On Wednesday, Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny will battle to scale the next rung of perhaps the toughest, most unforgiving divisional ladder in all of mixed martial arts.
“Which is the best division in MMA?” is a question without a single clear answer. For over a decade now, lightweight has been by acclamation the strongest in the sport, but there are other worthy candidates. In recent years, featherweight has become nearly as respected and beloved as lightweight, and for many of the same reasons: great athletes, diverse styles, and fighters big enough to boast knockout power, yet small enough to fight three (or five) rounds at an exhilarating pace.