One of the most exciting and underrated divisions in the UFC is the Men’s Flyweight division. The fighters in this division are some of the fastest and most technically sound on the roster, but it seems like the top contenders in this division don’t get as much attention from fans as those in the heavier divisions. There are two major reasons for this lack of interest from the fan base, and I’ll cover what they are in this article.

Flyweight’s Decision Ratio

It’s safe to say that all UFC fans would rather watch a fight that ends with a highlight video than a fight that ends with a judges’ scorecard. Unfortunately for the flyweight division, they have the highest decision ratio of any men’s weight class in the UFC. However, this high-level sport has given the division a stodgy reputation and has caused fans and the organization to not see the division as a magnet to watch. This has led to fights like this weekend’s UFC 304 between top-ranked contenders Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape, who could very well be fighting for a title shot, being left off the main card. The fight that took its place is between two unranked middleweights, which means that despite their highly ranked status, the stakes for the fight are not seen as high due to their lower weight classes.

Lack of Leading Competitors

The other obvious problem in the flyweight division is the lack of top contenders ready to fight for the title. The current number one contender is Brandon Royval, but he was defeated by current champion Alexandre Pantoja less than a year ago. The number two contender is former champion Brandon Moreno, who has lost to Pantoja three times in his career and was completely out of the title picture after losing to Royval in February. The last title contender was Steve Erceg, who is currently ranked ninth in the division, which suggests that the UFC is looking for more contenders in this division. Fortunately, the division has some elite young talent in Tatsuro Taira, Muhammad Mokaev, and Manel Kape. That trio could provide future title contenders and even champions years down the road, but due to their lack of experience against top-tier opponents, I don’t believe any of them are ready to challenge for the belt at this time. Without real contenders, their importance is diminished when compared to others in the division who have more star power and higher finish rates.

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