Updated UFC Featherweight Rankings: Where Does Aljamain Sterling Land After Saturday’s Win?

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After going winless in four-straight, Youssef Zalal was cut from the UFC four years ago and had to fight his way back into the company. He did that and entered UFC 320 on an impressive seven-fight win streak. In his tough scrap on the main card of a PPV, he dominated and scored a first-round submission win on a top-10 stalwart, Josh Emmet.

The huge victory landed him his first headlining spot when he took on former bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling. Unfortunately, the future Hall of Famer was able to outwork him. Ending his win streak at eight straight.

8. Steve Garcia (19-5)

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After losing two of his first three inside the Octagon and seeming on the verge of being cut, veteran Steve Garcia has caught fire over the last four years. In that time, he has won seven straight, with all but one coming by decision.

Of his last four victories, three were first-round knockouts. He has violently earned his spot in our latest UFC featherweight rankings top 10.

7. Yair Rodriguez (20-5)

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After a period where he battled injuries and some tough losses, there was doubt as to whether Yair Rodriguez would ever reach his potential. He quieted all the uncertainty with massive wins over Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett. The latter made him the new interim champion. However, his reign was short-lived as Alexander Volkanovski took back the undisputed spot at UFC 290.

He then followed that up with another decisive loss in his home country to Brian Ortega in February. He entered UFC 314 in a must-win situation if he ever wanted to fight for UFC gold again. In a big fight welcoming Patricio Pitbull to the UFC, “El Pantera” posted a dominant win to get his name back in the championship conversation.

6. Aljamain Sterling (26-5)

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After an outstanding run at bantamweight that should land him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame, Aljamain Sterling made the jump to featherweight in 2024. While he split his first two at 145 pounds, his lone loss came against the division’s top contender, Movsar Evloev.

Since that defeat, he has won two straight, including an April main event victory over one of the division’s hottest fighters, Youssef Zalal.

5. Jean Silva (17-3)

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If there were any doubts about how good Jean Silva was, he sent a massive message to the division at UFC 314 by shutting down Bryce Mitchell’s grappling and pummeling him on the feet. Unfortunately, despite looking good at points in his follow-up against Diego Lopes in September, he suffered a TKO loss that ended a 13-fight win streak.

But he proved he remains an emerging contender at 145 in January of this year when he bounced back with a hard-fought win against another ranked fighter in Arnold Allen at UFC 324. The victory got him back on track and in the contender mix for 2026.

4. Lerone Murphy (17-1-1)

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England’s Lerone Murphy has quietly become one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world. “The Miracle” had won nine straight inside the Octagon, and seemingly set himself up for a title fight in his next bout with his win at UFC 319.

However, instead, he was given the unsolvable puzzle that is Movsar Evloev in March. Unfortunately, he was the Russian’s latest decision loss victim. Murphy is still one of the best featherweights in the world, but a title shot in 2026 is now unlikely.

3. Diego Lopes (27-8)

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After making his UFC debut in a very difficult short-notice clash with Movsar Evloev, Diego Lopes has had an impressive run inside the Octagon. He is 6-3 in the UFC, with his setbacks coming in elite competition. However, in that time, he has scored some big wins, including over Brian Ortega and Jean Silva.

In January, he got a second — maybe unwarranted — crack at the title. And just like his opportunity in April 2025, he was outpointed and outworked by division legend Alexander Volkanovski. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old remains one of the must-watch fighters in the division.

2. Movsar Evloev (20-0) – Top Contender

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Since he entered the UFC in 2019, former M1 star Movsar Evloev has been a problem that fighters at featherweight just can’t solve. Entering 2026, the Russian was 9-0 inside the Octagon and has scored wins over top talent like Diego Lopes, Aljamain Sterling, and Arnold Allen.

Evloev extended his unbeaten run in March when he scored his biggest victory yet against Lerone Murphy in his foe’s home country. While he isn’t an exciting fighter, he has done more than enough to be the No. 1 contender to Volkanovski.

1. Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) – Champion

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Alexander Volkanovski has solidified his place as the best featherweight of all time. However, trips up in weight for a second title and the rise of Ilia Topuria led to three straight losses for “The Great” and speculation that his best days were behind him.

However, he has bounced back from those setbacks to reassert his dominance at 145 pounds with back-to-back wins over Diego Lopes. The most recent came in front of his countrymen at UFC 325. While he didn’t get the finish, he proved once again he was levels above the native of Brazil.

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