UFC Fight Night 25 Results: Ranking The Top 10 Featherweights In The UFC

Jose Aldo

The UFC's 145-pound featherweight division saw very little shuffling following Ultimate Fight Night 25.  The event featured a pair of bouts within the division, as Ultimate Fighter winner Jonathan Brookins returned to battle rising contender Erik Koch, and Mike Lullo made his divisional debut by welcoming Robert Peralta to the Octagon.

Brookins and Koch had the most to gain at this event, as both fighters have already faced some of the division's elite.  Brookins fell victim to current champion Jose Aldo in the WEC, while Koch's only career loss came to current No. 1 contender Chad Mendes.

With Koch's victory, he moved one step closer to a title shot.

10: Tyson Griffin

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Tyson Griffin narrowly slides into the top ten after defeating the last WEC title challenger Manny Gamburyan in June. 

Griffin had fallen on tough times in the lightweight division, where he dropped three straight bouts to Evan Dunham, Takanori Gomi and a controversial decision to Nik Lentz.

The drop in weight appears to have rejuvenated the veteran wrestler's career.  He is slated to battle Bart Palaszewski at UFC 137 on Oct. 29.

9: George Roop

George Roop - Rob Tatum/Bleacher Report

George Roop has finally found a home in the featherweight division.  The 6-foot-1 fighter bounced between the lightweight, featherweight, and even the bantamweight divisions in the past.

Roop scored a knockout of the night win over Chan Sung Jung in his final WEC bout.  He fell victim to title challenger Mark Hominick in January, but bounced back and defeated Josh Grispi in his last fight.

In his next bout, Roop welcomes dangerous Japanese fighter Hatsu Hioki to the promotion at UFC 137.

8: Diego Nunes

Diego Nunes - Rob Tatum/Bleacher Report

A teammate of fellow Brazilian Jose Aldo, Diego Nunes quietly climbed the featherweight ladder prior to a UFC 131 bout with current title challenger Kenny Florian.

The loss to Florian was only the second of Nunes' career, and his wins over Mike Brown and Raphael Assuncao prove how dangerous he can be.

Nunes was slated to face Manny Gamburyan at UFC 135, but injuries forced the bout to be cancelled.  He is expected to return to action before the end of the year.

7: Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier - Rob Tatum/Bleacher Report

Louisiana's Dustin Poirier, despite his 10-1 record, has largely flown under the radar in the 145-pound weight class.

His late-notice victory over Josh Grispi at UFC 125 put the 22-year-old on the map.  He defeated Jason Young at UFC 131 to continue his winning ways.

Poirier will look to continue his ascension up the ladder as he takes on Pablo Garza at UFC on Fox 1 on Nov. 12.

6: Erik Koch

Erik Koch - Rob Tatum/Bleacher Report

Erik Koch has steadily climbed the ranks of the featherweight division, scoring four straight wins since suffering his only loss to Chad Mendes.

Koch has dispatched both Raphael Assuncao and Jonathan Brookins since the WEC was merged with the UFC at the end of 2010.

After defeating Brookins at Ultimate Fight Night 25, Koch will have his eyes set on a top five opponent in his next fight.

5: Mark Hominick

Mark Hominick - Josh Hedges/Zuffa

Canadian striker Mark Hominick likely earned himself a number of fans in a losing effort at UFC 129.  Against champion Jose Aldo, Hominick was battered for the first four rounds, but showed off his heart in the final round, taking the round from the Brazilian.

Prior to the loss, Hominick had put together five straight wins to earn the title shot.

Hominick will look to get back in the title picture against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140 in December in his native Canada.

4: Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian - Eric Jamison/AP

Kenny Florian successfully made his featherweight debut at UFC 131 in June against Diego Nunes.  The weight division is Florian's fourth in the promotion.

Florian twice challenged for the lightweight title, but was unsuccessful in both attempts.  The Boston native has finished 10 of his 15 wins by submission.

The veteran is next in line to challenge current champ Jose Aldo.  The two will battle on Oct. 8 from the Toyota Center in Houston.

3: Hatsu Hioki

Koki Nagahama/Getty Images

Although he is yet to compete in the Octagon, Japanese fighter Hatsu Hioki is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world at 145 pounds.

The former Shooto and Sengoku champion has wins over notables Mark Hominick (twice) and Marlon Sandro.  Half of his 24 wins have come by submission.

His first UFC fight will take place on Oct. 29 at UFC 137 against George Roop.

2: Chad Mendes

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Chad "Money" Mendes has been nothing but money since his MMA career began.  The former collegiate wrestler has yet to taste defeat in his 11 fights.

Mendes has defeated the likes of Michihiro Omigawa, Erik Koch, and most recently Rani Yahya at UFC 133 in August.

Although not officially announced, it is expected that Mendes will be the next challenger for the featherweight championship.  He will face the winner of the Jose Aldo-Kenny Florian bout at UFC 136.

1: Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo - Rob Tatum/Bleacher Report

Jose Aldo is easily one of the most exciting fighters on the planet.  The current champion is riding a 12-fight winning streak and has successfully defended his championship three straight times. 

The dangerous Brazilian has scored 12 of his 19 wins by knockout.  His vicious Muay Thai striking is complemented with rarely used, black-belt level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  He has disposed of Urijah Faber, Manny Gamburyan, and Mark Hominick in his last three bouts.

Aldo's next challenger will be Kenny Florian at UFC 136 on Oct. 8 from the Toyota Center in Houston.