Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Featherweight

1. Ilia Topuria (16-0) | UFC [1]

Topuria added another significant feather to his cap in the UFC 308 headliner, as he became the first person to knock out Max Holloway in 34 professional fights at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. With back-to-back knockouts of Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski on his ledger — and eight consecutive triumphs in the UFC overall — “El Matador” is the unquestioned king of the featherweight division. However, Topuria’s days at 145 pounds appear to be through, as he officially vacated the belt in February.

2. Alexander Volkanovski (27-4) | UFC [2]

Even at 36 years old, Volkanovski showed he still has something left in the tank, as he reclaimed featherweight gold with a hard-fought decision triumph against Diego Lopes in the UFC 314 headliner. It was a much-needed return to the win column for the Aussie on the heels of back-to-back knockout losses against Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev, but having a lengthy second title reign will be more challenging than ever in a talented division.

3. Max Holloway (26-8) | UFC [3]

Holloway looked sharp for two rounds against Ilia Topuria, but “Blessed” ultimately succumbed to his opponent’s otherworldly power at the 1:34 mark of Round 3 in the UFC 308 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26. Holloway is now winless in his last four bids for featherweight gold, but his status as perpetual fan favorite and reigning BMF champ likely means there will be no shortage of interesting matchups in the future for the Hawaiian star.

4. Movsar Evloev (19-0) | UFC [4]

Evloev survived by the skin of his teeth at UFC 310, as he took a narrow unanimous verdict over former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling in a grappling-heavy affair. The Russian’s resume now includes triumphs over the likes of Sterling, Arnold Allen and Diego Lopes, but the lack of finishes on his resume — all nine of his UFC wins have gone the distance — could impede his progress to the top of the division.

5. Diego Lopes (26-7) | UFC [5]

Lopes threw a couple of scares into Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 314 headliner, but that ultimately wasn’t enough to overcome his opponent’s all-around excellence in a unanimous decision defeat at the Kaseya Center in Miami on April 12. The Brazilian sees a five-bout winning streak come to an end in defeat, but his title opportunity also arrived sooner than expected. In the meantime, the Lobo Gym MMA standout has a burgeoning feud with Yair Rodriguez that could make for an interesting matchup in the near future.

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. Yair Rodriguez (19-5, 1 NC) | UFC [8]

Rodriguez gave Patricio Freire a rude welcome to the featherweight division at UFC 314, controlling the range with his versatile striking arsenal to take a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph over the former Bellator champion at the Kaseya Center in Miami. That ends a two-fight losing streak for “El Pantera,” who has targeted a spot on the upcoming Noche UFC card in Guadalajara, Mexico in September.

9. Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) UFC [9]

Murphy relied on intelligent movement and a varied striking arsenal to confound Josh Emmett and take a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC Vegas 105 headliner on April 5 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “The Iceman” has won eight straight contests at 145 pounds, a run that includes triumphs over the likes of Emmett, Edson Barboza and Dan Ige. With five consecutive decisions on his ledger, the 33-year-old Brit will likely need another statement-making victory to enter the next tier of contenders.

10. Jean Silva (16-2) | UFC [11]

“Lord” was completely dominant at UFC 314, running roughshod over Bryce Mitchell on the feet as well as on the canvas en route to a second-round ninja choke submission. The emphatic win extended Silva’s streak to 13 straight, the last five of which have been by stoppage in the UFC Octagon. The 28-year-old Brazilian, as a dynamic finisher and relatively new face in an aging division, may have jumped the line of featherweight title contenders in a big way.

Other Contenders: , Timur Khizriev, Josh Emmett, Aljamain Sterling, Youssef Zalal, Rajabali Shaidullaev.

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