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Welterweight
1. Leon Edwards (21-3, 1 NC) | UFC [1]
While Edwards needed a last-minute knockout to wrest the welterweight crown from Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, “Rocky” authored a much more complete performance in their trilogy, taking a five-round, majority-decision triumph over “The Nigerian Nightmare” in the UFC 286 headliner at the O2 Arena in London. Edwards outlanded Usman on the feet, showcased solid defensive wrestling and weathered a third-round point deduction to extend his unbeaten streak to 12 within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Edwards will move on from his rivalry with Usman for a main-event clash against Colby Covington at UFC 296.2. Kamaru Usman (20-4) | UFC [2]
Despite taking the fight on less than two weeks’ notice, Usman had a strong showing in his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, ultimately falling via majority decision in the evening’s co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Despite his best efforts, “The Nigerian Nightmare” couldn’t overcome a strong start from his opponent, and he lost his third consecutive Octagon appearance. Usman’s next move figures to be intriguing: Will he remain at 185 pounds or return to welterweight, where he enjoyed a lengthy reign as champion?3. Belal Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
Muhammad made a statement on May 6, winning a lopsided decision over former title challenger Gilbert Burns in the five-round co-main event of UFC 288 in Newark, New Jersey. For a time, “Remember the Name” became a bitterly appropriate handle for the 34-year-old Roufusport standout, as he compiled a 10-fight unbeaten streak before earning a title shot. Of course, that title now resides with the only man who owns a longer unbeaten streak in the division, Muhammad's onetime opponent Leon Edwards. The unfinished business of their March 2021 meeting, which ended in a no contest due to an inadvertent eye poke by Edwards just 18 seconds into Round 2, will apparently now be settled, with UFC gold on the table as well.4. Colby Covington (17-3) | UFC [4]
Covington’s grudge match against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 went exactly as one might expect, as “Chaos” relied on his relentless grappling to cruise to a unanimous verdict over his former American Top Team stablemate. Shortly thereafter, Covington’s rivalry with Masvidal spilled outside of the Octagon following an alleged assault in Miami in which “Gamebred” is accused of attacking his rival for talking about his kids. Covington did not fight again in 2022, but despite that inactivity, he will get a shot at 170-pound gold when he faces Leon Edwards in the UFC 296 main event.5. Gilbert Burns (22-6) | UFC [6]
Burns stepped up on short notice to take on Belal Muhammad in the co-main event of UFC 288 and came up short across five rounds. Worsening matters, “Durinho” appeared to be suffering from some sort of injury to his left arm that impaired his performance in the later rounds. Burns' cheerful willingness to take on the contenders that nobody wants to fight, including Khamzat Chimaev and now Muhammad, is admirable, but his own path back to another title shot is cloudier than ever.6. Yaroslav Amosov (27-0) | Bellator [7]
After a hiatus that lasted more than a year and a half, Amosov returned from defending his native Ukraine against Russian invasion to put on a masterclass against Logan Storley in the Bellator 291 headliner. “Dynamo” battered Storley with blistering multi-punch combinations, kicks to the legs and body and timely takedowns en route to a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. It was a far more decisive victory than his split verdict over Storley in their first meeting in November 2020, and by unifying the Bellator welterweight belt, Amosov left no doubt regarding the top 170-pound talent in the California-based promotion. Next, Amosov will defend the strap against Jason Jackson in the Bellator 301 main event.7. Shavkat Rakhmonov (17-0) UFC [8]
Rakhmonov engaged in a slugfest with Geoff Neal for the better part of three rounds before locking in a standing rear-naked choke at the 4:17 mark of Round 3 during their encounter at UFC 285. The Kazakhstan native has finished all 17 of his professional opponents — including five in the UFC. He was supposed to welcome Kelvin Gastelum back to 170 pounds on Sept. 16, but an injury forced his opponent to withdraw from the fight. Instead, Rakhmonov will meet Stephen Thompson at UFC 296.8. Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) | UFC [9]
Thompson had been scheduled to face Michel Pereira on July 29, on the main card of UFC 291, but after Pereira missed weight by three pounds, “Wonderboy” declined to meet him at a catchweight, citing his own previous experience with overweight foes. That stand, however principled, unfortunately means a little more shelf time at a career juncture at which the 40-year-old Thompson can least afford it. After that debacle delayed his return, Thompson will face a tough test in the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296.9. Sean Brady (15-1) | UFC [10]
Brady’s undefeated run came to an end at UFC 280 in a second-round technical knockout loss to Belal Muhammad in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22. The Philadelphia native was unable to ground his opponent, and as a result, he was eventually overwhelmed by Muhammad’s pressure and volume striking. After injuries forced him to withdraw from proposed matchups against Michel Pereira and Jack Della Maddalena, Brady will return to action against Kelvin Gastelum on Dec. 2.10. Geoff Neal (15-5) | UFC [11]
After scoring back-to-back victories over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque, Neal ran into a buzzsaw at UFC 285, where he suffered a third-round submission defeat to the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. Neal, who is 7-3 within the Las Vegas-based promotion, was supposed to return against Ian Garry at UFC 292, but an undisclosed medical issue forced him to withdraw from the event.Other Contenders: Vicente Luque, Jack Della Maddalena, Kevin Holland, Logan Storley, Ian Garry.
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