Alexander Volkanovski

Alexander Volkanovski is the greatest featherweight of all time, and he built that case the unglamorous way: by beating everyone, twice if they asked. The Australian's résumé at 145 includes Max Holloway three times, José Aldo, Brian Ortega, Yair Rodríguez — essentially the entire modern history of the division.

He started as a 214-pound rugby front-rower in Wollongong before cutting to featherweight, and the rugby shows: absurd leg strength, a granite chin, and cardio that turns championship rounds into his personal playground. The style is a masterclass in adjustments — level changes, calf kicks, in-and-out boxing — recalibrated round by round.

The losses on his 28-4 record tell their own story: two came at lightweight against Islam Makhachev, chasing a second belt on short notice; the knockout by Ilia Topuria in 2024 looked like the end. Instead, 'The Great' rebuilt and reclaimed the featherweight title, becoming a two-time champion in his late thirties.

At 37, every defense now is legacy work. He's fine with that — Volkanovski has been proving people wrong about his size, his age, and his ceiling since the day he left rugby.