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.
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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.