Featherweight
1. Max Holloway (19-3)
Holloway was sterling in stopping Jose Aldo at UFC 212 in June. Six months later at UFC 218, the “Blessed” one was dominant from the outset, pulverizing the Brazilian legend en route to another third-round stoppage. With a 12-fight winning streak and one of the best resumes in the sport, Holloway’s next title defense figures to be the one that was intended for UFC 218 -- a clash with Frankie Edgar once “The Answer” heals from a broken orbital bone.2. 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.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 at UFC 218, he suffered an orbital bone injury. Edgar expects to now challenge the Hawaiian champ in the first quarter of 2018.4. Brian Ortega (13-0, 1 NC)
Ortega in his first assignment as a UFC headliner turned in a sublime submission, choking out perennial divisional standout Cub Swanson in the second round. “T-City” has finished five straight foes in the Octagon, and the undefeated grappling prodigy now stands on the doorstep to a UFC featherweight title shot.5. Ricardo Lamas (18-5)
Lamas nearly had a golden opportunity at UFC on Fox 26, where he aimed to avenge his February 2014 loss to Jose Aldo. Then Frankie Edgar got injured and Aldo was pulled from the Lamas rematch to face Max Holloway in the UFC 218 headliner. As a result, Lamas will instead take a medium-risk, low-reward bout with Team Alpha Male’s Josh Emmett on Dec. 16.6. Cub Swanson (25-8)
At 34 years old and riding a four-fight winning streak into the last bout on his UFC contract, Swanson was in a bit of a make-or-break position headed into UFC Fight Night 123 on Dec. 9. Unfortunately for Swanson, things broke, as undefeated prospect Brian Ortega choked him out in the second round and sent him into free agency on the heels of a loss.7. 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.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)
It is downright cruel that after closing 2016 with his raucous brawl against Cub Swanson we were denied the entertainment of Choi in 2017. Nonetheless, “The Korean Superboy” healed from a back injury that nixed his July fight with Andre Fili and has now been booked for a banger of a bout, facing Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 124 on Jan. 14 in St. Louis.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, Yair Rodriguez, Daniel Weichel.
Continue Reading » Bantamweight