered if his best days were behind him after a pair of losses. But he has shut up all the doubters in his last two fights by scoring decisive wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg. The Mexican legend may not get a title fight soon, but he remains among the very best 125-pounders on the planet. 3. Amir Albazi (17-2) Amir Albazi was one of the hottest fighters in the 125-pound division heading into his UFC Edmonton clash with former champion Brandon Moreno. He had won six straight, including over a top 10 fighter, Kai Kara-France. Unfortunately for him, Moreno showed there are levels to this and soundly defeated him in November. Now the native of Iraq must go back to the drawing board and rebuild his contender's resume. 4. Tatsuro Taira (17-1) It has been a very long time since Japan has had a fighter representing the country at the highest levels of the sport. However, unbeaten prospect Tatsuro Taira has put the land of the rising sun back on the UFC map over the last year. At UFC Vegas 98, he got a huge test in former title challenger Brandon Royval. And while he was not victorious, he showed he could compete with the best of the best in a split-decision loss to the American. In August, he made his return with a dominant second-round submission over Hyun Sung Park. It was his 13th finish in 17 career wins. Related: 5. Brandon Royval (17-8) Brandon Royval has quietly been one of the best 125-pound fighters in the world for quite some time. While he has come up short in some big fights, he owns a few impressive victories, including one over former division king Brandon Moreno. However, fighting the best constantly comes with risk. At UFC 317, he took on the challenge of rising star Joshua Van and was surprisingly outgunned by the 23-year-old. The loss puts a serious dent in his title hopes over the next year. 6. Manel Kape (21-7) It hasn't always been easy for Manel Kape in the UFC, but 'Starboy' remains one of the division's most exciting fighters. In his last seven fights, he is 6-1 with four finishes. One of the biggest knocks on his Octagon resume is the lack of marquee wins. While Asu Almabayev isn't a household name, he is still a ranked foe. Giving Kape the sort of win he needs to jump into the title contention conversation this year. 7. Kai Kara-France (25-12) Kai Kara-France has been a stalwart of the top 10 over the first half of the decade. He has gotten two cracks at the division's title, with the most recent coming at UFC 317. Despite his best efforts, he was outmatched by division king Alexandre Pantoja and forced to tap in Round 3. He remains an elite fighter in the weight class but will never fight for gold again. 8. Joshua Van (15-2) Joshua Van has quietly put together an impressive run in the Octagon. The 23-year-old already has nine fights inside the UFC and scored his biggest win yet at UFC 317. He was matched up with top-five stalwart Brandon Royval and scored a hard-fought career-defining decision victory. The Myanmar native is set up for a big fight later this year. 9. Asu Almabayev (21-3) Former M1 and Brave CF star Asu Almabayev entered the UFC having won 13 straight. He extended his hot streak inside the Octagon by winning his first four fights and scored victories over top 15 fighters Matheus Nicolau and Ode Osbourne. Unfortunately, when he took a big step up in competition against Manel Kape in March, he suffered his first loss in eight years. Nevertheless, he remains an elite fighter in the division. 10. Steve Erceg (13-4) After an eight-fight win streak outside the UFC, Steve Erceg jumped into the deep end of the UFC flyweight division immediately. And he had early success. However, when he faced the elite of the division, the Australian was not ready to be a champion in the company and lost three straight. However, in August, he finally scored a nice bounce-back win in a short-notice fight against Ode Osbourne. The victory gets 'AstroBoy' back into our top 10. Related: Related Headlines Connor Zilisch Injury Update: NASCAR Star Provides Insight on Timeline for Return Could MLB buy the Savannah Bananas? Co-Owner Jesse Cole Weighs in on Possibility Patriots' Will Campbell gives brutally honest assessment of NFL preseason debut San Diego Padres Game Today: Includes Full 2025 Padres Schedule
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could Shohei Ohtani Be the Dodgers' Secret Weapon in the Bullpen?
