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Welterweight
1. Tyron Woodley (19-3-1)
Woodley continues to make his case to be known as the “Greatest of All Time” at welterweight. In the UFC 228 headliner, “The Chosen One” dispatched Darren Till via second-round submission, tapping out his English opponent with a brabo choke in the second frame. Unbeaten in his last seven Octagon appearances and the owner of the longest active title defense streak in the UFC, Woodley is in a great spot right now — regardless of how history currently sees him.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. The victory presumably set up a title unification bout against reigning 170-pound king Tyron Woodley, but Covington was stripped of the interim crown after electing undergo sinus surgery. Covington now awaits a showdown with Woodley, who soundly defeated replacement foe Darren Till at UFC 228.3. 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. That next bout will come against rising contender Kamaru Usman at the “TUF 28” finale on Nov. 30.4. 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. The ex-champ reportedly has a high-profile matchup for his next appearance, as he will square off against Stephen Thompson in the UFC’s ESPN debut on Jan. 18.5. Rory MacDonald (20-5)
MacDonald was never competitive in his bid for middleweight gold against Gegard Mousasi, losing via technical knockout 3:23 into the opening stanza in the Bellator 206 headliner. “The Red King” absorbed a barrage of punches and elbows in defeat, which could be problematic considering that he is expected to face Jon Fitch in the opening round of the Bellator welterweight grand prix .6. Douglas Lima (30-7)
Lima was patient and clinical in an impressive victory over Andrey Koreshkov in the opening round of Bellator’s welterweight grand prix. “The Phenom” wore his foe down with kicks to the legs and body, all while defending repeated takedown attempts from the Russian. In round five, the ex-champ found his moment, sinking in a rear-naked choke for the finish in the rubber match between two former champions. Assuming things hold up, Lima will move on to face the winner of the clash between Paul Daley and Michael Page.7. Darren Till (17-1-1)
It was a humbling experience for Till at UFC 228, as he was a non-factor in falling to Tyron Woodley by second round submission at American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The 25-year-old Liverpool native was thrust into a title bout earlier than expected, and he still has plenty of time to improve as a mixed martial artist. Don’t be surprised if “The Gorilla” ends up in a similar position down the road. If that moment arrives, it could very well come at middleweight, as Till recently revealed his fight with Woodley was “probably” his last at 170 pounds.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. Though nothing is official, “Wonderboy” has been linked to a bout with Robbie Lawler in an as-yet-to-be announced UFC card on ESPN in January.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. That could come with a win against Rafael dos Anjos in “The Ultimate Fighter 28” headlner.10. Santiago Ponzinibbio (26-3)
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. A hand injury forced to “Gente Boa” to withdraw from a meeting with Kamaru Usman in the UFC Fight Night 129 headliner in Santiago, Chile, but Ponzinibbio will get an even more attractive alternative as a result when he main events UFC Fight Night 140 against Neil Magny in his home country on Nov. 17.Other Contenders: Leon Edwards, Jon Fitch, Neil Magny, Demian Maia, Jorge Masvidal.
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