Featherweight
1. Max Holloway (19-3)
Holloway is not having much luck in 2018. Just days out from a scheduled 145-pound title defense against Brian Ortega in the UFC 226 co-main event, “Blessed” was pulled from the bout due to concussion-like symptoms. That marks the third time this year Holloway has been forced to withdraw from a fight: An injured foot forced him out of a matchup with Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 in March, and the Hawaiian was deemed medically unfit to take a short-notice lightweight title bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 in April. Holloway will likely be rebooked against Ortega down the road, but for now, his health is the primary concern.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. However, Ortega’s opportunity to claim featherweight gold was put on hold after reigning champion Max Holloway was forced to withdraw from their UFC 226 co-headliner due to concussion-like symptoms. Ortega reportedly declined a short-notice interim title fight against Jeremy Stephens, instead opting to be rebooked against Holloway at a later date.3. Jose Aldo (27-4)
He may no longer be champion, but Aldo is recognized as the greatest featherweight of all-time for a reason. The Brazilian showed he still has plenty left in the tank when he stopped rising contender Jeremy Stephens with a body shot and follow-up punches in the UFC on Fox 30 co-headliner. While the Nova Uniao standout may never match up well with current champion Max Holloway, he remains a stern test for any featherweight hoping to ascend the divisional ranks.4. Frankie Edgar (22-6-1)
It was not quite as dominant as the first time around, but Edgar nonetheless appears to have Cub Swanson’s number. Shaking off concerns about a quick turnaround following a devastating knockout loss to Brian Ortega at UFC 222, “The Answer” was back to his usual form, as he pressured and outpointed Swanson for three rounds at UFC Fight Night 128 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Edgar will next welcome Chan Sung Jung back to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 139 in Denver on Nov. 10.5. Cub Swanson (25-8)
Swanson forced Frankie Edgar to stay upright for their rematch at UFC Fight Night 128, but it was to no avail, as the Palm Springs, California, native lost a unanimous decision to fall to 0-2 against “The Answer.” Having recently signed a new contract with the UFC, Swanson will look to bounce back from the second two-fight losing streak of his promotional tenure against Renato Carneiro at UFC 227.6. Alexander Volkanovski (18-1)
Volkanovski officially graduated from prospect to contender at UFC Fight Night 133 in Boise, Idaho, where he ended the six-fight winning streak of Darren Elkins. Volkanovski battered and bloodied his notoriously durable foe for three rounds; perhaps even more impressively, he did not allow Elkins to pull out one of his trademark Hail Mary comebacks. “Alexander the Great” has now won five straight fights inside the Las Vegas-based promotion and 15 in a row overall.7. Chad Mendes (18-4)
In his first appearance since December 2015, Mendes cut down Myles Jury with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 133 encounter in Boise, Idaho. The Team Alpha Male mainstay showed no signs of rust after serving a two-year PED-related suspension, as the two-time featherweight title challenger posted his first victory in more than three years and reinserted himself in the conversation at 145 pounds. What comes next for Mendes remains uncertain, though opportunities abound in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.8. Jeremy Stephens (28-15)
Riding a three-fight winning streak into UFC on Fox 30, Stephens was poised to establish himself as a title challenger in waiting against ex-champ Jose Aldo. Instead, “Lil Heathen” was dropped with a body shot and finished with follow-up ground-and-pound 4:19 into the opening stanza. The Alliance MMA product fought well up to that point, but the setback keeps him just outside the division’s elite. At 32 years old, Stephens still has time to make another run.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. Renato Carneiro (12-1-1)
Despite an extended run of success, Carneiro has flown under the radar at 145 pounds. The 29-year-old Brazilian has rattled off eight wins in his past nine appearances and has compiled a 4-1 record since joining the UFC roster in late 2014. “Moicano” last appeared at UFC 223 in April, when he rebounded from a submission loss to Brian Ortega with a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar. A showdown with longtime featherweight standout Cub Swanson now looms, as the two have been booked opposite one another at UFC 227 on Aug. 4.Other Contenders: Mirsad Bektic, Doo Ho Choi, Darren Elkins, Patricio Freire, Yair Rodriguez.
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