The 10 Best UFC Featherweights of All Time

Jose Aldo is the best featherweight fighter of all time. Aldo successfully defended his UFC featherweight title seven times across three years before he got wiped out by Conor McGregor. 

The Brazilian had exceptional Muay Thai skills and legendary takedown defence which helped be the great fighter he was at 145-pounds.

Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway//Getty Images

Alex Volkanovski was on his way to becoming a legitimate MMA greatest of all time. He looked unstoppable at featherweight because of his ability to fight any type of fight; he could mix up his kickboxing, boxing and wrestling, and his work rate was excellent. 

However, in February 2024, he ran into a fresh Ilia Topuria who destroyed him, and is looking strong as the current champ.

Ilia Topuria//Getty Images

With one title defence already under his belt, and back-to-back wins over featherweight legends (Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway), Ilia Topuria has set himself for a remarkable run as the featherweight king.

The Georgian fighter has some of the best hands in the game along with a respectable Greco-Roman wrestling ability.

Max Holloway is a former UFC featherweight champion, and successfully defended it three times. “Blessed” is a fan favourite because of his exciting fighting style which features high output of punches and kicks from round one all the way to round five.

Holloway was recently knocked out by featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, for the first time in his career, and now there are rumours about him moving up to lightweight.

Yair Rodriguez won the UFC interim featherweight title back in February 2023 after submitting Josh Emmett. A few months later, he faced then champion Alex Volkanovski for the full version of the title, where he lost by unanimous decision. 

The Mexican is one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster simply because of his unique striking techniques. 

Movsar Evloev has been ducked by many in the featherweight division because he is such a handful with his relentless pressure and grappling, which has led to him remaining undefeated.

Now though, the Russian powerhouse is firmly in the title picture as we head into 2025.

Conor McGregor ran rampant in his time at 145-pounds. He won five of his six bouts by knockout or TKO before earning his title shot at the featherweight king, Jose Aldo. 

The Irishman exploded into stardom when he shook the world by wiping Aldo out in just 13 seconds at UFC 194. 

Patricio Freire is a dual Bellator champion and multiple-time titleholder. He is currently the Bellator featherweight title having defended it a total of nine times across three reigns. Although primarily a Bellator fighter, Freire's dominance in MMA places him on this list.

Brian Ortega has had some brutal wars for the featherweight title with Max Holloway and Alex Volkanovski, where he was on the losing side in both bouts. “T-City” has all the talent in the world, however, question marks have been raised regarding his work rate and heart, which is the difference between being a contender-level fighter and a champion.