The 25 Best Featherweights in MMA History

When you’re talking MMA, talking about the best featherweights in history is a bit of a misnomer as far as phrases go. After all, there’s only been a 145-pound (or thereabouts) division in MMA’s major leagues for a few years now.

Still, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been great fighters, great fights and great champions, both in the UFC and in various promotions around the world.

What follows are the 25 best featherweights to ever put on the MMA gloves. 

For the record, these are guys who fought at or around 145 pounds. They are also guys who did most of their fighting (and has most of their success) at that weight class.

25. Michihiro Omigawa

Record: 12-10-1
Most recent promotion: UFC

Not exactly the gaudiest record, but the featherweight journeyman has wins over Hatsu Hioki, Marlon Sandro, Nam Phan and Cole Escovedo on his record. Not too shabby.

24. Leonard Garcia

Record: 15-8-1
Most recent promotion: UFC

Garcia has had an up-and-down career, but he makes it onto this list for his exciting style as well as his record. He has earned Fight of the Night honors four times, most recently just two weeks ago in his loss to Nam Phan at UFC 136.

23. Kazuyuki Miyata

Record: 11-8
Most recent promotion: Dream

Though he has nice victories on his record, including guys like Caol Uno and Takeshi Inoue, he may be best remembered for a knockout loss—to Kid Yamamoto—that came in a record four seconds.

22. Jeff Curran

Record: 33-13-1
Most recent promotion: UFC

The longtime featherweight stalwart once challenged Urijah Faber for the WEC title, but lost by second-round submission. He'll make his UFC debut at UFC 137 as a bantamweight.

21. Chan Sung Jung

Record: 11-3
Most recent promotion: UFC

The famous employer of The Twister is set to face Mark Hominick at UFC 140 this December.

20. Hideo Tokoro

Record: 30-24-1
Most recent promotion: Dream

Tokoro has fought at several weight classes over his decade-long career. Perhaps his splashiest opponent is one Royce Gracie, who he fought to a draw back in 2005.

In other news, gah, look at that schnoz!  As Joe Rogan would say, "that, ladies and gentlemen, is a broken nose." 

19. Erik Koch

Record: 13-1
Most recent promotion: UFC

The 23-year-old might still be a pup in the sport. But when you have a record like that, and two of your victories earned you Knockout of the Night honors, you get a spot on this list.

18. Norifumi Yamamoto

Record: 18-4-1
Most recent promotion: UFC

The popular "Kid" has competed in three different weight classes, but does have some memorable victories at featherweight.

17. Erikas Petraitis

Record: 20-10-2
Most recent promotion: Iron Fist

The former Shooto belt holder has competed for eight years across Europe and the Far East.

16. Joe Soto

Record: 9-2
Most recent promotion: Tachi Palace Fights

The first-ever Bellator featherweight champion is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Interestingly, they're also the first two losses of his entire career.

15. Bibiano Fernandes

Record: 9-3
Most recent promotion: Dream

Dream's first-ever featherweight champion boasts wins over Joe Warren, Joachim Hansen and Hiroyuki Takaya, among others. 

14. Hiroyuki Takaya

Record: 16-9-1
Most recent promotion: Dream

The reigning Dream featherweight champ won the belt in a rematch with Bibiano Fernandes.

13. Diego Nunes

Record: 16-2
Most recent promotion: UFC

Nunes suffered a setback against Kenny Florian at UFC 131, but the man with wins over Mike Brown and Raphael Assuncao will be back in the Octagon again after recovering from injury.

12. Marlon Sandro

Record: 19-3
Most recent promotion: Bellator

The heavy-handed Brazilian lost to Pat Curran last August in the Bellator featherweight tourney finals. But something tells me the former Pancrase and Sengoku featherweight titlist will be back.

11. Mark Hominick

Record: 20-9
Most recent promotion: UFC

You may remember Hominick from such roles as That Hematoma Guy From The Jose Aldo Fight.

But if so, that's unfortunate, because the Canadian striker is a tough and talented customer. Among his accomplishments, he was featherweight champion of Canda's TKO Major Leagues promotion, defending the belt three times. 

10. Patricio Freire

Record: 17-1
Most recent promotion: Bellator

This Black House jiu-jitsu black belt has 13 of 17 wins by submission or strikig-related stoppage. The only blemish on his record came in 2010 at the hands of Bellator featherweight champ Joe Warren.

9. Joe Warren

Record: 7-2
Most recent promotion: Bellator

Tough-as-nails Warren gets points for being the reigning Bellator featherweight champ. He loses points, however, for chasing his (ultimately Quixotic) bantanweight dreams and in the process failing to defend the belt once after holding it for more than a year.

8. Chad Mendes

Record: 11-0
Most recent promotion: UFC

After Jose Aldo handled Kenny Florian at UFC 136, the undefeated and talented Mendes may be next in line (not to mention the biggest remaining threat) to Aldo's title.

7. Takeshi Inoue

Record: 21-5
Most recent promotion: Dream

The two-time Shooto 143-pound champ knocked out Caol Uno by head kick at Dream 17 in September.

(Photo credit: Sherdog)

6. Mike Brown

Record: 25-8
Most recent promotion: UFC

Brown defeated Urijah Faber in 2008 to capture the WEC featherweight belt, defending it twice before losing to some guy named Aldo.

5. Hatsu Hioki

Record:  24-4-2
Most recent promotion: UFC

This dominant grappler and champion in both the Sengoku and Shooto 145-ish divisions vacated his titles for a shot in the UFC. He is scheduled to make his Octagon debut against George Roop at UFC 137 next Saturday. 

4. Masakazu Imanari

Record: 24-9-2
Most recent promotion: Dream

The former DEEP and Cage Rage featherweight champ is still kicking along at 35. Now competing at bantamweight, the nasty submission grappler finished Abe Cullum with an armbar at Dream 17 in September.

3. Urijah Faber

Record: 25-5
Most recent promotion: UFC

He won the WEC featherweight championship in 2006. He lost it, after five title defenses, in 2008. Pretty good run, I’d say.

2. Alexandre Nogueira

Record:  13-6-2
Most recent promotion: Vale Tudo Japan

Maybe we should call him Tiny Nog. Either way, back in 1999, Nogeueira may very well have become the first featherweight champion in MMA history. He may also have become the best.

At the ripe old age of 21, Nogueira defeated Noboru Asahi, the longtime Shooto lightweight champ who competed at about 150 pounds (thank lax Japanese weight-class standards for the overlap).

Nogueira competed at 143 pounds his entire career, however, and defended his belt six times. A knee injury in 2006 forced him to vacate the belt. So yeah...he never lost when the strap was in his corner. And the title run as it was lasted six years and eight months. That's the longest title reign in MMA history.

Just for comparison's sake, Anderson Silva's title reign hit its five-year mark on Oct. 14.

He lost a lot more in the latter stages of his career. Tiny Nog hasn't fought since 2009, when he lost to Takeshi Inoue. His second-to-last bout, a loss to Jose Aldo, saw him test positive for a banned substance after the fight. Regardless, his place in MMA lore is secure. Just check the numbers.

1. Jose Aldo

Record:  20-1
Most recent promotion: UFC

Inaugural, reigning and defending UFC featherweight champion of the world. To date, two convincing title defenses in the Octagon. Before that, two successful title defenses in the WEC. He hasn’t lost in nearly six years. He is a fearsome, but smart, leg-kicking, knock-you-outting Muay Thai wrecking machine.

Faber may have more hardware at this point, but he also lost to Aldo. At featherweight, Faber is the past. Aldo is both the present and the future. Don’t forget: he’s only 25.