Welterweight
1. Tyron Woodley (18-3-1)
Woodley already has three successful title defenses under his belt and recently said he “would bet the house” that his fourth would come against Nate Diaz this summer. However, just as he did when Woodley referenced a bout with Diaz in December, UFC President Dana White shot down that notion, claiming the champion “couldn’t be more full of s---.” A unification bout with newly minted interim titleholder Colby Covington figures to be next in line once “The Chosen One” is completely healed from shoulder surgery.2. Colby Covington (14-1)
Love him or hate him, Covington is not going anywhere. The American Top Team representative claimed interim welterweight gold at UFC 225, taking a hard-earned five-round verdict over Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event. “Chaos” relied on constant pressure and a seemingly bottomless gas tank to capture his sixth consecutive triumph and set up a title unification bout against reigning 170-pound king Tyron Woodley.3. Rafael dos Anjos (28-10)
Dos Anjos saw his three-fight welterweight winning streak come to an end in the UFC 225 co-main event, as he suffered a decision defeat to Colby Covington in an interim championship clash. The Brazilian was competitive in the contest but could not quite match the pace of his opponent. The close nature of the scorecards ensures that the ex-lightweight king will not be far removed from the title discussion at 170 pounds, provided he rebounds in his next Octagon appearance.4. Robbie Lawler (28-12)
Lawler’s surprising late-career resurgence was both spiriting and thrilling, but that era seems to have come to an end. The 36-year-old on Dec. 16 was dominated from start to finish by former lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos, and to make matters worse, he suffered a torn ACL in the unanimous decision defeat. While the “Ruthless” one can still crack, his days as a pound-for-pound standout appear to be done.5. Rory MacDonald (20-4)
Not all of Bellator MMA’s recent free agent acquisitions have panned out, but MacDonald’s tenure with the promotion seems to be off to a decent start. After he debuted with a submission of Paul Daley, MacDonald outlasted Douglas Lima and overcame a gnarly hematoma on his shin at Bellator 192 on Jan. 20, earning a unanimous decision and the Bellator welterweight crown. “The Red King” will move up to middleweight in his next outing, as he challenges reigning 185-pound king Gegard Mousasi on Sept. 29 in San Jose, California.6. Douglas Lima (29-7)
Lima in June looked like a million bucks against one recent Bellator signing, dominating Lorenz Larkin for 25 minutes. Things did not go nearly as well at Bellator 192 on Jan. 20, as Lima’s leg kicks were not enough to stop the wrestling of Rory MacDonald, who wore out the Brazilian and took his welterweight title with a unanimous decision.7. Darren Till (17-0-1)
It was far from the perfect scenario, but Till nonetheless earned the biggest victory of his career to date, as he outpointed two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 130 headliner. Not only were the scorecards controversial, but Till missed weight by 3.5 pounds one day prior. Still, the Liverpool, England, native has won four straight fights in the UFC and figures to be paired with another highly ranked opponent in his next appearance.8. Stephen Thompson (14-3-1)
While many observers -- notably most of the MMA media -- thought Thompson deserved the nod against Darren Till in the UFC Fight Night 130 headliner, the cageside judges thought otherwise. After dropping a narrow verdict to Till in a tactical but not exactly thrilling encounter, Thompson is 1-2-1 in his last four outings. “Wonderboy” remains one of the sport’s top welterweights, but he has some work to do if he wants to return to title contention.9. Kamaru Usman (13-1)
It was not the most thrilling performance, but Usman was in complete control in taking a five-round verdict over former title challenger Demian Maia in the UFC Fight Night 129 headliner in Chile. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has now won 12 consecutive bouts and owns a perfect 8-0 mark inside the Octagon. Still, he may need a more entertaining triumph over a ranked opponent before he can force himself into the title picture.10. Santiago Ponzinibbio (26-3)
The welterweight division is as hot as it has ever been, so it can be hard for any given contender to make a mark. With his Dec. 16 victory over Mike Perry, Argentina’s Ponzinibbio picked up a sixth straight win inside the Octagon and earned his spot among the welterweight elite the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately, a hand injury has slowed the ascent of “Gente Boa,” who was forced to withdraw from a meeting with Kamaru Usman in the UFC Fight Night 129 headliner on May 19 in Santiago, Chile.Other Contenders: Leon Edwards, Jon Fitch, Neil Magny, Demian Maia, Jorge Masvidal.
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