The UFC featherweight rankings are a showcase of some of the best fighters in the entire sport. Where the lightweight was once considered the deepest weight class in MMA, 145 pounds has caught up and become one of the premier divisions in the UFC.
With that in mind, here is the official Ringside Intel top-10 for the organization’s featherweight class.
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10. Aljamain Sterling (24-5)
After putting together a championship resume at bantamweight, Aljamain Sterling got off to a strong start in his featherweight debut when he stifled and shut down rankings stalwart Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. While the performance didn’t blow fans away it showed “Aljo” is just as difficult to deal with at 145 pounds as he was at 135.
He took a big step up in competition at UFC 310 when he faced Russian Movsar Evloev. While he had some very good moments in the fight, the size and strength of his foe overwhelmed him at times and he was handed his first lost at 145 pounds. It is why he drops one spot in our latest top 10.
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9. Lerone Murphy (15-0-1)
England’s Lerone Murphy has quietly become one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world. “The Miracle” has won nine straight inside the Octagon. His most recent was a key victory over top 15 stalwart Dan Ige. Despite some serious resistance from the Hawaiian in their scrap, Murphy showed his toughness, as well as his all-around fight game, to earn the biggest win of his career and a spot in our top 10.
8. Arnold Allen (20-3)
There are few fighters that have been better than Arnold Allen over the last decade. His recent 11-fight win streak was one of the best in division history and it turned him into one of the United Kingdom’s top fighters. However, his title contender hopes were derailed in a decisive loss to Max Holloway.
That was followed up by another setback to Movsar Evloev. However, he bounced back at UFC 304 with an important victory over talented striker Giga Chikadze.
7. Yair Rodriguez (19-5)
After a period where he battled injuries and some tough losses, there was doubt if Yair Rodriguez would ever reach his potential. He quieted all the uncertainty with massive wins over Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett. The latter made him the new interim champion. He earned a chance to prove he is the best in the world when he faced Volkanovski in July at UFC 290. However, in defeat, he proved he is still a level below the division king when he lost by third-round TKO.
He then followed that up with another decisive loss in his home country to Brian Ortega in February. Now, the former interim king has fallen into the same hole he had to dig himself out of a few years ago.
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6. Josh Emmett (18-4)
Until his disappointing interim title fight loss to Yair Rodriguez in February, Josh Emmett was on the greatest run of his fighting career as he won five straight and scored big wins over Shane Burgos and Calvin Kattar. At 38, the championship clock was already ticking on “CCO.”
In his June return, he again showed his impressive toughness, but he was soundly dominated by rising star Ilia Topuria in the UFC Jacksonville main event. That likely put a final nail in his hopes of ever fighting for UFC gold.
However, he bounced back from that setback at UFC 296 with a thunderous highlight reel KO of Bryce Mitchell. He may never get a title opportunity but he now has a legendary KO that is one of the most memorable in division history.
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5. Movsar Evloev (19-0)
Movsar Evloev has been outstanding to begin his UFC career. He has won his first nine inside the Octagon and scored wins over proven featherweight veterans like Hakeem Dawodu and Dan Ige. He took another step closer to title contention when he scored a hard-fought victory over former bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310. While it wasn’t easy, he was under pressure in a big moment and came through looking like a future title challenger.
4. Diego Lopes (26-6)
After making his UFC debut in a very difficult short-notice clash with Movsar Evloev, Diego Lopes has caught fire inside the Octagon. He has won five straight and scored wins over top 15 stalwarts Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Ige, and most recently a UFC 306 win over former title challenger Brian Ortega. The Brazilian by way of Mexico has become one of the most exciting fighters in the division.
3. Max Holloway (25-7)
Max Holloway will go down as one of the great UFC featherweights of all time. His victories over fighters like Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar solidified that fact. However, he elevated himself to a new level when he stepped out of the division at UFC 300 and took the BMF title off Justin Gaethje in a destructive fashion.
He followed that up with a scrap fans wanted all year ago Ilia Topuria at UFC 308. Unfortunately, “Blessed” found out why the Spaniard is one of the best fighters on the planet when he was handed the first knockout loss of his UFC career. It will be interesting to see where he goes next.
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2. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4)
Alexander Volkanovski has solidified his place as the best featherweight of all time. However, recent ventures up in weight have led to his only two defeats as a member of the UFC roster. Until now, in February “The Great” was handed his first loss at 145 pounds when Topuria dethroned him at UFC 298. An eventual rematch with the new champ in 2025 is probably where he goes next.
1. Ilia Topuria (15-0)
Ilia Topuria has evolved into one of the best fighters on the planet during an impressive eight-fight run. While many respected him before becoming champion, his last two victories have put him in rare air. The Spaniard has scored back-to-back knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, arguably the two greatest featherweights of all time, in his last two. He is on a path to legendary status.
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