You know, bantamweight, it’s them fellas who weigh around 135 pounds. I don’t know much about all these fancy fighting things, but I sure can tell you some of them bantamweight fighters are real good, like best in the world. Now, let me tell ya about some of ‘em, and you can see if they might be the best of all time.
Eder Jofre, now there’s a name you mighta heard. He’s from back when boxing was real big. He fought from 1957 to 1976, that’s a long time, and won 72 fights, with only 2 losses! Both them losses was to a fella called Fighting Harada, but boy, Eder knocked out more than fifty men! Imagine that. Ain’t no wonder folks say he’s the best bantamweight boxer ever, maybe even the best boxer in any weight. He was the world champ for five years, from 1960 to 1965, and nobody could take that belt from him easily. So if you’re talking ’bout best bantamweights, you gotta say Eder Jofre, no question.
Now, MMA, that’s a whole ‘nother thing. Mixed martial arts, they do it all—punching, kicking, wrestling, everything. In the UFC, one guy who’s real famous is Dominick Cruz. He’s been fightin’ for years, and even when he got injured, he came back strong. Cruz won the UFC title twice, and before that, he was the champ in WEC, another big fightin’ company. Cruz, he’s known for his smart fighting, always movin’, never stayin’ still. Some folks say he’s the best in MMA bantamweight, and that’s hard to argue with, you know.
Then there’s this newer fella, Merab Dvalishvili. He just won a big fight in September 2024, beatin’ Sean O’Malley to take the title at UFC 306. It wasn’t an easy fight, went all the way to decision, but Merab pulled it off. That fight made folks start talkin’ ‘bout whether he could be the best, but it’s too soon to tell, ya know? Time will tell, but if he keeps fightin’ like he did that night, he might just be one of the all-time greats.
Urijah Faber, now he’s another name folks talk about. They call him “The California Kid,” and even though he never got the UFC belt, he was one of the first big stars in bantamweight fightin’. He fought a lot in WEC too, and he’s helped make the division popular. Some people don’t put him in the top list ’cause he didn’t win the UFC belt, but you can’t deny the impact he had on the sport.
If you’re talkin’ about the best, you can’t forget Marlon Moraes. He’s fought some tough battles, and while he ain’t always won, he’s had some real memorable fights. That’s what folks remember, the battles in the cage. He’s gone up against some of the best and given them a run for their money, and that’s gotta count for somethin’ when you’re thinkin’ about who’s the best.
Now, it’s hard to say who’s the best of all time, ‘cause there’s always new fellas comin’ up, and the old champs had different challenges. But when you look at it, I reckon Eder Jofre in boxing and Dominick Cruz in MMA are the ones folks talk about the most. They’ve had long careers, won a lotta fights, and changed the way people think about bantamweight fightin’. But who knows, maybe in a few years, we’ll be talkin’ about Merab or some other fella as the greatest ever. It’s just somethin’ we’ll have to wait and see.
So, if you’re askin’ me, I’d say there’s no one answer to who’s the best bantamweight of all time. It’s like askin’ if apples are better than oranges, depends on what you like. But them names I mentioned, they’re definitely the top of the crop, and you can’t go wrong pickin’ any of ‘em. Them fellas have all made their mark, and that’s somethin’ to respect, no matter what.
Tags：[Best Bantamweight, MMA, Boxing, Eder Jofre, Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, Marlon Moraes]
