Featherweight
1. Max Holloway (19-3)
Holloway briefly had a chance to join Conor McGregor as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s only simultaneous two-division champions when he stepped in on six days’ notice to replace Tony Ferguson against Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title bout UFC 223. Alas, the weight cut proved too difficult, as “Blessed” was deemed medically unfit to compete by the New York State Athletic Commission one day before the event. It now seems far more likely that Holloway’s next appearance will come in a 145-pound title defense against No. 1 contender Brian Ortega.2. Brian Ortega (14-0)
There is no doubt about who is the No. 1 contender in the featherweight division following Ortega’s emphatic first-round knockout of two-time title challenger and former lightweight king Frankie Edgar at UFC 222. A standing elbow stopped Edgar in his tracks and an uppercut lifted “The Answer” off his feet and onto the canvas, giving “T-City” his sixth consecutive UFC victory. Barring injury or unforeseen circumstances, Ortega has secured himself a date with reigning 145-pound king Max Holloway.3. Jose Aldo (26-4)
Aldo’s second effort in six months against Max Holloway was less successful than the first, as the Brazilian legend was battered for three rounds and stopped by the Hawaiian once again at UFC 218 on Dec. 2. “Scarface” has now lost three of his last four bouts. What comes next for the all-time featherweight king is uncertain, though a rumored clash with the hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens seems to have legs.4. Frankie Edgar (22-6-1)
Despite suffering a devastating first-round knockout loss to Brian Ortega at UFC 222 on March 3, Edgar will not have to wait long to dive back into the fray. “The Answer” will return to action against Cub Swanson in a rematch at UFC Fight Night 128 on April 21 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Edgar defeated Swanson via fifth-round submission in the UFC Fight Night 57 headliner in November 2014.5. Cub Swanson (25-8)
At 34 years old and riding a four-fight winning streak into the last bout on his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract, Swanson was submitted by Brian Ortega in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 123 main event. Ultimately, Swanson elected to stay put, and he will get a chance to avenge one of his eight previous defeats when he faces Frankie Edgar in a rematch at UFC Fight Night 128 on April 21.6. Darren Elkins (24-5)
Elkins was getting pieced up by Michael Johnson in the latter’s featherweight debut at UFC Fight Night 124. Then, in a scene reminiscent of his 2017 comeback against Mirsad Bektic, “The Damage” dug deep, took Johnson’s back and choked him out in the second round. With six straight wins, Elkins now has the longest winning streak at 145 pounds in the UFC outside of champion Max Holloway.7. Jeremy Stephens (28-14)
Now 28 fights into his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure, Stephens may be in the best position of his lengthy career after a resounding second-round knockout of Josh Emmett in the UFC on Fox 28 main event gave “Lil’ Heathen” his third consecutive triumph at 145 pounds. Although it seems as if he has been around forever, Stephens is still just 31 years old and could be primed for featherweight title contention. The man himself believes that to be true, as he called for a championship opportunity after his win over Emmett.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. Josh Emmett (13-2)
Emmett could not capitalize on the momentum of his big knockout victory over ex-title challenger Ricardo Lamas in December, as he fell victim to the heavy hands and elbows of Jeremy Stephens in the UFC on Fox 28 headliner. The Team Alpha Male product now finds himself with some work to do in a deep and talented 145-pound division.10. Ricardo Lamas (18-6)
Your heart breaks for Lamas. After impressive back-to-back stoppages of Charles Oliveira and Jason Knight, “The Bully” earned a second crack at all-time featherweight king Jose Aldo, only to the lose the fight when the Brazilian stepped in for an injured Frankie Edgar against Max Holloway at UFC 218. Lamas accepted a high-risk, low-reward bout with replacement Josh Emmett on Dec. 16 and wound up on the wrong end of one of 2017’s most devastating knockouts. He will attempt to bounce back at UFC 225 on June 9, when he confronts Mirsad Bektic in Chicago.Other Contenders: Renato Carneiro, Doo Ho Choi, Patricio Freire, Calvin Kattar, Yair Rodriguez.
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