Where We Stand: Featherweight Division | February 2024

Outlook: Topuria called his shot and made good on every promise with his second-round knockout of Volkanovski. He carried himself like a supremely confident champion all week and had the belt around his waist to prove himself correct for doing so. Now, he has the chance to build his resume quickly, considering the bevy of featherweight title contenders lined up. It’s unclear if Volkanovski will get an immediate rematch, considering the devastating nature of the finish. If not, the winner of Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega in Mexico City could be the next man up. Aljamain Sterling could catapult himself into contention if he beats Calvin Kattar in definitive fashion at UFC 300, but Max Holloway could also put himself right back in the mix should he capture the BMF title and beat Justin Gaethje. Of course, Topuria did cast doubt about whether he would give any of the current guard a shot, but he will have a difficult challenge ahead no matter who comes next.

Outlook: At the end of 2022, it would’ve been somewhat wild to think Volkanovski would go 1-3 with two knockout losses in his next four fights. The Australian was coming off a banner year, but after his Fight of the Year effort against Islam Makhachev and a business-as-usual TKO win over Yair Rodriguez, the 35-year-old is now coming off two knockout losses in the span of four months. “The Great” will likely take some time to recuperate and recover, but he deserves a chance to regain his title when he does choose to come back.

Outlook: Perhaps nobody outside of Topuria won bigger on February 17 than Max Holloway. With his Australian foil now off his perch, Holloway has some daylight to get back into title contention. However, the former champion first must handle the business of fighting Gaethje, who rarely leaves his opponents in a condition to fight in the following months. The lightweight contest might not impact Holloway’s title chances if he loses, but it’ll certainly help if he wins. Having beat nearly every other top contender in the mix at the moment, Holloway (who is still, somehow, just 32 years old) is alive and well in his chase to regain his title.

Outlook: Few things fix the feeling of defeat quite like returning home and getting a win, which is exactly what Rodriguez can do in Mexico City at UFC Fight Night; Moreno vs Royval. In a five-round rematch of his prematurely ended bout against Ortega, Rodriguez could also make his title bid clear with a definitive victory.

Outlook: “T-City” has gone on quite the journey since 2018. The once-undefeated title challenger bounced back well in his win over The Korean Zombie, well enough to get a shot at Volkanovski. There, Ortega came as close as anyone to beating “The Great” when he locked up a guillotine. Unfortunately for him, Volkanovski escaped and won, and Ortega has only fought once since. That fight against Rodriguez ended early when Ortega’s shoulder popped out of its socket, and multiple surgeries followed. Now, the 32-year-old heads into Mexico City having fought just four times in the last five years. He does, however, have the chance to cement himself on the inside track of the title picture with a win over Rodriguez on the road in a five-round bout. 

Outlook: The newest face in the title picture has the most work to do if he hopes to finally get his title shot. The undefeated Movsar Evloev has impressed all throughout his eight-fight UFC tenure, but eight decision wins haven’t popped off the page, either. The 30-year-old still occupies a boogeyman standing in the division, but he needs a signature performance to put him into the title picture properly.

Outlook: Featherweight always has fascinating contenders looking to break into the Top 5, and the division welcomes a former champion to the mix when Aljamain Sterling moves up to face Kattar at UFC 300. The former bantamweight champion and perhaps the most accomplished 135-pound champ in UFC history has the chance to add a new weight class’ worth of accolades if he can get past the battle-tested Kattar and put himself in title contention.

Meanwhile, Arnold Allen remains on the outside looking in. After amassing a 10-fight winning streak to start his UFC career, “Almighty” suffered two losses on the bounce to Holloway and Evloev. The 30-year-old Brit can easily make his way back into the Top 5, but he might need to pick up a couple more wins on the outside before then.