In this clip from Sportsnaut's Big League Buzz podcast, we explore the bold idea of moving Shohei Ohtani to the bullpen as a closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a stacked rotation including Snell, Glasnow, Yamamoto, Kershaw, and more, could Ohtani's return to pitching be the key to solving the Dodgers' playoff bullpen woes? Newsweek's Hunter Moholland joins host Scott Golbranson to break down the strategy, Ohtani's electric return, and the Dodgers' depth with Sasaki, Gonsolin, and others. Subscribe for more MLB insights!
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC lightweight rankings: Ilia Topuria takes No. 1 spot after destructive title fight debut
The UFC lightweight rankings showcase some of the very best talents in MMA. The division has long been the deepest and most talent-rich in the sport's history. Several of its top competitors can also be found in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. With that in mind, here are the official Sportsnaut rankings for the top 10 lightweights in the best cage fighting promotion in all the land. Advertisement 1. Ilia Topuria (17-0) Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Ilia Topuria will go down as one of the great featherweights of all time. But instead of building on his 145-pound resume, 'El Matador' made the move up to lightweight in search of history. Well, he achieved that in June by becoming just the 10th fighter to win gold in two divisions. Crushing former 155-pound champ Charles Oliveria and adding him to his hitlist of legends. 2. Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) Credit: USA Today Sports Arman Tsarukyan has quietly been a top-10 lightweight for quite some time. During his run in the UFC, he has won many fights, and his only losses in the Octagon have come to the current champion, Islam Makhachev, and fellow ranked star Mateusz Gamrot. However, he has overcome those setbacks, and his impressive victory over Charles Oliveira got him the title opportunity he has worked hard for. Unfortunately, a debilitating back injury knocked him out of the bout a day before a scheduled opportunity at UFC 311. Advertisement 3. Justin Gaethje (26-5) Credit: USA Today Sports Justin Gaethje is one of the best lightweight fighters of his generation by earning a legion of fans for being one of the most durable and violent athletes in division history. The American has been in some of the best bouts in division history, including wins and losses. One of his most brutal defeats came at UFC 300 to Max Holloway. However, after taking a year off, he triumphantly returned with a big win against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. It helps him hold on to his top-five spot in our UFC lightweight rankings. Related: Justin Gaethje next fight – When will 'The Highlight' return to the cage? 4. Dustin Poirier (30-9) Credit: USA Today Sports Dustin Poirier is one of the most beloved lightweights of all time. He has taken part in some of the best matches in the division's history and won quite a few of them. However, the biggest mark against a stellar resume is coming up short in title fights. And despite his best efforts at UC 302, he fell to division king Islam Makhachev. Nevertheless, he remains one of the best 155-pounders in the world. Advertisement Related: Dustin Poirier next fight – Get details on 'Diamond's' retirement fight 5. Charles Oliveira (35-11) Credit: USA Today Sports Charles Oliveria owns several UFC records and will go down as one of the greatest Brazilian MMA fighters of all time. There is a lot to love about his fight style, and his resume is stacked with big wins. But age catches up with everyone, and it has affected 'Do Bronx.' He entered his UFC 317 clash with former featherweight Ilia Topuria as a sizable underdog. Well, those odds proved to be right as he was crushed by the one-time 145-pound champ in less than a round. Oliveira remains an elite fighter in the division, but he probably will never again fight for gold. Advertisement 6. Beniel Dariush (23-6-1) Credit: USA Today Sports Beneil Dariush turned into one of the best lightweights in the world during an impressive eight-fight win streak. However, when he faced the elites of the division, he came up short. He got a chance at another top-10 fighter at UFC 317. He needed a win badly, and 'Benny' was able to gut one out against Renato Moicano. He has set himself up for a big fight later this year. 7. Dan Hooker (24-12) Credit: USA Today Sports After moving back and forth between featherweight and lightweight, Aussie Dan Hooker has found a niche at 155 pounds. He also lands a spot in our UFC lightweight rankings after hard-fought wins over ranked opponents Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot. While they weren't pretty, he's fairly earned a spot on our top 10. Advertisement Credit: USA Today Sports Former KSW two-division champion Mateusz Gamrot has proven he is a top-10-level fighter by scoring some big wins inside the Octagon. Despite his losses, he has always roared back with big wins and did some with key victories over Jalin Turner, Rafael Fiziev, and Rafael dos Anjos. However, his upset loss to Dan Hooker at UFC 305 is why he falls to the back of our latest UFC lightweight rankings. 