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Featherweight
1. Max Holloway (21-4)
Holloway remains the unquestioned king of the featherweight division. After a loss to Dustin Poirier in a bid for the interim lightweight crown this past April, “Blessed” returned to form at UFC 240, as he outstruck Frankie Edgar for the better part of 25 minutes in the evening’s main event at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The gives the Hawaiian 16 featherweight wins and 17 overall in UFC competition, and at 27 years old, he could just be getting started. Holloway will next defend his title against the red-hot Aussie at UFC 245 in Las Vegas on Dec. 14.2. Alexander Volkanovski (20-1)
Facing a man regarded as perhaps the greatest featherweight of all-time, Volkanovski left no doubt against Jose Aldo at UFC 237. The streaking Australian outworked the former champion for three rounds, cruising to a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph. With five consecutive 145-pound wins and seven in a row in UFC competition overall, Alexander “The Great” has established himself as the division’s No. 1 contender. He’ll get his chance to assume the throne when he meets reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245.3. Brian Ortega (14-1)
Ortega was plenty game, but he was ultimately overwhelmed by the cumulative damage inflicted by featherweight champion Max Holloway in the UFC 231 headliner. “T-City” was ruled unable to come out before the fifth round and with that, his undefeated record was no more. Although Ortega hit Holloway with some solid shots in the third frame, the contest was dominated by the Hawaiian’s relentless offense. Ortega will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he meets Chan Sung Jung in the UFC Fight Night 165 headliner in South Korea on Dec. 21.4. Jose Aldo (28-5)
The magic Aldo had recaptured in his two previous wins over Jeremy Stephens and Renato Carneiro was nowhere to be found at UFC 237. Surging contender Alexander Volkanovski controlled the majority of their bout to win a unanimous decision in Rio de Janeiro and signal a changing of the guard. While it once appeared that Aldo would retire by the conclusion of 2019, UFC president Dana White revealed that the featherweight star signed a lengthy contract extension prior to UFC 237.5. Frankie Edgar (22-7-1)
Edgar may have seen his last best chance at capturing championship gold come and go in the UFC 240 main event. “The Answer” gave his usual gritty effort against Max Holloway at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but it wasn’t enough to wrest the title from the talented Hawaiian. Even at 37 years old, Edgar vowed in his post-fight interview that he has plenty left in the tank. He’ll attempt to make another title run in a new division after announcing that his next UFC bout will take place at 135 pounds.6. Chad Mendes (18-5)
Mendes flashed his heavy hands early against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232, but ultimately wilted under the Australian’s relentless offensive pressure in losing via second-round technical knockout. While the former featherweight title challenger looked sharp in stopping Myles Jury following a two-year USADA suspension, “Money” has lost three of his last four fights in the Octagon — all by KO or TKO. After plenty of rumors and speculation, Mendes officially announced his retirement in July.7. Zabit Magomedsharipov (17-1)
Magomedsharipov passed his toughest test to date at UFC 235, as he relied on his rangy striking and wrestling to outpoint veteran gatekeeper Jeremy Stephens at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 28-year-old Dagestan native extended his UFC winning streak to five, the second-longest in the featherweight division behind only reigning champion Max Holloway. Magomedsharipov was supposed to square off against fellow featherweight contender Calvin Kattar in the UFC Boston co-main event on Oct. 18, but the Russian fighter was forced to withdraw. The contest has been rebooked for UFC Fight Night 163 in Moscow.8. Yair Rodriguez (11-2, 1 NC)
Rodriguez had high expectations fighting on home soil, but his UFC Mexico City headlining matchup with Jeremy Stephens ended in just 15 seconds when “El Pantera” connected with an accidental eye poke. It was hardly the ending Rodriguez anticipated coming off a “Knockout of the Year” finish against Chan Sung Jung in November 2018, but he will get a chance to settle the score with Stephens when they square off again in the UFC on ESPN 6 co-main event on Oct. 18.9. Chan Sung Jung (15-5)
Coming off a last-second KO loss to Yair Rodriguez this past November, “The Korean Zombie” showed no ill affects from that heartbreaking defeat at UFC Greenville. Jung rocked Renato Carneiro with a two-punch combination at the outset and then finished his reeling foe with ground-and-pound from mount just 58 seconds after the contest began. Since returning from a lengthy hiatus due to military service, the 32-year-old South Korean has sandwiched first-round KO victories over Dennis Bermudez and Carneiro around the aforementioned setback to Rodriguez. Jung will get a chance to climb the rankings when he locks horns with fellow former title challenger Brian Ortega in the UFC Fight Night 165 headliner on Dec. 21.10. Renato Carneiro (13-3-1)
Carneiro stumbled out of the gate and was never given a chance to recover at UFC Greenville, as he fell to Chan Sung Jung via technical knockout in just 58 seconds in their headlining encounter. After winning five of his first six appearances within the Las Vegas-based promotion, “Moicano” has suffered consecutive TKO defeats at the hands of Jung and Jose Aldo.Other Contenders: Patricio Freire, Shane Burgos, Jeremy Stephens, Josh Emmett, Calvin Kattar.
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