10 Fighters Who Need to Join the UFC Flyweight Division

The UFC's flyweight division is gaining momentum, as the first two fights in the division's history have recently gone down. Despite the snag that a draw in the flyweight tournament has caused, the division needs to continue developing more fighters.

There are already two other flyweight fights announced, both of which take place at UFC on FOX 3. These two bouts are John Lineker versus Louis Gaudinot and John Dodson versus Darren Uyenoyama.

The flyweight division is very light on fighters right now, so let's take a look at some other fighters who could join the division.

Norifumi Yamamoto

Kid Yamamoto has hit a slump in his career, despite dropping a weight class to compete in the UFC. Even though he has cut to 135 pounds, Yamamoto has gone 0-3 in the UFC bantamweight division.

Yamamoto is only 5'4" and could benefit from a cut to flyweight. He is a pretty muscular guy and most likely does not cut much weight to make bantamweight.

A drop to flyweight may save his UFC career, which at this point is uncertain.

Chris Cariaso

Chris Cariaso has been somewhat successful as a bantamweight, but being 5'3" is a great disadvantage at bantamweight. Cariaso could be a top flyweight if he were to drop a weight class.

Cariaso has great stand up skills and an underrated ground game. Should he choose to drop to flyweight, he would not be far off from a title shot, due to his recent success at bantamweight.

A stand-up battle between Cariaso and John Dodson would be great at flyweight.

Josh Ferguson

Going into the last season of The Ultimate Fighter, Josh Ferguson admitted that he normally competed as a flyweight, not a bantamweight. The fact that he still made it into the house is a testament to his skills, and he could be a solid addition to the UFC's flyweight division.

Ferguson is 8-4 (all wins by submission), and has proven that he has power in his hands. Ferguson is 5'5", so he definitely has the frame to be a decently large flyweight.

Brandon Merkt

Brandon Merkt was another flyweight that tried to make his name on The Ultimate Fighter, but was unable to make it into the house. Merkt is a top-25 flyweight that stands at 5'6", which would be big for a flyweight.

At 11-0, he definitely deserves a spot on the UFC's flyweight roster. He is a proven finisher (seven submissions, two knockouts) that could add some serious competition to the flyweight division.

Mamoru Yamaguchi

Currently a top-10 flyweight in the world, Japanese superstar Mamoru Yamaguchi has been fighting since 1999.

Yamaguchi is 26-6-3 in his career, which should be more than enough to get him on the roster. His lethal kickboxing would be superior to most in the division, making him a threat to the belt.

Yamaguchi has even defeated tournament participant Yasuhiro Urushitani in his career.

Rambaa Somdet

Rambaa Somdet is a great Muay Thai specialist with a 9-2 record. Somdet is a flyweight that is actually a natural strawweight (115 pounds).

Somdet has proven he can beat men bigger than him, which could draw him a cult following. There are also no Thai-born fighters in the UFC, so he could break barriers.

Dustin Ortiz

Dustin Ortiz is a Strikeforce veteran with an 8-1 record. His only loss in his career thus far has come to Ian McCall, so he is obviously equipped to fight top talent under the bright lights of a big promotion.

Ortiz has won all of his fights by submission or knockout, while never being finished by his opponents. A battle between Ortiz and Mamoru Yamaguchi would be an awesome battle of men with afros.

Darrell Montague

Darrell Montague is 9-2 in his career, with his only losses coming to Ian McCall and Robbie Peralta (both UFC veterans). Montague is a big flyweight, which could help him be a top flyweight.

He has finished seven of his opponents. He has even defeated Ulysses Gomez, a well-respected flyweight in the mixed martial arts world. Montague is very well rounded as well, which deserves to be proven in the UFC.

Mitsuhisa Sunabe

At 5'8", Mitsuhisa Sunabe is a big flyweight. Sunabe is one of the top flyweights in the world and represents Japan, a market which the UFC continues to try and chip away at.

Sunabe is 15-7-4, having fought professionally since 2001. He is a well-rounded fighter that has beaten the likes of Rambaa Somdet and Hiroyuki Abe.

Sunabe is an immediate threat at the flyweight title—whenever that mess gets sorted out.

Jussier Da Silva

A top prospect from Brazil, Jussier da Silva was considered by most to be the number one flyweight in the world. That was until we met a man simply known as "Uncle Creepy."

Despite his loss to Ian McCall, Da Silva is still a top flyweight in the world. He is 12-1 with wins over such fighters as Rodrigo Santos, Michael Costa and Mamoru Yamaguchi.

He is a skilled submission artist that could challenge for the flyweight title in the near future.