5 greatest UFC featherweights of all time

The UFC featherweight division is one of the deepest in the promotion's history. The greatest star in MMA history — Conor McGregor — achieved superstardom by embarking on a legendary unbeaten run in the 145lbs weight class, culminating in an inimitable 13-second knockout win over Brazilian great José Aldo.

Aldo himself reigned over the UFC featherweight division for nearly four years, turning away challenger after challenger until the threat posed by the future generation of top contenders became too great.

Once McGregor abandoned the division in pursuit of UFC lightweight glory, Aldo recaptured the title he had defended seven times. Unfortunately, the emergence of Max Holloway led to an immediate end to the Brazilian's second championship reign.

As a champion, Holloway's impressive performances sparked a debate that sought to answer a new-age question: who is the greatest featherweight in UFC history?

Like Holloway before him, the reigning featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski has also stirred the debate due to the strength of his performances inside the octagon.

Given José Aldo's recent retirement from active MMA competition, this list examines the legacies of 5 UFC featherweights, both current and former, to determine who the greatest fighter at 145lbs truly is.

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#5. Frankie Edgar

Like José Aldo, Frankie Edgar's time at featherweight was cut short by a series of losses that left 'The Answer' asking more questions about his place in the division.

Having lost to two top contenders and the then reigning champion Max Holloway, Edgar made the decision to drop to the UFC bantamweight division. There, he'd face opponents who were better suited to his smaller frame. From a technical standpoint, Edgar was remarkable.

He was one of the most well-rounded featherweights in UFC history, combining his jab and knee-pick takedowns to great effect. Upon establishing the threat of his jab, 'The Answer' faked the jab to draw the opponent's guard high. With his foe distracted, he'd stick his jabbing hand to them and push them back while wrapping his hand behind their knee and lifting their leg to his waist.

The takedown came easily to him thereafter as he merely stepped forward to unbalance an opponent who was left hopping on one leg. Edgar's specific set of skills enabled him to defeat B.J. Penn, Charles Oliveira, Cub Swanson, Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, Jeremy Stephens, and Yair Rodriguez. No other non-champion matches the strength of his record.

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#4. Conor McGregor

Many have wondered just how strong Conor McGregor's legacy as a featherweight would be had he not abandoned the UFC's 145 lbs weight class after dethroning José Aldo at UFC 194.

Regardless, the former featherweight kingpin is among the greatest fighters to ever compete in the division. The Irishman announced himself to the 145 lbs weight class with an emphatic TKO win over Marcus Brimage. Soon afterwards, 'The Notorious' declared war on the entire division.

What ensued was a thrilling win streak that left his foes overwhelmed by his unique blend of karate and boxing. McGregor fought from a wide and bladed stance that enabled him to bounce in and out of range.

When an opponent tried to land a jab, the Irishman simply floated an inch out of range, causing his foe's jab to fall just short of landing. Immediately after doing so, he darted forward with a crushing straight left over the top.

McGregor also threw hard front kicks to the midsection to back his opponents into the fence, where his distance management tricks either froze them or caused them to lunge into his counters.

Doing so earned 'The Notorious' wins over Dennis Siver, Diego Brandão, Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, and Chad Mendes en route to his historic 13-second knockout over José Aldo. Alas, upon capturing the UFC featherweight title, McGregor left the division without ever defending his throne.

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#3. Max Holloway

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is the owner of the longest win streak in the division's history. Holloway has claimed 13 consecutive wins, while his total number of victories in the promotion's 145 lbs weight class currently stands at 18: the most wins of any UFC featherweight in history.

At the peak of his title reign, Max Holloway was a sight to behold. His jab is the foundation upon which his greatness was built.

'Blessed' always extends his stance when throwing a jab, stepping forward to commit his bodyweight to the stinging blow. Once his foes raise their guards or try to slip on the outside of his jab, Holloway pivots off at an angle and steps towards his opponent's open side.

With his foe preoccupied with the threat of his jab, 'Blessed' slides his right cross or right hook through the lateral gap on his opponent's open side.

An avalanche of combinations followed soon afterwards as he overwhelmed his foes with record-setting volume. Notable names on his list of victims include Ricardo Lamas, Jeremy Stephens, Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Anthony Pettis, José Aldo, Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, Calvin Kattar, and Yair Rodriguez.

As a former champion, 'Blessed' owns three consecutive title defenses before he dropped his title to Alexander Volkanovski.

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#2. Alexander Volkanovski

The reigning UFC featherweight champion is one of the most dominant fighters in the world. After Kamaru Usman's shocking loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 278, Alexander Volkanovski usurped 'The Nigerian Nightmare' as the #1 P4P fighter in the world.

At 26-1, Volkanovski is undefeated as a featherweight and has undergone considerable evolution as a mixed martial artist. Initially, he was a fighter who overwhelmed his foes with level changes and endless feints.

The threat of takedowns was paired with a high volume of strikes and feints, causing his opponents to retreat into defensive shells. Since his opponents were forced to react to a stream of constant activity, Volkanovski caused them to undergo a defensive overload.

If all one does is react, eventually one's actions will be under an opponent's complete control. However, 'The Great' continued to grow as a fighter, becoming one of the finest kickboxers in MMA.

Given the height disadvantage he often faces, Volkanovski uses a calf kick as a reliable counter to a taller foe's jab. Since a proper jab entails stepping forward while executing it, the extension of the jabber's stance overexposes their lead leg to low kicks.

Thus, Volkanovski counters his foes with calf kicks whenever they step forward to jab. This allows him to destabilize his opponent's stance from a safe distance.

It also creates openings for hard jab-right cross combinations in those seconds when his foe needs to reset their stance. Alternatively, 'The Great' intercepts an opponent's jab with his own, landing at the same time to interrupt their combinations.

This has worked to great effect as Volkanovski has defeated Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, José Aldo, and Max Holloway three times while successfully defending his championship four times.

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#1. José Aldo

The greatest featherweight in UFC history and indeed MMA history is none other than José Aldo. Before his retirement from the sport, the Brazilian great stood the test of time by defeating multiple generations of the world's best fighters.

Aldo's greatness as a fighter earned him a record-setting seven consecutive title defenses as he defied the MMA conventions of every era he competed in. At a time when the 145 lbs weight class was overflowing with high-level wrestlers, Aldo stood tall.

With no formal background in wrestling, the Brazilian became the greatest defensive wrestler in MMA history. If an opponent dove for a double-leg takedown, Aldo immediately secured an overhook on one of their arms before turning sideways to feed them only one hip.

Upon doing so, 'Scarface' shoved their head down to his ankle as he hopped out of their grip to both defend the takedown and break away from the wrestling exchange.

Against a single-leg takedown, he'd do the same as half of his work was already done for him. Without the ability to wrestle him, no matter how much MMA wrestling evolved, opponents had no choice but to strike with him.

Aldo's low kicks were a thing of beauty, as was his defense against calf kicks, which countless fighters struggle with today.

The sheer breadth of Aldo's skills deserves an article of its own, but the foes he turned away are well-known. Urijah Faber, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes twice, Frankie Edgar twice, Ricardo Lamas, Chan Sung Jung, Jeremy Stephens, and Renato Moicano are all on his list of featherweight conquests.

With wins over multiple generations, a constantly evolving game and seven title defenses, José Aldo stands alone as the greatest featherweight of all time.