Like the featherweights, bantamweights came to the UFC from the WEC right at the start of the decade with Dominick Cruz leading the charge.
Cruz was the reigning WEC champion, and he was given that same honor in the UFC.
“The Dominator” continued to do just that, holding the UFC title for over 1,000 days. He never actually lost it, either, as injuries forced him to vacate it in 2014.
Cruz eventually returned to the promotion, winning the belt for a second time in 2016 with a victory over TJ Dillashaw.
Currently, Henry Cejudo is the reigning bantamweight champion.
Make sure to check out FightLine on The Mix for other recaps from the decade in other divisions.
Henry Cejudo
As the reigning flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo bumped up and won the bantamweight belt at UFC 238 in 2019 over Marlon Moraes.
Cejudo would eventually relinquish the flyweight title, deciding to be “the man” at bantamweight.
TJ Dillashaw
Two title reigns for TJ Dillashaw remain the highlight of his career, but there is a dark cloud over it all.
Dillashaw was forced to vacate the belt after failing multiple drug tests. He also lost his last fight, falling to Henry Cejudo for the flyweight belt.
In his first title defense, Dillashaw held the title for 603 days starting in 2014. He earned wins over Joe Soto and Renan Barao before falling to Cruz. His second reign lasted 501 days.
Cody Garbrandt
A former teammate of TJ Dillashaw and the Team Alpha Male camp, Cody Garbrandt reached the pinnacle in 2016.
Garbrandt downed Dominick Cruz for the title at UFC 207, holding it for 309 days.
Dominick Cruz
The first bantamweight champion in UFC history, Dominick Cruz has experienced two runs as the division leader.
In 2010, Cruz was declared champion, holding the title for 1,117 official days. He downed Urijah Faber in 2011 and Demetrious Johnson later that year.
Cruz won the belt again after returning in 2016, holding it for 348 days with a defense over Faber.
Renan Barao
An interim champion who was promoted to undisputed, Renan Barao first won the title in 2012. Barao bested Urijah Faber at UFC 149, earning a pair of defenses as interim champ over Michael McDonald and Eddie Wineland.
In 2014, he was promoted and downed Faber once more. Barao held the undisputed belt for 138 days.
