Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Featherweight
1. Alexander Volkanovski (26-2) | UFC [1]
After a near-miss in his bid to become a two-division champion, Volkanovski returned to 145 pounds with a dominant performance at UFC 290, where he overwhelmed Yair Rodriguez with sheer physicality in a third-round technical knockout victory at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Volkanovski now has six victories in featherweight title bouts, No. 2 all-time behind Jose Aldo, the man he is chasing for the title of 145-pound GOAT. After his latest victory, Volkanovski revealed that he may need to undergo surgery for an arm injury. After that, a title defense against Ilia Topuria or a return to 155 pounds for a rematch against Islam Makhachev are both in play.2. Patricio Freire (35-6) | Bellator [2]
Freire’s bid to become a three-division title holder was denied, as he dropped a unanimous decision to Sergio Pettis at Bellator 297 in Chicago on June 16. While his weight cut appeared to be smooth, the Brazilian star was confounded by his opponent’s speed, movement and striking variety for the majority of their encounter. That snaps a three-fight winning streak for Freire, but all is not lost for the elder “Pitbull” brother, as he remains Bellator’s reigning featherweight king.3. Max Holloway (24-7) | UFC [3]
Holloway showed no signs of decline in the UFC on ESPN 44 headliner, as he outdueled surging Englishman Arnold Allen for five rounds to capture a unanimous decision triumph in Kansas City. Given his 0-3 mark against Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway remains in featherweight limbo as long as the Aussie holds the crown at 145 pounds. While a fourth meeting between the two rivals still seems a bit farfetched, “Blessed” is more than capable of taking out the rest of the division’s contenders, as he proved by ending Allen’s 10-bout UFC winning streak. Next is a matchup against fellow veteran Chan Sung Jung in the UFC Singapore headliner on Aug. 26.4. Yair Rodriguez (15-4, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
Heading into the UFC 290 main event, Rodriguez had the look of a dangerous underdog. That was before the inevitability of Alexander Volkanovski set in, as “El Pantera” was largely dominated in a third-round technical knockout defeat. While Rodriguez drew nods of acknowledgement from his opponent for his striking ability, the same problems that plagued the Mexican star earlier in his career — namely, defensive wrestling — surfaced once again on his biggest stage to date. If Rodriguez is to return to title contention in the future, it’s a weakness he will have to correct.5. Ilia Topuria (14-0) | UFC [5]
Topuria was in peak form in the UFC on ABC 5 main event, as he tagged former interim title challenger Josh Emmett with crisp punching combinations while relying on smart movement to avoid heavy return fire in a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. Perhaps the only thing that could have made the performance better was a finish, but Emmett proved to be exceedingly tough in defeat. As it stands, “El Matador” has won his first six appearances in the Octagon and has the look of a legitimate title contender at 145 pounds.6. A.J. McKee (20-1) | Bellator [6]
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 will next take part in the promotion’s lightweight grand prix, though he won’t get his desired first-round matchup with Usman Nurmagomedov. Instead, he’ll lock horns with Patricky Freire at a Bellator/Rizin co-promoted event on July 30.7. Arnold Allen (19-2) | UFC [7]
Allen went toe-to-toe with former featherweight champion Max Holloway in the UFC on ESPN 44 main event, but ultimately “Almighty” couldn’t match the striking volume and variety of his Hawaiian opponent in a unanimous decision defeat. A victory might have made the Englishman the division’s No. 1 contender-in-waiting, but instead, Allen sees a 10-fight winning streak in the UFC came to an end. Allen can perhaps find solace in the path of Yair Rodriguez, who rebounded from a loss to Holloway in November 2021 to earn his way to a 145-pound title shot less than two years later.8. Josh Emmett (18-4) | UFC [8]
For the second time in as many appearances, Emmett was outgunned by a skilled opponent in a high-profile bout. This time it was rising contender Ilia Topuria, who outdueled the tough-as-nails Team Alpha Male product for five rounds in the UFC on ABC 5 main event in Jacksonville. After winning five consecutive fights from 2019 to 2022, the 38-year-old Emmett’s time as a championship hopeful may have come to an end on the heels of back-to-back lopsided defeats at the hands of Topuria and Yair Rodriguez.9. Brian Ortega (15-3, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
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.. The injury rendered “T-City” unable to continue, and 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.10. Calvin Kattar (23-7) | UFC [10]
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.Other Contenders: Movsar Evloev, Chan Sung Jung, Bryce Mitchell, Giga Chikadze, Movlid Khaybulaev.
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