5 blockbuster fights to book in the UFC featherweight division

The UFC's featherweight division is brimming with world class talent at the moment. It is one of the most stacked weight classes in all of combat sports and is reigned over by a dominant champion, Alexander Volkanovski.

The Australian defended his title at the recently concluded UFC 273 pay-per-view against MMA veteran Chan Sung Jung aka 'The Korean Zombie'. This marked the his third title defense, having already beaten Max Holloway and Brian Ortega.

Numerous contenders are on the rise at 145 pounds. The likes of Bryce Mitchell and Arnold Allen have enjoyed breakout performances in 2022. Meanwhile, a couple of established names in the division, Yair Rodriguez and Zabit Magomedsharipov, are reportedly set to return to the octagon in the coming months.

On that note, here are five blockbuster fights to book in the UFC featherweight division.

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#5. Giga Chikadze vs. Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell is an ominous presence in the UFC featherweight division. The Arkansas native boasts a perfect professional record of 15-0 and has emerged as a fan-favorite in recent times. Mitchell is coming off a dominant victory over Edson Barboza at UFC 272, which saw him break into the top 10 at 145 pounds.

'Thug Nasty' is a real threat to a lot of the other fighters in the top 10. In a division seemingly loaded with strikers, the grappling phenom is a bad matchup for almost anyone. He has nine submission victories to his name and is extremely dangerous on the mat.

Mitchell isn't the most active fighter around. He typically fights once or twice a year and will likely return to the octagon before 2023. Currently ranked No.9, a bout against No.8-ranked Giga Chikadze makes sense.

Chikadze's hype train was derailed in devastating fashion by Calvin Kattar in January. The Georgian sustained a ton of damage en route to a resounding unanimous decision loss to Kattar and should ideally take some time off to properly recover before returning to action.

Giga Chikadze is a world-class striker, making a potential showdown with Bryce Mitchell very intriguing. Striker vs. grappler matchups are always fun to watch and it'll be interesting to see who can impose their style on their opponent if and when they eventually lock horns.

#4. 'The Korean Zombie' vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov

UFC fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of Zabit Magomedsharipov. The Russian has been out of action since his unanimous decision victory over Calvin Kattar in 2019 due to lingering medical issues. Earlier this year, his coach Mark Henry revealed that Magomedsharipov's return shouldn't be too far away.

Mark Henry's tweet regarding Zabit Magomedsharipov [Image via @xBUZZYB3ARx on Twitter]

Magomedsharipov is an incredibly unique fighter. The dynamic Dagestani has sensational striking skills. He throws wild kicks with no hesitation as he isn't afraid of being taken down. On the mat, he is a lethal submission threat and has an array of finishes on his record.

It wouldn't make sense to throw Magomedsharipov straight into the deep end upon his return. An immediate title shot is out of the question as he has lost his spot in the rankings as a result of his extended hiatus. Max Holloway isn't an ideal matchup either, considering the Hawaiian's scintillating run of form.

Perhaps a Magomedsharipov vs. 'The Korean Zombie' bout makes sense for all parties involved. At 35, Chan Sung Jung is among the older fighters in the division and has taken quite a bit of damage in his recent fights. From the UFC's point of view, a bout between the two fan-favorites will attract quite a bit of attention and is an ideal addition to a pay-per-view card.

'The Korean Zombie' has called out the Russian in the past and the duo came close to squaring off a few years ago. Jung is coming off a failed attempt at the title and will likely need a statement win if he is to realize his championship aspirations.

'The Korean Zombie' vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov [Image via @ESPNKnockout on Twitter]

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#3. Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez

What makes the UFC's featherweight division so special is that one can match up any two fighters in the top 10 and the result would be a barnburner. Some of the most entertaining fighters on the UFC roster compete at 145 pounds. With so many contenders vying for the coveted No.1 spot, fans are in for some highly intriguing bouts down the line.

Two of the most fun-to-watch fighters in the featherweight division are Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. Both are coming off losses but showed tremendous heart in their most recent appearances inside the octagon.

In his most recent outing, Ortega fought for the title against reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski in September 2021. 'T-City' put in an incredible display of toughness as he managed to make it to the final bell of the championship fight despite taking tons of damage. Additionally, he came tantalizingly close to winning the belt after putting the champion in some precarious positions.

Meanwhile, Yair Rodriguez has endured a tumultuous run over the last few years. After his two-fight series with Jeremy Stephens in 2019, the Mexican was on the sidelines for over two years. When he finally returned, he took on a red-hot Max Holloway, who was coming off a hugely impressive beatdown of Calvin Kattar.

