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UFC Featherweight in 2017: Will We Find Our True Champion?
This year featured zero bouts for the UFC’s featherweight title, as former champion Conor McGregor fought twice at 170-pounds, and once at 155-pounds. In 2017, we (hopefully) won’t have to wait long for the belt to be on the line.
Featuring two bouts for the interim belt, and none for the actual title, the featherweight division was a confusing place in 2016. Although the “big-boy” belt was in limbo for the entirety of the year, the 145-pound weight class managed to become the talk of the UFC.
While McGregor battled with Nate Diaz at welterweight, and later defeated Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title, the rest of the division kept plugging along.
However, they weren’t exactly quiet. Most notably, Jose Aldo. The former champion has been vocal since his 13-second bout with McGregor in November of 2015, working for a rematch. He did his part in the Octagon, defeating Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight title via unanimous decision at UFC 200.
Holding that interim title wasn’t enough. Seeking revenge of his own, McGregor was busy evening-out his record with Diaz to worry about Aldo for the majority of 2016. Followed by the bout with Alvarez at UFC 205, the Irishman showed where his priorities lie, and they aren’t with a rematch with Aldo.
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Hell hath no fury like a fighter scorned (or something), and Aldo’s been leading the ever-growing list of opponents vocalizing their desire to fight McGregor. We can’t imagine many fight fans are opposed to the bout. But if McGregor doesn’t want to fight Aldo, it’s not going to happen. Aldo needs to raise the stakes when it comes to a future bout with McGregor, and he seems to be angling for just that.
The most recent talk concerning the current featherweight champion featured Aldo participating in a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the interim lightweight belt. While already the champ of featherweight, Aldo’s motives for moving up are solely focused on McGregor.
It’s more likely that the UFC are using Aldo as a hefty negotiating tactic, attempting to drive-drown the reportedly rising price of Tony Ferguson’s duties. But the idea of Aldo, so obsessed with exacting revenge on McGregor that he also abdicates his duties atop the featherweight division in favor of chasing a rematch, is beyond interesting.
Instead, we’ll be happily ‘stuck’ with Aldo defending his belt against Max Holloway. The current interim champion at 145-pounds, Holloway finally has a stick to swing when it comes to fight negotiations. He’s utilizing it already, delaying a UFC-friendly unification bout with Aldo while he heals from his performance at UFC 206.
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Holloway has earned a break, fighting ten times in the last three years. Going 10-0 over that stretch doesn’t hurt either. Now, with a belt on his shelf, he can properly prepare for what will be the biggest, and likely toughest, fight of his budding career. After sending former 155-pound champ Anthony Pettis back to the lightweight division, Holloway looks as ready as ever to make the jump to the next level of MMA stardom.
After that, the race to the top of the 145-pound weight class gets muddied. There’s tons of talent. But the lights will be shining on Aldo, Holloway, and whoever can manage to separate themselves atop the featherweight division in 2017.
Edgar, who’s only losses in the last four years have come to Aldo, looks to be somewhat stuck. The Mark Henry-product rebounded from the loss at UFC 200 with a victory over Jeremy Stephens in November. But with Aldo atop the division, a title shot seems unlikely.
Still, interesting matchups with interim-champion Holloway and Ricardo Lamas are out there. So is a rematch with Cub Swanson, following his impressive defeat of Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206. As long as Edgar wants to fight at 145-pounds, the fights are there. He just may have to wait, again, or have some chips fall his way, for a title-fight to be in the picture next year.
The guy he beat at UFC 205, Stephens, is hoping for more consistency. Taking home a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus with his win over Renan Barao in May, Stephens was given the opportunity to take the next step with his bout with Edgar. He’s currently in the top-half of the featherweight rankings and will need to take home a marquee victory, or two, to keep that up in 2017.
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A marquee win, like Swanson’s over Choi in December. The ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate was remarkably entertaining and showcased the best of the featherweight division and the UFC. Earning the victory should give Swanson a top-five opponent in his next fight. Swanson was 3-0 in 2016, after losing back-to-back bouts to Edgar and Holloway. Heading into next year with some momentum, Swanson isn’t far away from title contention.
Swanson could take on Lamas (for the second time), who went 1-1 this year. Lamas lost to Holloway and defeated Charles Oliveira, continuing to battle in one of the UFC’s toughest divisions. Struggling against the top-tier, Lamas’ 2017 could make or break the veteran’s title chances. Lamas also won the first match between himself and Cub.
There’s tons of depth in the featherweight division, featuring Dennis Bermudez, Yair Rodriguez, Choi, Oliveira, Barao, Darren Elkins, BJ Penn, and more at 145-pounds. Each faces their unique challenges heading into next year.
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Bermudez will be taking on Chan Sung Jung in February, welcoming the “Korean Zombie” back to the UFC. For Bermudez, he’ll be looking to make it three consecutive wins after going 2-0 in 2016. For Jung, it’s his first bout since falling to Aldo via fourth-round TKO in August of 2013. It’s a great matchup that we can’t wait to see, and will undoubtedly have an impact on the top of the division in 2017.
Another bout in early-2017 that’ll set the course for the weight class next year is between Yair Rodriguez and UFC-legend BJ.Penn. Penn’s long-awaited returned was delayed throughout 2016, and coming back against the likes of Rodriguez in January is no easy task. Penn has lost his last three bouts, the most recent of which coming against Edgar in 2014.
Rodriguez, who joined the UFC 2014, is undefeated since joining the promotion. Going 2-0 this year, a victory over Penn wouldn’t be the worst way to start the new year.
A fighter who needs a good start to 2017, in a bad way, is Charles Oliveira. The Brazilian lost both of his fights in 2016, and has missed weight four times in 12 bouts since moving to 145-pounds in 2012.
Although he’s also coming off of a loss, the “Korean Superboy” is still 3-1 in the UFC, and we are among the many who have high hopes for Choi next year. The same goes for Elkins, who went 2-0 in 2016 and has won his last three fights. With steady 2017s for both, Choi and Elkins could find themselves in the top-10.
After a year of uncertainty, the sooner the featherweight division has an undisputed champion, the better. That means Aldo and Holloway matching up sometime in early-2017. After that, the possibilities at 145-pounds are endless, and next year has a lot to look forward to. From youth to veterans and legends, featherweight has it all. Except, that is, a true champion.
