Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Featherweight
1. Alexander Volkanovski (26-3) | UFC [1]
No one was surprised when Volkanovski agreed to a short-notice rematch with Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, but the City Kickboxing product couldn’t replicate his efforts from the first meeting, when he pushed the reigning lightweight champ to the brink of defeat. The rematch ended in much more emphatic fashion, as Volkanovski fell victim to a Makhachev head kick in the opening stanza. A featherweight title defense is next for Volkanovski, who will lock horns with top contender Ilia Topuria in the UFC 298 headliner.2. Max Holloway (25-7) | UFC [2]
Holloway asked for Chan Sung Jung and then put on a show in Singapore, sending “The Korean Zombie” into retirement with a third-round knockout victory in the UFC Fight Night 225 headliner. In victory, “Blessed” earned his first UFC finish since 2018 and has won four of his last five promotional outings dating back to 2021. His path back to the top of the division remains murky as long as Alexander Volkanovski reigns, however.3. Patricio Freire (35-7) | Bellator [3]
Freire’s fateful choice to accept a booking on just days’ notice while in Japan to corner his brother Patricky ended in disaster. Facing the relatively unheralded Chihiro Suzuki at Super Rizin 2, “Pitbull” was leveled in under three minutes by a huge right hand. While the loss occurred at lightweight and therefore does not affect his standing here, it marks the Brazilian’s first losing streak of any kind in over 40 fights, and does not do wonders for his status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.4. Yair Rodriguez (19-4, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
Heading into the UFC 290 main event, Rodriguez had the look of a dangerous underdog. That was before the inevitability of Alexander Volkanovski set in, as “El Pantera” was largely dominated in a third-round technical knockout defeat. While Rodriguez drew nods of acknowledgement from his opponent for his striking ability, the same problems that plagued the Mexican star earlier in his career — namely, defensive wrestling — surfaced once again on his biggest stage to date. If Rodriguez is to return to title contention in the future, it’s a weakness he will have to correct.5. Ilia Topuria (14-0) | UFC [5]
Topuria was in peak form in the UFC on ABC 5 main event, as he tagged former interim title challenger Josh Emmett with crisp punching combinations while relying on smart movement to avoid heavy return fire in a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. Perhaps the only thing that could have made the performance better was a finish, but Emmett proved to be exceedingly tough in defeat. As it stands, “El Matador” has won his first six appearances in the Octagon, which is enough to warrant a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 main event.6. A.J. McKee (20-1) | Bellator [6]
McKee had his hands full with Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight king Roberto Satoshi de Souza on New Year’s Eve, but “Mercenary” was ultimately able to emerge with a unanimous decision triumph in the Rizin 40 headliner. The former Bellator featherweight king improves to 2-0 at 155 pounds, but a staph infection forced McKee to withdraw from his grand prix bout against Patricky Freire at a Bellator/Rizin co-promoted event on July 30.7. Arnold Allen (19-2) | UFC [7]
Allen went toe-to-toe with former featherweight champion Max Holloway in the UFC on ESPN 44 main event, but ultimately “Almighty” couldn’t match the striking volume and variety of his Hawaiian opponent in a unanimous decision defeat. A victory might have made the Englishman the division’s No. 1 contender-in-waiting, but instead, Allen sees a 10-fight winning streak in the UFC came to an end. Allen will attempt to get back on track when he faces Movsar Evloev at UFC 297.8. Josh Emmett (18-4) | UFC [8]
For the second time in as many appearances, Emmett was outgunned by a skilled opponent in a high-profile bout. This time it was rising contender Ilia Topuria, who outdueled the tough-as-nails Team Alpha Male product for five rounds in the UFC on ABC 5 main event in Jacksonville. After winning five consecutive fights from 2019 to 2022, the 38-year-old Emmett’s time as a championship hopeful may have come to an end on the heels of back-to-back lopsided defeats at the hands of Topuria and Yair Rodriguez. He’ll return to action against Giga Chikadze at UFC 296.9. Brian Ortega (15-3, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
Misfortune befell Ortega in the UFC on ABC 3 headliner when he suffered a shoulder injury in the opening round of his featherweight showdown with Yair Rodriguez at UBS Arena in Elmont., N.Y.. The injury rendered “T-City” unable to continue, and the former 145-pound title challenger could be on the shelf for a significant period of time. When Ortega is ready to return to action — whether that be in a rematch with Rodriguez or against a different opponent — he will look to bounce back from a stretch that has seen him drop three of his last four Octagon appearances.10. Calvin Kattar (23-7) | UFC [10]
An awkward landing following a leaping attack led to Kattar suffering a knee injury in the opening round of his headlining showdown with Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 213. Though “The Boston Finisher” came out for the second round, it only took one low kick from his opponent to bring an end to the fight. Kattar, who has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances, could now face a lengthy recovery process before he returns to the cage.Other Contenders: Movsar Evloev, Chan Sung Jung, Bryce Mitchell, Giga Chikadze, Movlid Khaybulaev.
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