The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:
- WEC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb (62 to 66 kg)
- Sengoku Raiden Championship's (SRC) featherweight division, which limits competitors to 143 lb (65 kg)
- DREAM's featherweight division, which limits competitors to 139 lb (63 kg)
- Shooto's featherweight division, which limits competitors to 132 lb (60 kg)
Ambiguity and clarification[]
For the sake of uniformity, most American mixed martial arts media outlets consider Featherweight competitors to be between 136 to 145 lb (61 and 66 kg). This encompasses the Pancrase Featherweight division (141 lb / 64 kg) now revised to 145 lb (66 kg); United States-based King of the Cage (KOTC), where it is known as the bantamweight division 145 lb (66 kg); Shooto, where it is known as the lightweight division 143 lb (65 kg); the Sengoku Featherweight division, the DREAM Featherweight division, and World Extreme Cagefighting's (WEC) Featherweight division.
The featherweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is 145 lb (66 kg).
Notable featherweights in MMA[]
Jose Aldo, WEC featherweight champion
Bibiano Fernandes, DREAM featherweight champion
Masanori Kanehara, SRC featherweight champion
Takeshi Inoue, Shooto lightweight champion (143 lb)
Masakazu Imanari, DEEP bantamweight champion, Cage Rage featherweight champion, and former DEEP featherweight champion
Joe Soto, Bellator featherweight champion
Hatsu Hioki, last TKO featherweight champion
Urijah Faber, former WEC featherweight champion, former KOTC bantamweight champion, former Gladiator Challenge lightweight & bantamweight champion
Mike Thomas Brown, former WEC featherweight champion
Norifumi Yamamoto, K-1 HERO'S 2005 middleweight Grand Prix champion, DREAM contender
Mamoru Yamaguchi, former Shooto bantamweight champion and a former Shooto featherweight champion
Alexandre Franca Nogueira, former Shooto champion
Hiroyuki Takaya, top DREAM contender and the featherweight Grand Prix finalist
Mark Hominick, former TKO featherweight champion
Jens Pulver, former UFC lightweight champion
Dan Hall, former Shooto champion
Manvel Gamburyan, finalist of The Ultimate Fighter 5 tounament
Rumina Sato, All Japan amateur Shooto championship 2nd place and Shooto Pacific Rim lightweight champion
Marlon Sandro, Pancrase featherweight champion
Wagnney Fabiano, Last IFL featherweight champion
Dokonjonosuke Mishima, DEEP featherweight Champion
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