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The UFC Featherweight division entered a new era when Ilia Topuria knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024, ending the Australian’s long and dominant championship reign. Topuria’s arrival as champion marked a changing of the guard at 145 pounds and announced a new face at the top of one of the UFC’s most historically rich weight classes.

UFC Featherweight Champion: Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria is Georgian-Spanish, unbeaten in professional MMA, and one of the most naturally gifted finishers in UFC featherweight history. His knockout of Volkanovski — a second-round finish with a right hand that ended the former champion’s reign definitively — was one of the most stunning upsets in the division’s modern history. Topuria had been positioned as an elite prospect, but the confidence and execution of his title win performance moved him immediately into the conversation with the division’s greatest champions.

Topuria’s style is built around elite boxing, exceptional timing, and the finishing instinct that produces stoppages at a high rate. His jiu-jitsu is legitimate — he’s a black belt — and his ability to end fights on the feet or the ground makes him a multidimensional champion. He defended the title against Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October 2024, stopping the Hawaiian legend in the third round to confirm his championship credentials.

UFC Featherweight Top Contenders

#1 Contender: Max Holloway

Max Holloway remains the most accomplished featherweight in UFC history. His volume, toughness, and willingness to engage in every fight makes him eternally dangerous, and the only thing standing between him and a third championship reign is the current champion’s quality. Holloway’s BMF title win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 showed he has lost none of the competitive fire that made him the division’s dominant force for years. A third Topuria fight is likely at some point.

#2: Alexander Volkanovski

Alexander Volkanovski’s legacy as one of the greatest featherweight champions in history is established regardless of the Topuria loss. His 26-fight UFC win streak before the loss, his three victories over Max Holloway, and his two world championship reigns make him the second-most decorated champion in featherweight history. At 35 years old, his path back to the title is less clear, but his competitive spirit and technical ability keep him in the division’s top five.

#3: Brian Ortega

Brian Ortega is one of the most dangerous submission artists in featherweight history. He has submitted multiple ranked opponents and pushed both Holloway and Volkanovski in title fights despite being the smaller man by most physical measures. His ability to survive strikes that would finish most fighters and transition immediately to submission attempts makes him a unique matchup problem. A strong run of wins could return him to title contention.

#4: Movsar Evloev

Movsar Evloev has quietly assembled one of the division’s most impressive unbeaten runs. The Chechen fighter’s wrestling and grappling are elite, and his ability to control opponents with cage pressure and takedowns has dismantled the division’s ranked fighters systematically. He is unbeaten in the UFC and represents the next generation of title challengers at 145 pounds.

#5: Josh Emmett

Josh Emmett is one of the hardest-hitting featherweights in the UFC. His combination of power, toughness, and unorthodox boxing angles have finished multiple ranked opponents. He reached the interim title picture in 2023 and remains a legitimate threat to any contender he faces.

The Holloway Situation

The most interesting narrative in the featherweight division involves Holloway’s position. After losing to Topuria for the championship, Holloway moved up to lightweight and won the BMF title at UFC 300 before returning to featherweight. His willingness to compete at both 145 and 155 pounds gives his career options and keeps him in the conversation across two divisions.

The question for the featherweight division is whether Topuria can achieve the kind of long-term dominance that Aldo and Volkanovski established. His tools suggest he can. His finishing rate is exceptional. The competition below him is deep and improving. The stage is set for a championship reign that could define featherweight for the next several years.