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Welterweight
1. Kamaru Usman (18-1) [1]
Usman displayed true championship mettle at UFC 258, as he survived a scare in the opening frame and rallied to defeat former teammate Gilbert Burns via third-round technical knockout in the evening’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 13. “The Nigerian Nightmare” now has four title defenses under his belt, and his 13 consecutive triumphs at 170 pounds allowed him to surpass the legendary Georges St. Pierre for the longest winning streak in the history of the division. At 33 years old, Usman shows no signs of slowing down. The UFC’s next challenge may be simply rounding up worthwhile contenders for a dominant champion, because Usman’s callout for a rematch with Jorge Masvidal wasn’t exactly inspiring.2. Colby Covington (16-2) [2]
Covington settled the score with Tyron Woodley in decisive fashion at UFC Fight Night 178, dominating his former American Top Team stablemate for the majority of the bout before a rib injury forced Woodley to cry uncle at the 1:19 mark of Round 5. “Chaos” appears to be back on track after coming up short in a 170-pound title bout against Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 in December and remains one of the top contenders in the division.3. Gilbert Burns (19-4) [3]
Burns appeared to be on the verge of scoring an upset in the UFC 258 headliner when he rocked Kamaru Usman with an overhand right early in their welterweight championship encounter. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, Usman recovered and gradually took control thanks in large part to a powerful jab. Ultimately, Burns succumbed to his former training partner via technical knockout 34 seconds into the third round, bringing an end to his six-fight winning streak. Burns’ success since moving to 170 pounds means he’ll still have numerous interesting matchups to consider.4. Jorge Masvidal (35-14) [4]
After accepting a welterweight title fight on six days’ notice, Masvidal gave Kamaru Usman hell for a round at UFC 251 before fatigue and the champion’s oppressive wrestling took control. When the dust settled, “Gamebred” had dropped a unanimous decision to Usman that wasn’t particularly close. Masvidal’s next move figures to be intriguing, but nothing has been finalized for the “BMF” champ.5. Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) [5]
After a lengthy absence that saw him endure multiple fight cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwards’ long-awaited Octagon return was something of a disappointment when an inadvertent eye poke ended his UFC Fight Night 187 headlining bout with Belal Muhammad just 18 seconds into Round 2. Edwards, who entered the matchup on an eight-bout winning streak, seemed uninterested in an immediate rematch with Muhammad following the no contest, instead calling for a welterweight title shot he feels is long overdue.6. Douglas Lima (32-8) [6]
Lima’s bid to become a two-division champion came up short at Bellator 250, where he dropped a five-round verdict to Gegard Mousasi. That defeat comes on the heels of a successful run through the promotion’s 170-pound grand prix, where he bested Andrey Koreshkov, Michael Page and Rory MacDonald to regain the welterweight crown. After a forgettable performance vs. Mousasi, it seems that Lima would be better suited to remain at 170 pounds for the time being.7. Michael Chiesa (18-4) [7]
Chiesa passed another significant test in his welterweight journey, as he went five full rounds for the first time in his career in a unanimous decision triumph over Neil Magny in the UFC on ESPN 20 main event. “Maverick” relied on a dominant grappling game to overwhelm Magny and improve to 4-0 since moving up to 170 pounds. “The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner used his post-fight interview segment to call out former interim title holder Colby Covington.8. Tyron Woodley (19-7-1) [8]
For the third consecutive bout, Woodley suffered a lopsided loss at the hands of one of the 170-pound division’s top contenders. This time, it was bitter rival Colby Covington who administered the beating, as he stopped Woodley via fifth-round TKO in the UFC Fight Night 178 headliner in Las Vegas on Sept. 19. The 38-year-old former champion has not been competitive in setbacks to Covington, Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman. He’ll look to get back on track against Vicente Luque at UFC 260.9. Rafael dos Anjos (30-13) [9]
In his first lightweight bout in more than four years, dos Anjos showed that he’s ready to contend at 155 pounds again when he dispatched Paul Felder in the UFC Fight Night 182 headliner on Nov. 14. The 36-year-old Brazilian was coming off a stint at 170 pounds in which he had lost four of his previous five Octagon appearances, but it appears that he is ready to make another run at championship gold in the division he once ruled.10. Rory MacDonald (21-6-1) [10]
The entirety of the Bellator welterweight grand prix was a slog for MacDonald, and it finally caught up to him in the tournament finals, where he dropped a unanimous verdict — and the 170-pound belt — to Douglas Lima. Unlike his first meeting with Lima, the Tristar Gym representative was unable to impose his will through takedowns at Bellator 232, and as a result, “The Phenom” gradually picked him apart with quick left hands and hard leg kicks. “The Red King” will make his Professional Fighters League debut against David Michaud in the headliner of a regular season event on April 29.Other Contenders: Demian Maia, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, Stephen Thompson, Geoff Neal.
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