The Featherweight division was added to the UFC in 2011. Since then, it has been one of the most interesting weight classes in the entire promotion. The 145-pound division has always had dominant fighters and deadly strikers who have taken over the division. In this article, we will have a look at some of the best Featherweight fighters in UFC history.
10. Frankie Edgar
Frankie is a former UFC Lightweight Champion, and he has enjoyed considerable success in the featherweight division. Edgar fought in the featherweight division from 2013 to 2019 before moving to the bantamweight division. He has also performed well in the lightweight division. In 2012, when “The Answer” lost his lightweight title, he dropped to 145 pounds. Edgar won eight out of his thirteen bouts in the division. At featherweight, he has notable wins against BJ Penn, Charles, Oliveira, Chad Mendes and Yari Rodriguez.
9. Yair Rodriguez
Yair Rodriguez has been fighting in the featherweight division since 2014 and currently he is one of the top contenders in this weight class. Rodriguez began his stint in the UFC with six consecutive wins. This winning streak included a dominant win over former UFC champion BJ Penn. In his last five matches, “El Pantera” achieved a record of 3-2. He has notable wins over Chan Sung Jung and Jeremy Stephens.
8. Chan Sung Jung
“The Korean Zombie” has been dominant in this weight class since his debut in the UFC. He had arguably the most impressive debut in the promotion. Jung won his first UFC fight with a twister submission hold. Since then, he has earned wins against some of the toughest fighters in UFC history, including Dustin Poirier and Frankie Edgar. He recently retired from the sport. His retirement match was against Ma Holloway at UFC Fight Night 225.
7. Chad Mendes
When the featherweight class was brought to the UFC, Chad Mendes was one of the top prospects in the division. Mendes won eleven consecutive fights during the start of his career and then two in the UFC, which earned him a title fight against then-champion Jose Aldo. In 2012, he was amazing in the first round of his title fight, but was knocked out in the final seconds of the fight. “Money” did not let this defeat become an obstacle to his career.
6. Brian Ortega
Brian Ortega is one of the most fierce fighters in the UFC. Seven of his eight wins in the promotion came by knockouts or submissions. He has some notable wins against fighters like Frankie Edgar, Clay Guida, Cub Swanson and Chan Sung Jung. Ortega has lost three fights in the UFC till now, which came against Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez. He has earned “Fight of the Night” honors for his two losing efforts.
5. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is one of the best fighters to ever step into the UFC octagon. He began his UFC career in the featherweight division. He made his debut in 2013 and became one of the most incredible fighters. In his journey to earning a title shot, “The Notorious” earned wins over notable names like Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway. In 2015, McGregor defeated Chad Mendes via knockout and won the interim UFC featherweight title. Later that year, he shocked everyone by defeating Josh Aldo in just 13 seconds to win the undisputed Featherweight title. After winning this championship, McGregor left the division, vacated the title, and has yet to fight again in the same class.
4. Urijah Faber
Even before entering the UFC, Urijah Faber had an amazing career in the featherweight division. He played a major role in bringing this weight class to the promotion. There was a time when weight classes such as featherweight and bantamweight were not in the UFC due to the preconceived notion that lighter fighters did not attract spectators. However, Faber proved them wrong when he was crowned WEC Featherweight Champion. Jose Aldo’s dominance and Faber’s popularity led to the only pay-per-view in WEC history. The California Kid once fought in the UFC as a featherweight but lost via decision to Frankie Edgar.
3. Max Holloway
Max Holloway has been a consistent threat in the featherweight division since his debut in 2012. He is a former featherweight champion. After losing one fight to McGregor in 2013, Max won nine consecutive fights to earn a championship shot. In 2016, Holloway defeated Anthony Pettis and won the interim featherweight title. “Blessed” defended his championship three times.
2. Alexander Volkanovski
The current UFC Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, has the potential to become the greatest featherweight fighter in the history of this division. He has only lost two bouts in the UFC till now. His overall MMA record is 26 wins and three losses. On his way to becoming a UFC champion, Volkanovski picked up impressive wins against Darren Elkins, Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo. In 2019, “The Great” won the title from Max Holloway. He has nearly caught Jose Aldo in multiple title fights in the featherweight division.
1. Jose Aldo
Former UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is definitely one of the greatest featherweights of all time. First, he won the WEC Featherweight Championship in 2009. He defended the title twice before the UFC absorbed the division and was made the inaugural UFC champion at 145 pounds. As UFC Champion, “Scarface” holds the record for seven consecutive title defenses in the division. His most notable title defenses came against Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung and Frankie Edgar. The Brazilian’s career ended after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278.
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