Predicting 5 stars who could be the next UFC bantamweight champion
Time after time it is said that the lightweight division is the UFC's toughest and most stacked division. But currently, the men's bantamweight division is a complete shark tank. The division is so stacked that rising prospects like Sean O'Malley are not even in the top 15 rankings.
Five potential next UFC bantamweight champions
The future of the men's bantamweight division is very uncertain, but in the best possible way. You'd be hard-pressed to predict who will be holding the 135-pound gold in a year's time.
With that said, here are five fighters who could be the next bantamweight champion.
#1 Petr Yan
The most obvious choice on this list is former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. The Russian lost his championship belt to Aljamain Sterling in a very controversial fight. 'No Mercy' was looking great in the bout and was getting the better of Sterling up until the fourth round, when Yan threw an illegal knee to a downed Sterling and got himself disqualified.
Yan was immediately stripped of the title and Sterling was crowned the new bantamweight champion. Both men have been going back and forth on social media since the fight. Now, it looks like we'll be seeing a rematch between the two for the bantamweight crown and if the last fight was any indication, Yan has a pretty good chance of winning the title back.
Also read: 'Softest fighter in the UFC' - Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling exchange bitter insults in a Twitter row
#2 Cory Sandhagen
Cory Sandhagen was on a great undefeated run in the UFC before he was stopped in his tracks by the current champion, Aljamain Sterling, who submitted him in less than 90 seconds of the very first round.
After the loss, 'The Sandman' bounced back hard. He scored two back-to-back knockouts against Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar, both of which were in spectacular fashion. He also won the 'Performance of the Night' bonus in both those fights.
Sandhagen has shown that he's grown leaps and bounds since his last loss and is now ready for the title fight. The 29 year old is currently scheduled to fight TJ Dillashaw at the UFC's July 14 event. If he manages to get past the former bantamweight champion, there is little doubt his next fight will be for the championship belt.
Also read: Cory Sandhagen values beating "the best guys in the world" more than winning UFC bantamweight belt
#3 Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt has been a popular name in the UFC bantamweight division for a long time. He rose to fame when he completely outclassed Dominick Cruz to win the bantamweight crown. But since then, luck has not been on his side.
After his championship win, 'No Love' lost his next three fights, all by knockout. But it only took him one buzzer-beating KO against Raphael Assuncao to remind the world of his greatness. With the highlight-reel stoppage, Garbrandt has again put himself in contention for the gold. If he wins his next fight against Rob Font, he will set himself up for a potential number one contender matchup.
That is not all. The Team Alpha Male fighter has also expressed interest in fighting for the UFC flyweight title. There is a possibility that we might see another double-champ in 'No Love'.
Also read: UFC Vegas 27 live stream: How to Watch Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt online
#4 Rob Font
Rob Font is the 'dark horse' of the 135-pound division. Font initially had a hard time in the UFC, accumulating a 5-3 record in his first eight fights. But then the 33-year-old made a turnaround with three consecutive wins over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon and Marlon Moraes.
A win over former champion Cody Garbrandt has the potential to raise Font's stock significantly overnight. One or two wins after that and he might be sharing the octagon with the bantamweight champion.
Also read: UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 27: Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt Predictions & Picks
#5 TJ Dillashaw
After serving a two-year suspension for testing positive for EPO, TJ Dillashaw will be making his UFC return against Cory Sandhagen in July. Dillashaw will have a huge chip on his shoulder and will be out to prove to the world that he is an elite-level fighter and does not need performance enhancing drugs in order to be the champion again.
There is a chance that with just a win over 'The Sandman', we could see Dillashaw fighting the winner of a rematch between Sterling and Yan for the UFC bantamweight title.
Also read: Dominick Cruz reveals what TJ Dillashaw has to do to beat Cory Sandhagen