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Featherweight
1. Ilia Topuria (15-0) | UFC [1]
Topuria ushered in a new era in the featherweight division with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. “El Matador” ended what had been a competitive bout with a clean right hook at the 3:32 mark of Round 2, showcasing his frightening fight altering power in the process. Topuria has all the makings of a massive star, capable of spearheading the promotion’s first-ever card in his home country of Spain. At just 27 years old, the future appears to be bright indeed for Topuria.2. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) | UFC [2]
Volkanovski couldn’t overcome Father Time at UFC 298, as the 35-year-old Aussie suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in the evening’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Regardless of what the future holds, Volkanovski will go down as one of the sports all-time great featherweights and given his previously perfect record at 145 pounds, he has a solid case for an immediate rematch with Topuria. Whether that happens remains to be seen.3. Max Holloway (26-7) | UFC [3]
Concerns for Holloway’s health against Justin Gaethje proved to be misguided, as “Blessed” authored an all-time classic knockout victory to claim the BMF belt at UFC 300 on April 13. Options abound for the Hawaiian, who remains a top contender at 145 pounds and is now also a person of interest at lightweight after vanquishing Gaethje, who would have been in line for a title shot with a victory. Holloway has won five of his last six Octagon appearances, with victories over the likes of Gaethje, Chan Sung Jung, Arnold Allen, Yair Rodriguez and Calvin Kattar adding to his considerable resume.4. Brian Ortega (16-3, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
It was an inauspicious beginning for Ortega in the UFC Fight Night 237 co-main event. Not only did he roll his ankle during pre-fight introductions, but he was on the verge of being finished by Yair Rodriguez in the opening stanza. Instead of folding, “T-City” dug deep and rallied for a third-round submission victory in his first promotional appearance since July 2022. Ortega is still relevant at 145 pounds, but with just two victories in his last five outings, he could need at least one more win to return to title consideration. He’ll get that chance with a short-notice booking against rising star Diego Lopes at UFC 303.5. Patricio Freire (36-7) | Bellator [5]
Freire rebounded from the most trying year of his career in emphatic fashion at Bellator Champions Series Belfast, as he successfully defended his featherweight crown with a third-round technical knockout of Jeremy Kennedy in the card’s co-main event on March 24. After suffering back-to-back losses in 2023, “Pitbull” demonstrated that he’s still the cream of the crop in Bellator’s featherweight division and as perhaps the face of the promotion, figures to have plenty of options both there and potentially, with the PFL, in the coming months.6. Yair Rodriguez (19-5, 1 NC) | UFC [6]
Rodriguez was rolling against Brian Ortega in the opening round of their co-headlining matchup at UFC Mexico, flooring his opponent and building up a massive advantage in significant strikes. However, when the finish didn’t arrive, Rodriguez faded and Ortega got stronger, which ultimately resulted in “El Pantera” succumbing to an arm-triangle choke in the third stanza. Rodriguez, who harbored hopes of a future showdown with newly crowned champ Ilia Topuria heading into the bout, must now reassess his position in the featherweight division.7. Movsar Evloev (18-0) | UFC [7]
Evloev inched closer to championship contention with a three-round verdict against Arnold Allen at UFC 297. While the former M-1 Global champion didn’t score many style points in victory, he did keep his undefeated record intact while extending his UFC winning streak to eight. Another highly ranked opponent figures to be next for the Russian standout.8. Arnold Allen (19-3) | UFC [8]
Allen was largely ineffective against Movsar Evloev at UFC 297, as he dropped a unanimous decision to his undefeated Russian adversary at the Scotiabank Center in Toronto on Jan. 20. After beginning his Octagon tenure with 10 consecutive triumphs, “Almighty” has lost consecutive outings to Max Holloway and Evloev. Consider the caliber of the competition, there is no shame in defeat, but the Englishman does have some work to do to be considered among the division’s elite. He’ll look to get back on track against Giga Chikadze at UFC 304.9. Josh Emmett (19-4) | UFC [9]
Emmett put on an explosive performance at UFC 296, putting Bryce Mitchell to sleep with a single, crushing overhand right in the first round of their main card clash. With the late “Knockout of the Year” contender, Emmett snapped the first losing streak of his career and indicated that even at nearly 39, he has more to offer the division. While he faces a hard road to the top given his lopsided losses to Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria, two of the fighters ranked above him, Emmett has staked out his place as the gatekeeper to the Top 5 for the immediate future.10. Aljamain Sterling (24-4) | UFC [10]
While it wasn’t the most thrilling performance, Sterling enjoyed a successful featherweight debut, as he stifled Calvin Kattar with grappling and control en route to a clear-cut decision triumph at UFC 300. The former bantamweight king looked strong in his new division, but he’ll likely need a more impressive effort before he can be considered a serious contender at 145 pounds.Other Contenders: Calvin Kattar, Chan Sung Jung, Bryce Mitchell, Giga Chikadze, Lerone Murphy.
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