5 of the best featherweight fights in MMA history

The five biggest fights in featherweight MMA history.

There is nothing quite like watching a high-paced, action-filled combat sport, and perhaps no combat sports embodies this more so than MMA. Given that fighters have completely different tools under their arsenals to try and pick up a victory, it is no surprise that we have seen some absolute classic MMA fights between two styles that compare or contrast.

Whilst it is no surprise that the heavier weight classes tend to get all the plaudits given that the likelihood of a knockout increases the higher up we go, it has to be said that the lower weight classes are the ones that tend to produce the most fight of the year contenders.

There is really no logical explanation for it but since the full professionalization of MMA, the divisions that people used to not care about have risen both in terms of popularity and talent. Perhaps no weight class has done this more than the featherweight division.

The 145-pound division is not one that has been in the spotlight for too long yet has quickly become the weight class where most of our favorite fighters reside. The likes of Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, and Alex Volkanovski have held the UFC's 145-pound title and others, such as Connor McGregor, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier began their careers at 145 before making the jump to bigger weight classes.

Given the depth of talent the division has seen historically, it was not an easy task to pick five of the best featherweight fights of all time. I'm sure you will probably disagree with my list but before you abuse me on Twitter, let's go through the criteria.

The first criterion refers to how objectively good the fight was. It does not matter who is fighting or what is on the line, the fight has to be a fun fight that people would almost unanimously agree it was a good clash. Saying that, the second criterion is the impact and context of the fight. Some fights can transcend an objectively good matchup simply because the build up and aftermath made a huge impact on the sport as a whole.

Before we begin our list from fifth to the best fight, here are the some honorable mentions that just missed the cut, in no particular order:

• The Korean Zombie vs. Leonard Garcia 2 UFC Fight Night 24 
• Connor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes UFC 189 
• Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega UFC 231
• Leonard Garcia vs. The Korean Zombie WEC 48
• Alex Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega UFC 266