Welterweight
1. Tyron Woodley (18-3-1)
In less than 12 months, Woodley destroyed Robbie Lawler to take the UFC welterweight title and has successfully defended his crown three times. Unfortunately for Woodley, his one-sided UFC 214 title defense against grappling legend Demian Maia was a chore to watch and instantly excited UFC President Dana White's penchant to throw Woodley under the bus. Now, “The Chosen One” has threatened to leak sensitive, non-specified information if White does not offer him a public apology.2. Robbie Lawler (28-11, 1 NC)
It may not earn him a fourth consecutive “Fight of the Year” distinction, but Lawler's oft-delayed, much-anticipated showdown with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 214 was worth the wait. After a year away from the cage following his knockout loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201, Lawler was sterling and violent in winning a well-deserved unanimous decision and reminding us that the “Ruthless” one is far from a relic at 170 pounds.3. Demian Maia (25-7)
Maia had a great career at 185 pounds, and the grappling wizard has been even more outstanding as a welterweight. However, historically speaking, when Maia gets his day in UFC championship court, things go very, very wrong. At UFC 112 in April 2010, his awkward 25-minute bout with Anderson Silva led to UFC President Dana White storming away from the cage before the bout was over. On July 29, his UFC 214 title challenge against Tyron Woodley featured five rounds of blown Maia takedowns and little contact, drawing the ire of fans and, you guessed it, White.4. Stephen Thompson (13-2-1)
After his title rematch loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 209 in March, Thompson opted for knee surgery. As he continues to get healthy, he and would-be opponent Jorge Masvidal have publicly agreed to a fight later this year in what would be a sensational clash of striking styles.5. Douglas Lima (29-6)
Even after he regained the Bellator welterweight crown in devastating fashion from the man who took it from him, Russia's Andrey Koreshkov, criticisms persisted that Lima “had not faced anybody” yet. Those criticisms, at least temporarily, have been put to bed: At Bellator 180, Lima outstruck slick, savvy striker and new Bellator free agent acquisition Lorenz Larkin over 25 minutes, not just to retain his 170-pound title but to affirm the notion he is truly one of MMA's welterweight elite.6. Rory MacDonald (19-4)
It had been 11 months since MacDonald's disastrous final bout in the UFC against Stephen Thompson, as “The Red King” made his long-awaited Bellator debut in London on May 19 and blew dangerous veteran Paul Daley out of the water. It was a much-needed win for MacDonald, who had not had his hand raised in two and a half years. He is expected to challenge Douglas Lima for Bellator's 170-pound title next time out.7. Lorenz Larkin (18-6, 1 NC)
Entering Bellator MMA fresh off UFC wins over Jorge Masvidal and Neil Magny, it was a disappointment when Larkin had little to offer in his promotional debut at Bellator 180, losing the vast majority of his 25-minute title bout with champion Douglas Lima. However, Larkin is nonetheless skilled, entertaining and just signed a plum free-agent deal, so Bellator is still going to be keen to use him. “The Monsoon” will return to action against brash-talking British striker Paul Daley at Bellator 183 on Sept. 23 in San Jose, California.8. Jorge Masvidal (32-12)
Masvidal has gotten the hang of keeping his name in the media, constantly calling out other elite UFC welterweights on what he has termed his “Easy Money Tour.” Most recently, Neil Magny suffered the barbs from Masvidal, who claimed Magny ducked him. Now, Masvidal has mutually and publicly agreed to fight Stephen Thompson later this year in what could be an outstanding fight if it comes to fruition.9. Neil Magny (19-5)
After topping former UFC champion Johny Hendricks by unanimous decision in December, Magny seemed prime to break out in 2017, but he has spent the year on the sidelines recovering from injury. Magny now has a booking, and it is by no means an easy tune-up fight. At UFC 215 on Sept. 9, Magny will mix it up with another former champ in ex-lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos, who looks revitalized at 170 pounds.10. Donald Cerrone (32-9, 1 NC)
Given how badly Jorge Masvidal put the screws to him in January, no one would have blamed Cerrone if he did not want to re-book his previously scheduled bout with former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. However, “Cowboy” is “Cowboy,” so he took the fight anyhow. We were treated to a “Round of the Year” contender and one of the best fights of 2017 so far, even if Cerrone took another loss. It marks the first time in his 11-year career that he has suffered back-to-back defeats.Other Contenders: Colby Covington, Dong Hyun Kim, Andrey Koreshkov, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kamaru Usman.
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