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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. Before that happens, Topuria will top UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi against former title holder Max Holloway.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 a title shot in his next Octagon appearance.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. Next, Holloway will attempt regain championship gold when he faces Ilia Topuria in the UFC 308 headliner on Oct. 26.4. Movsar Evloev (18-0) | UFC [4]
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. The Russian standout was supposed to face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 307 before his opponent withdrew due to an injury. That bout has been rescheduled for UFC 310 on Dec. 7.5. Diego Lopes (26-6) | UFC [5]
Lopes continued his ascent at Noche UFC with a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph over two-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega in a featured bout at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. While his desired finish didn’t arrive, the Brazilian had his opponent reeling on a couple occasions en route to earning his fifth consecutive promotional triumph. The Lobo Gym export has come a long way since losing his Octagon debut to Movsar Evloev, and he figures to be a key figure in title discussions in the coming months.6. Arnold Allen (20-3) | UFC [6]
Allen snapped a two-fight skid at UFC 304, taking a unanimous decision triumph over Giga Chikadze in Manchester on July 27. While the 30-year-old Brit couldn’t get past difficult tests against the likes of Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev, he nonetheless owns an 11-2 mark in UFC competition. “Almighty” figures to have plenty of time to make another run at featherweight gold before all is said and done.7. Brian Ortega (16-4, 1 NC) | UFC [7]
Ortega was put on his heels early in his UFC 306 matchup with Diego Lopes and never recovered, losing a unanimous decision at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. While he displayed tremendous heart in making it to the final bell, “T-City” was rocked in both the first and third frames and was unable to mount a serious comeback against his Brazilian foe. Ortega has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances dating back to 2021.8. Patricio Freire (36-7) | Bellator [8]
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.9. Yair Rodriguez (19-5, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
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.10. Josh Emmett (19-4) | UFC [10]
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.Other Contenders: Aljamain Sterling, Calvin Kattar, Chan Sung Jung, Bryce Mitchell, Lerone Murphy.
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