This was always going to be a tough task for Rodriguez. Nevertheless, he gave Holloway one of the toughest fights of the Hawaiian's career, pushing 'Blessed' to the absolute limit in a five-round barnburner. Despite succumbing to a unanimous decision loss, 'El Pantera' earned the respect of the MMA community that night.

A potential Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez bout has all the ingredients of an absolute war. Both fighters' all-action approach and finishing ability makes this a highly intriguing stylistic clash and this matchup deserves to headline a UFC Fight Night.

With Ortega ranked No.2 and Rodriguez at No.3, this would be a title eliminator bout, making it a high-stakes affair. It would be a no-brainer to go ahead with this booking and it appears as though the UFC have obliged. The duo are reportedly set to square off later this year.

#2. Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen

Arnold Allen has emerged as the dark horse in the UFC featherweight division since joining the promotion in 2015. The understated Englishman boasts an excellent professional record of 18-1. He is incredibly well-rounded, with six knockouts and four submissions under his belt.

Allen isn't as vocal as some of the other fighters at 145 pounds. He prefers to do his talking with his fists and is currently riding an 11-fight win streak. While his skills are undeniable, his stock has remained stagnant owing to his unassuming demeanor.

Moreover, between 2019 and 2021, Arnold Allen had four fights in a row that went to the judges' decision. He went through a period where he struggled to put away his opponents. Allen finally had his breakthrough performance at UFC London in March 2022, where he secured a first-round TKO victory over perennial lightweight contender Dan Hooker.

The win over Hooker saw Allen claim the No.6 spot in the UFC featherweight rankings. 'Almighty' will likely need a couple more wins before competing for the title. The ideal next opponent for the Brit would be No.5-ranked Calvin Kattar.

After his devastating loss to Max Holloway in January 2021, Kattar wisely took a year-long hiatus from the octagon. He returned to action a year after his defeat to 'Blessed' when he took on Giga Chikadze at UFC Vegas 46.

Chikadze was riding a nine-fight win streak going into the bout and was touted as a real threat to Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight kingpin. The general consensus was that this was an unfavorable matchup for Kattar. As such, he was listed on multiple betting sites as a sizeable underdog.

Kattar silenced his doubters with a spectacular domination of Chikadze. He somewhat surprisingly outstruck his Georgian counterpart, who's an experienced kickboxer and excellent striker. The final scorecards read as 50-44, 50-45 and 50-45 in favor of the Bostonian, who earned an impressive victory in what was arguably his strongest performance yet.

Without a doubt, a potential fight between Arnold Allen and Calvin Kattar will produce fireworks. Both featherweights are fantastic strikers and are unlikely to shoot for takedowns. Considering their seemingly limitless gas tanks and durability, this has to be a five-round fight.

With the UFC eyeing a return to England later this year, this matchup is the ideal main event.

Arnold Allen vs. Calvin Kattar [Image via @CombatSportsUK on Twitter]

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#1. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 3 – UFC featherweight championship bout

The moniker of ‘featherweight GOAT’ has changed hands multiple times in the UFC. Jose Aldo reigned over the division for a very long time before being beaten by Max Holloway twice. Holloway was the titleholder for two years before suffering a somewhat similar fate to the former champion, Aldo.

The Hawaiian was dethroned by Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245 in 2019, where the Australian outpointed 'Blessed' to earn a unanimous decision victory. Subsequently, a rematch was booked for UFC 251 in 2020.

In their rematch, Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway engaged in yet another tactical affair. Holloway clearly won the first two rounds, dropping the Aussie champion twice in the opening 10 minutes. However, Volkanovski turned the tide later on, outstriking 'Blessed' in the final two rounds. The third round was very close and could’ve gone either way. 'The Great' was awarded a split-decision win.

Strip away all the debates as to who won both bouts, and one thing becomes undeniably clear – Volkanovski and Holloway are so evenly matched. Arguably, the reigning Australian titleholder might just have the former champion’s number.

Holloway is the best volume striker in MMA. In his fights against Brian Ortega and Calvin Kattar, the Hawaiian broke numerous striking records. He famously drowns his opponents with his relentless output and cardio. 'Blessed' has struggled to carry out the same gameplan against Volkanovski and has been outstruck by the Australian over the collective 50 minutes they’ve shared in the octagon.

A trilogy bout between the two is inevitable. With no clear No.1 contender in the division at the moment other than Holloway, expect them to lock horns later this year.