Ilia Topuria’s exit left the door open for a familiar face to climb back to the top of the featherweight charts.
Alexander K. Lee is an editor for MMA Fighting who has been covering combat sports since 2014.
In the main event of UFC 314, former champion Alexander Volkanovski became two-time champion Alexander Volkanovski with a vintage five-round performance against a scrappy Diego Lopes. Unsurprisingly, Volkanovski regains the top spot in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while Topuria has been removed completely, having made it clear he only intends to compete at 155 pounds going forward.
It’s a familiar sight for fight fans as Volkanovski held that No. 1 spot for over four years before being dethroned by Topuria at UFC 314. He now finds himself with plenty of opportunity to add to his legacy with a litany of fresh challengers waiting in the wings, including the undefeated Movsar Evloev and a pair of contenders who scored major wins this April.
Jean Silva also made a splash at UFC 314, improving his UFC record to 5-0 with a dazzling win over Bryce Mitchell. The energetic Fight Nerds representative dominated Mitchell on the feet before finishing him with a slick ninja choke in the second round. It’s arguable that no fighter left Miami with more buzz than Silva after that stunning performance.
And then there’s Lerone Murphy, who quietly defeated Josh Emmett in the UFC Vegas 105 headliner to secure a spot in our top 10 for the first time. Murphy might not deliver bonus-winning performances every time out, but he’s undefeated in his pro career and has won eight straight UFC fights since going to a draw in his debut. Should other challengers become available, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Murphy gets a championship call sooner rather than later.
Regardless of who is next, Volkanovski is back in the driver’s seat, which seemed unlikely after his loss to Topuria 14 months ago. His re-ascendance is one of the feel-good stories of 2025 and you can be sure he’s eager to get back in the cage and prove the doubters wrong again.
Check out MMA Fighting’s updated 145-pound rankings below.
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Alexander Volkanovski def. No. 5 Diego Lopes, No. 8 Yair Rodriguez def. No. 9 Patricio Pitbull, No. 13 Lerone Murphy def. No. 10 Josh Emmett
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 14 Giga Chikadze vs. David Onama (UFC Kansas City, April 26)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Dan Ige (3), Kleber Koike (2), Calvin Kattar (1)
