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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 in the rearview mirror, Volkanovski has set his sights on a move to 155 pounds and two-division dominance. He’ll get a chance to complete that vision against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284.2. Patricio Freire (35-5) | Bellator [2]
Freire was methodical in victory against Kleber Koike Erbst at Rizin 40, as he denied his foe’s takedown attempts and landed solid offense on the feet en route to a unanimous decision triumph against the Japanese promotion’s featherweight champion. “Pitbull,” who is currently on his third reign as Bellator’s 145-pound king, has won 10 of his last professional appearances dating back to 2017. A potential trilogy against A.J. McKee, the only man to defeat him during that time, looms large in the coming year.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 (20-1) | Bellator [4]
McKee had his hands full with Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight king Roberto Satoshi de Souza on New Year’s Eve, but “Mercenary” was ultimately able to emerge with a unanimous decision triumph in the Rizin 40 headliner. The former Bellator featherweight king improves to 2-0 at 155 pounds and already has designs on entering the promotion’s upcoming lightweight grand prix, where he has targeted a first-round matchup with Usman Nurmagomedov. A trilogy with current Bellator featherweight champ Patricio Freire also appears destined to happen somewhere down the line.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. “El Pantera” has his first Octagon triumph since October 2019, and with reigning featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski moving up to lightweight, Rodriguez will face Josh Emmett for the interim 145-pound belt at UFC 284.6. Josh Emmett (18-2) | UFC [6]
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. The Team Alpha Male representative will next square off against Yair Rodriguez for the interim featherweight crown at UFC 284.7. Arnold Allen (19-1) | UFC [7]
Allen’s first main event appearance in the Octagon didn’t go exactly as planned, but the Englishman was nonetheless victorious after opponent Calvin Kattar suffered a knee injury in their featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 213. Arnold “Almighty” appeared to be finding a rhythm in the opening stanza before the fight’s unfortunate ending, but he’ll have to wait another day to see how his skills translate to a five-round affair. For now, an ongoing 10-fight winning streak makes him one of the division’s most intriguing contenders.8. Brian Ortega (15-3, 1 NC) | UFC [8]
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.9. Calvin Kattar (23-7) | UFC [9]
An awkward landing following a leaping attack led to Kattar suffering a knee injury in the opening round of his headlining showdown with Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 213. Though “The Boston Finisher” came out for the second round, it only took one low kick from his opponent to bring an end to the fight. Kattar, who has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances, could now face a lengthy recovery process before he returns to the cage.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. An injury forced Evloev to pull out of a headlining clash against Bryce Mitchell at UFC Fight Night 214 on Nov. 5.Other Contenders: Ilia Topuria, Chan Sung Jung, Bryce Mitchell, Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige.
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