“Ok, I’m going down to bantamweight.” This was what UFC grappler Mairon Santos (above) had to say on X after the latest featherweight rankings were released.
Popularly known as ‘The Legend’, the Brazilian is one of the newest entries into the world of UFC. He earned his contract by climbing up the ladder in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), a tournament that acts as a stepping stone into the promotion. Santos earned his UFC contract by knocking out Kaan Ofli in the second round of the TUF featherweight final.
Ok i'm going down to bantamweight ???? https://t.co/IlcVCzwDsa
— Mairon "The Legend" Santos (@Maironsantoss) September 17, 2024His comment, although sarcastic, makes a lot of sense when you take a look at the featherweight rankings.
At UFC Noche, Diego Lopes outworked Brian Ortega from start to finish to earn a clean sweep of the judges’ scorecards and moved 10 places to sit third in the standings, stacked with world-class fighters.
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Let’s take a look at the outrageous top three ranked fighters in the featherweight division:
Ilia Topuria
In the lead-up to UFC 298, there was a lot of talk about Ilia Topuria being the ‘Next McGregor’ for a number of reasons: he snatched Alexander Volkanovski’s title at the pre-fight press conference, he was supported by nations hoping to witness their first big moment on the biggest stage in the sport, and both men were undefeated as they marched toward featherweight gold.
The 27-year-old proved worthy of the comparison and made history by becoming the first champion from Spain and Georgia, earning a second-round knockout win over Volkanovski.
Ilia Topuria (right) fights against Alexander Volkanovski (left). | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Ilia Topuria (right) fights against Alexander Volkanovski (left). | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Topuria, although just 15 fights into his UFC career, has all the ingredients necessary to become a massive star in the circuit and someone who opens doors to new markets and audiences.
Topuria will be in action next on October 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, where he will look to defend his title against current BMF champion Max Holloway.
Alexander Volkanovski
He might have been on the receiving end in his last couple of fights, but Alexander Volkanovski is a force to be reckoned with. Once a two-division champion, Volkanovski lost both of his belts in consecutive fights via knockouts.
First, he succumbed to a first-round defeat against Islam Makhachev last year in a lightweight championship bout, and shortly after, he lost his featherweight belt to Topuria.
However, ‘The Great’ has been a menace inside the octagon for most of his career, spanning close to eight years. His last win came in July last year, and it was one for the ages.
He lived up to his moniker, letting everyone know that his supremacy in featherweight was unquestionable, even though he was chasing lightweight gold.
He registered a dominant win against Yair Rodriguez, which Volkanovski was in complete command throughout the performance, concluding it with an all-action routine showcasing a wide range of mixed martial arts techniques.
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He hit Rodriguez repeatedly, then scooped him up and slammed him to the ground until the fight was stopped. The remarkable victory enhanced Volkanovski’s reputation as one of the greatest featherweight fighters in UFC history.
Max Holloway
After suffering a unanimous decision loss in a featherweight title bout against Volkanovski back in 2022, Max Holloway (Blessed) has been unstoppable, winning three fights on the trot.
Max Holloway | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Max Holloway | Photo Credit: Getty Images
His unbeaten streak culminated in the BMF title he won against Justin Gaethje in spectacular fashion. The former featherweight champion was sharp from the start, picking at Gaethje with his long punches before being hurt on the nose by a spinning back kick on the last buzzer of round one.
From that point on, Holloway kept landing the better strikes, stinging Gaethje several times and withstanding the shots that came his way with remarkable skill for the rest of the fight.
Just when people were anticipating a unanimous decision, did the unthinkable and knocked he knocked Gaethje out cold with just a second remaining on the clock.