9. Renato Moicano (20-7-1) Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Over the last few years, Renato Moicano has evolved into one of the lightweight division's most entertaining fighters. However, his victories over Benoit Saint-Denis and Jalin Turner proved he was a top-10 talent as well. Being ranked means facing elite talent, and the Brazilian has gotten that in his last two bouts. And he has lost both. However, defeats to the former champ and another top 10 fighter keep him at his current spot in our UFC lightweight rankings. Advertisement 10. Paddy Pimblett (23-3) Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Paddy Pimblett has his doubter, and if he likely still will after UFC 314, but the case against the Englishman is getting harder to make. Winning his first six straight in the Octagon put him on the map. But dominantly defeating Michael Chandler sent a message that 'The Baddy' is legit and could be fighting for lightweight gold in 2026. Related: Paddy Pimblett next fight – Who will 'The Baddy' face next? Related Headlines
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Bret Boone on Texas Rangers Role & Team Improvement
So-So Juan Soto: Expectations, Media Scrutiny, and Will He Bounce Back? Is Juan Soto living up to his massive $765M contract with the New York Mets? In this episode of Big League Buzz, hosts Scott Gulbransen and Evan Groat dive into Soto's underwhelming 2025 season, exploring whether performance, pressure, or sky-high expectations are causing the slump. From his decreased bat speed to the intense New York media scrutiny, we break it all down. Plus, we discuss Soto's move from the Yankees, family influence on his decision, and if he'll hit .300 by the All-Star break. Don't miss this deep dive into one of baseball's biggest stories! - Subscribe for more MLB insights! - Visit us at for exclusive baseball coverage! - Check out Evan's interview with Andy McCullough on The Sportsnaut Interview podcast: Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro to Big League Buzz 1:02 - Juan Soto's Mets Struggles Begin 4:00 - Tony Gwynn vs. Elly De La Cruz: Crazy Strikeout Stat 7:00 - Soto's $765M Contract: Pressure or Performance? 12:01 - Yankee Fans Boo Soto: Emotional Impact 19:21 - Family Influence on Soto's Mets Decision 22:02 - New York Media Scrutiny: Is It Too Much? 26:58 - Will Soto Hit .300 by the All-Star Break? 29:50 - Evan's Upcoming Interview with Andy McCullough 33:00 - Outro & Memorial Day Baseball Preview 33:35 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Soto feeling pressure of Mets mega contract?
So-So Juan Soto: Expectations, Media Scrutiny, and Will He Bounce Back? Is Juan Soto living up to his massive $765M contract with the New York Mets? In this episode of Big League Buzz, hosts Scott Gulbransen and Evan Groat dive into Soto's underwhelming 2025 season, exploring whether performance, pressure, or sky-high expectations are causing the slump. From his decreased bat speed to the intense New York media scrutiny, we break it all down. Plus, we discuss Soto's move from the Yankees, family influence on his decision, and if he'll hit .300 by the All-Star break. Don't miss this deep dive into one of baseball's biggest stories! - Subscribe for more MLB insights! - Visit us at for exclusive baseball coverage! - Check out Evan's interview with Andy McCullough on The Sportsnaut Interview podcast: Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro to Big League Buzz 1:02 - Juan Soto's Mets Struggles Begin 4:00 - Tony Gwynn vs. Elly De La Cruz: Crazy Strikeout Stat 7:00 - Soto's $765M Contract: Pressure or Performance? 12:01 - Yankee Fans Boo Soto: Emotional Impact 19:21 - Family Influence on Soto's Mets Decision 22:02 - New York Media Scrutiny: Is It Too Much? 26:58 - Will Soto Hit .300 by the All-Star Break? 29:50 - Evan's Upcoming Interview with Andy McCullough 33:00 - Outro & Memorial Day Baseball Preview 33:35 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
