Featherweight
1. Max Holloway (18-3)
Holloway went an incredible eight fights over a nearly three-year span without having an injury alter one of his scheduled contests, but this is MMA, so the injury bug was due to bite back eventually. Unfortunately for the “Blessed” one, it came when he was lined up for his first UFC featherweight title defense, taking on legendary former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar at UFC 218 on Dec. 2. Now in a curious do-over, Holloway will rematch the man he took the title from in June when he instead faces late replacement Jose Aldo in the Detroit headliner.2. Jose Aldo (26-3)
In the last eight years, every single one of Aldo’s appearances in the Octagon has been for a World Extreme Cagefighting or UFC featherweight title. Following his third-round knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 212 in June, that streak seemed destined to end. However, just as Aldo was confirmed to rematch former title challenger Ricardo Lamas at UFC on Fox 26 in December with no belt at stake, Frankie Edgar was injured and forced out of his UFC 218 headliner. Aldo will now compete in his 14th consecutive title bout when he rematches Holloway at UFC 218 on Dec. 2 in Detroit in what could be the Brazilian legend’s last chance to regain 145-pound supremacy.3. Frankie Edgar (22-5-1)
Edgar twice failed to take the UFC featherweight crown from Jose Aldo, but “The Answer” will not take no for an answer as a 145-pound contender, bouncing back with consecutive wins over Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez that moved him right back in the title hunt. Unfortunately, when Edgar was firmed up to challenge Max Holloway for the featherweight championship at UFC 218 on Dec. 2, he suffered a facial injury in training that will require surgery. While Edgar only expects to be out of the gym for six weeks, his title bid will now go to Aldo, who has stepped into his headlining spot.4. Ricardo Lamas (18-5)
The featherweight division’s great forgotten man, Lamas’ back-to-back stoppages of Charles Oliveira and Jason Knight reinvigorated his claim as a top contender at 145 pounds and earned him a second bout with former champion Jose Aldo, who defeated him back in February 2014. However, just as Lamas started to prepare for his rematch with Aldo at UFC on Fox 26 on Dec. 16, Frankie Edgar suffered an injury, which led to Aldo being plucked from the bout and placed into the UFC 218 headliner. In an all-too-familiar role, “The Bully” now waits for whatever elite opponent his promoter can drum up for him, undoubtedly one with less upside than another Aldo showdown.5. Cub Swanson (25-7)
One of the few longstanding top-10 featherweights who has not gotten a crack at UFC gold, Swanson is on the last fight of his current UFC contract and has been vocal about fighting it out and entering free agency in hopes of getting a plum deal. The 34-year-old may get his wish come December, but it will not be easy. Swanson will main event UFC Fight Night 123 on Dec. 9, taking on the undefeated Brian Ortega in Fresno, California.6. Darren Elkins (23-5)
Elkins’ rise to featherweight prominence has been contingent on using his hard-nosed, grinding style to thwart tough, usually favored opposition. In order for “The Damage” to push his UFC winning streak to six in a row, he will need to do it once more against another unenviable opponent. Elkins will welcome lightweight contender Michael Johnson to the featherweight division at UFC Fight Night 124 on Jan. 14. Even tougher for Elkins, it will come in “The Menace’s” backyard of St. Louis.7. Brian Ortega (12-0, 1 NC)
After his July 2014 UFC debut, Ortega had his first-round submission of Mike de la Torre overturned after he popped for drostanolone. Since his steroid suspension, Ortega has been flawless, racking up four straight third-round stoppages over Thiago Tavares, Diego Brandao, Clay Guida and Renato Carneiro. Next time in the Octagon, Ortega gets a massive step up in competition and visibility, as “T-City” heads to Fresno, California, where he will face Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night 123 on Dec. 9.8. Chan Sung Jung (15-4)
With Jung returning from two and a half years of mandatory military service in his native South Korea, the MMA world was thrilled when “The Korean Zombie” returned in February and lanced Dennis Bermudez in mere minutes. It was then quickly heartbroken when Jung’s slated June bout with Ricardo Lamas fell apart after he was injured. Jung has since taken to social media to needle power-punching veteran Jeremy Stephens, angling for another potentially thrilling style matchup in the coming months.9. Doo Ho Choi (14-2)
After the fight Choi enjoyed with Cub Swanson at UFC 206 in December, people would have been excited about nearly any future opponent for “The Korean Superboy,” but his pairing with fellow free-swinging prospect Andre Fili for UFC 214 on July 29 seemed especially good. Unfortunately, Choi suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the contest and will keep him on the shelf until late this year or early 2018.10. Patricio Freire (26-4)
It has been a rough go recently for many of Bellator MMA’s main events and co-headlining fights, and Freire now finds himself ensnared in that bad luck, too. After winning the Bellator featherweight championship for a second time in his fourth bout with rival Daniel Straus in April, Freire was set for the first defense of his second reign on Nov. 16, with a rematch against Daniel Weichel in Tel Aviv, Israel. However, a second showdown with the German MMA pioneer will have to wait until the 2018, as the Brazilian was injured in training and pulled out of the Bellator 188 headliner.Other Contenders: Renato Carneiro, Andre Harrison, Calvin Kattar, Jason Knight, Yair Rodriguez.
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