The featherweight division, as defined by the unified rules of MMA via the Association of Boxing Commissions, constitutes of fighters who are between 135 and 145 pounds.
In Japan, organizations like Shooto were among the first to form a weight class for 145 pounders in the 1990s, which they classified as lightweight. The division not only gave a platform to smaller Japanese fighters but also featured international crossovers that helped build the names of Brazilians like Alexandre Franca Nogueira.
