Charles Johnson is officially a contender at 125-lb.
Picking up his fourth win of the year last weekend at UFC Vegas 99, the streaking Johnson has cemented himself as an up-and-coming name in the flyweight division. Since dropping a unanimous decision to Rafael Estevam back in late 2023, “InnerG” has rebounded amazingly by winning four fights in a row in 2024.
His victory over Sumudaerji this past Saturday has catapulted him into the number 15 spot on the flyweight rankings, a perfect capstone to a remarkable year in his career. Now counted amongst the top of the heap at 125-lb, the time has come for Johnson to take on a massive step up in competition.
Now, let’s take a look at who Charles Johnson should fight next.
Asu Almabayev
In addition to Johnson cracking the rankings with a win in Vegas, Kazakhstan’s Asu Almabayev also made his way into the upper echelon of the division after dominantly defeating Matheus Nicolau on the same night. This caused the wrestling specialist to skyrocket up the ladder to become the seventh-best flyweight in the world.
Although a meeting between these two doesn’t seem on the cards as of now, considering they are separated by a whole eight spots on the 125-lb leaderboard, Johnson had already begun to call out a couple of other top 10 competitors in his post-fight interview.
On the off chance this theoretical fight becomes official, “InnerG” will surely be considered a sizable underdog. However, considering his track record this year of beating prospects like Azat Maksum, Jake Hadley, and Joshua Van, Johnson may just surprise everyone once again by halting the momentum of “Zulfikar” in another baffling upset.
Tagir Ulanbekov
Unlike Johnson, who appeared four times inside the Octagon this year, Tagir Ulanbekov has been noticeably absent from competition following ending 2023 in spectacular fashion with a second-round submission over Cody Durden. He was originally scheduled to fight twice back in June, but a failed booking with Alex Perez and a weight miss before his bout with Joshua Van saw the Russian put on the sidelines.
For Johnson, an encounter with Ulanbekov would be a tough first outing as a member of the flyweight top brass, but given his superb gas tank and high-pressure fighting style, he stands as a perfect dance partner for the Sambo practitioner. For the absent Ulanbekov, the matchup is also the perfect opportunity to get back into action after delivering a sensational finish in his last time out.
Matheus Nicolau
As we mentioned, Matheus Nicolau suffered his third consecutive loss when he dropped a unanimous decision to Almabayev on Saturday night. Now barely holding onto his place in the top 10 of the division, the slumping Brazilian will have to impress in his next fight if he wants to remain in the top portion of the rankings.
For the newly-minted flyweight contender in Johnson, Nicolau may not be the big-time opponent that he’s been calling out for, but getting to share the cage with someone as experienced as him could prove to be very valuable. Having almost won the Ultimate Fighter Brazil, and with two different stints in the UFC under his belt, Nicolau has battled against some of the best flyweights today. To go out there and pick up a win over such a veteran would be a massive feather in Johnson’s cap that could open the door to a high-profile bout with possibly anyone else in the top 10 that he desires.
