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Featherweight
1. Alexander Volkanovski (25-1) | UFC [1]
Volkanovski was virtually flawless in his championship trilogy bout against Max Holloway at UFC 276, sweeping the scorecards by identical 50-45 counts in a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. The City Kickboxing stalwart has won 12 straight in UFC competition and a whopping 22 in a row overall, clearly establishing him as one of the top pound-for-pound talents in the sport. His rivalry with Holloway now clearly in the rearview mirror, Volkanovski has set his sights on a move to 155 pounds and two-division dominance.2. Patricio Freire (34-5) | Bellator [2]
Freire turned back yet another determined challenger, nullifying the normally explosive Adam Borics on his way to a unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator 286 on Oct. 1. “Pitbull” is now the first Bellator fighter to successfully defend titles in three separate reigns, and his 12 title fight wins are twice as many as any other fighter in promotional history can claim. Having avenged his only featherweight loss in nearly a decade in his April rematch with A.J. McKee, Freire looks close to running out of challenges at 145 pounds. A rubber match with McKee, who moved up to lightweight and won at Bellator 286, might not be far off.3. Max Holloway (23-7) | UFC [3]
Holloway had a decent case that his rematch with Alexander Volkanovski should’ve gone his way, but as for their trilogy in the UFC 276 co-main event? Not so much. The Hawaiian was beaten to the punch by his rival at every turn in a lopsided unanimous decision defeat. While previous victories over the likes of Yair Rodriguez and Calvin Kattar show that “Blessed” still has plenty left in the tank, his days as a championship contender may be a thing of the past — especially as long as Volkanovski remains at the top.4. A.J. McKee (19-1) | Bellator [4]
McKee’s 155-pound debut at Bellator 286 became a catchweight affair when his opponent, Spike Carlyle, missed the lightweight limit. Things went well otherwise, as the “Mercenary” calmly weathered a furious opening assault from the red-maned wild man, then pulled ahead with increasing ease as Carlyle fatigued. The unanimous decision win will have little bearing on any possible lightweight ranking, let alone this list, and McKee expressed his disinclination to go back to 145 pounds for anything short of a title shot, but with Patricio Freire’s win over Adam Borics that same night, the door remains open for a trilogy fight with his nemesis.5. Yair Rodriguez (14-3, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
Rodriguez didn’t get to make the statement he wanted to make against Brian Ortega in the UFC on ABC 3 main event, but he’ll nonetheless move forward with a victory that occurred as a result of his opponent suffering a shoulder injury late in the opening round of their bout. Whether it’s enough to warrant a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski is currently unclear, but it’s significant enough that “El Pantera” has his first Octagon triumph since October 2019. Rodriguez figures to be in another high-profile fight even if a championship fight isn’t in his immediate future.6. Brian Ortega (15-3, 1 NC) | UFC [6]
Misfortune befell Ortega in the UFC on ABC 3 headliner when he suffered a shoulder injury in the opening round of his featherweight showdown with Yair Rodriguez at UBS Arena in Elmont., N.Y., on July 16. The injury rendered “T-City” unable to continue, and if it requires surgery, the former 145-pound title challenger could be on the shelf for a significant period of time. When Ortega is ready to return to action — whether that be in a rematch with Rodriguez or against a different opponent — he will look to bounce back from a stretch that has seen him drop three of his last four Octagon appearances.7. Josh Emmett (18-2) | UFC [7]
Emmett didn’t blow Calvin Kattar out of the water in the UFC on ESPN 37 main event, but his powerful punches were just enough to secure a split decision from the judges at the Moody Center in Austin on June 18. The 37-year-old Emmett has compiled a five-fight winning streak at 145 pounds, and after proving he can survive through the deep waters of a 25-minute bout, believes he is on the cusp of championship contention. At the very least, another highly-ranked contender should be on deck for the Team Alpha Male representative.8. Calvin Kattar (23-6) | UFC [8]
Kattar’s boxing-based style was on full display in the UFC on ESPN 37 headliner, as he worked behind a precise jab to bloody the face of opponent Josh Emmett in their featherweight bout at the Moody Center in Austin. However, “The Boston Finisher” never put an emphatic stamp on the fight, and while many observers believed he deserved to get the nod, that ultimately resulted in him losing a split decision to his more heavy-handed foe. Kattar has gone the full five rounds in each of his last four Octagon appearances, falling to 2-2 in those bouts after his latest defeat. Kattar will enter his fifth consecutive main event when he squares off against Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 213.9. Arnold Allen (18-1) | UFC [9]
Allen entered UFC Fight Night 204 with one of the longest winning streaks in the featherweight division, but the Englishman hadn’t really done much to stand out during a recent run that included four consecutive decision triumphs. That changed in London on March 19, as Arnold “Almighty” tore through former lightweight contender Dan Hooker in the evening’s co-main event, battering his foe with a barrage of strikes en route to a first-round TKO stoppage. With his UFC winning streak extended to nine, Allen is doing everything he can to climb closer to the top of the weight class. Next, Allen will get his first headlining assignment against Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night 213 on Oct. 29.10. Movsar Evloev (16-0) | UFC [10]
Evloev put on a masterclass against Dan Ige in the UFC Fight Night 207 co-main event, mixing takedowns and crisp striking for a dominant unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The former M-1 Global title holder’s sparkling record includes five straight triumphs at 145 pounds, and he appears ready to enter the next tier of contenders. Evloev will look to continue his ascent when he squares off against fellow unbeaten Bryce Mitchell at UFC Fight Night 214 on Nov. 5.Other Contenders: Chan Sung Jung, Bryce Mitchell, Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige, Ilia Topuria.
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