Where We Stand: Flyweight Division | December 2025

Outlook: While winning a title via an injury is never ideal, Van put himself in position to win the belt with the work he did before facing Pantoja at UFC 323. The 24-year-old made his eye-popping 10th walk to the Octagon since joining the roster in June 2023, and in the fight game, an athlete can create their own luck when they are opportunistic. It’s presumed Pantoja will get a crack at winning his belt back whenever he is healthy, but Van could face anyone from Tatsuro Taira to the winner of Brandon Royval and Manel Kape’s 2025 finale in his first defense in the meantime. 

Outlook: Pantoja seemed unstoppable since winning the title in July 2023, to the point where people were genuinely debating if he was the best to ever do it at 125 pounds despite Demetrious Johnson’s lengthy resume. That conversation got put on hold in T-Mobile Arena, and it is unclear how long Pantoja will need to come back at full strength. However, he has earned the right to fight for the belt immediately upon his return, no matter who holds the belt. 

Outlook: "Raw Dawg” risked his ranking to accept a fight against Van at International Fight Week and did exactly what is expected when he steps into the Octagon: put on a show. The self-described “most exciting flyweight in the UFC” stood toe-to-toe with the now-champion before ultimately falling via a close decision. The bout remains one of the best of 2025, and if Royval can best Kape to end the year, he could put himself in pole position for a title shot, considering he owns a split-decision win over Taira from October 2024.

Outlook: Taira graduated from prospect to legitimate contender about a year ago, but a TKO win over one of the defining flyweight champions of the last five years puts that status in amber. Taira never looked out of place or uncomposed against “The Assassin Baby,” and he is now the clubhouse leader for Japan’s best hope at a UFC champion. 

Outlook: Moreno couldn’t help but look at the referee and wonder whether the stoppage against Taira came too early, but ultimately, Mexico’s former champion now has some work to do before getting back into title contention. Still just 32 but with real miles on the tires, Moreno will likely need to string together a couple of wins in 2026 before earning a shot at the title. He has pedigree on his side, and Pantoja is no longer in the way for the time being, so Moreno remains a real player at 125 pounds.

Outlook: Albazi remains in the wilderness following an injury-induced layoff and his loss to Moreno in 2024. Albazi was supposed to face Taira in a main event in August before injury prevented his return, so he’ll have to string together some consistency to garner the momentum he had after he beat Kai Kara-France back in 2023.