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Welterweight
1. Leon Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) | UFC [1]
“Rocky” put on a vintage performance, for better or worse, at UFC 296. For all the sound and fury promised by the public build-up between Edwards and challenger Colby Covington, the actual fight was a straightforward affair, lacking any of the eye-popping drama of Edwards’ pair of fights against Kamaru Usman. Instead, the champ forced Covington into the sort of mid-paced kickboxing match that characterized Edwards’ long rise to the top of the division, on his way to winning the first four rounds on all judges’ scorecards. While Edwards’ second title defense is unlikely to have earned him many new fans, it was a dominant showing against a veteran challenger. Edwards’ next defense will come in the form of unfinished business against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.2. 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 be settled in the UFC 304 headliner on June 27.4. Jason Jackson (18-4) | Bellator [4]
Though it occurred at a 182-pound catchweight, Jackson made a statement against two-time PFL champion Ray Cooper III, battering his foe with low kicks and finishing the contest with ground-and-pound 21 seconds into the second round of their PFL vs. Bellator showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “The Ass Kicking Machine” has won eight consecutive outings, including a signature triumph to claim 170-pound gold against Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator 301. After his latest win, Jackson called out French kickboxing ace Cedric Doumbe for a future fight, but a more realistic pairing might be a rebooking against 2023 PFL champ Magomed Magomedkerimov, who was forced to withdraw from the Feb. 24 event.5. Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0) | UFC [5]
Rakhmonov put on yet another dominant performance at UFC 296, smothering and suffocating Stephen Thompson for most of two rounds before closing things out with a rear-naked choke late in the second. The throttling of “Wonderboy” marks the 18th finish in as many outings for the man from Kazakhstan, and while the soft-spoken killer has been slow to demand a title shot, he pointed out his résumé in the wake of his most recent win, and UFC matchmakers may end up granting his wish in 2024.6. Jack Della Maddalena (17-2) | UFC [6]
Down two rounds on the scorecards, Della Maddalena showed the appropriate sense of urgency in the third round of his fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 299, as he rallied for a late technical knockout victory. Maddalena has won seven straight in UFC competition — and 17 in a row overall. After his latest triumph, the Aussie striker called out the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmanov for a title eliminator at 170 pounds.7. Yaroslav Amosov (27-1) | Bellator [7]
Heading into the Bellator 301 main event, Amosov looked like one of the California-based promotion’s most dominant champions. That all changed against Jason Jackson, as the Ukraine native struggled to implement his wrestling and was outgunned on the feet in a third-round TKO defeat. At just 30 years old, “Dynamo” should have plenty of time to bounce back from what was one of the more surprising results of 2023.8. Gilbert Burns (22-7) | UFC [8]
Burns appeared to be on his way to a decision triumph against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299, but that all changed when “Durinho” ate a knee from his opponent in the third frame. From there, Burns succumbed to ground-and-pound from his Aussie opponent for a technical knockout loss at the 3:43 mark of Round 3. The 37-year-old Brazilian has lost two straight fights for the first time in his professional career.9. Colby Covington (17-4) | UFC [9]
Covington was as brash as ever heading into UFC 296, complete with George Washington cosplay and way-over-the-line quips about Leon Edwards’ murdered father, but his performance in the cage was surprisingly muted. The elite wrestler and cardio machine whose “Chaos” nickname once reflected his fight style as much as his public persona seemed hesitant to pull the trigger, and instead let himself be lulled into the kind of measured striking match at which the champ is nearly unbeatable. Whether the tepid performance was due to the long layoff, advancing age or something else, Covington is now 0-3 in undisputed title fights, and has beaten only Jorge Masvidal in the last three years. While he remains a lightning rod for fan attention, his days as a top contender may be coming to an end.10. Stephen Thompson (17-7-1) | UFC [10]
Even as he has approached and then passed his 40th birthday, “Wonderboy” continues to outclass other elite strikers at welterweight. However, his UFC 296 opponent Shavkat Rakhmonov, as a huge, well-rounded fighter nearly a decade his junior, seemed like a nightmare matchup. That perception was borne out, as the nightmare matchup became a nightmare fight for Thompson, ending in a second-round submission loss. While the affable South Carolinian lacks a realistic road back to the title picture, he appears capable of winning, and entertaining, for a while longer, depending on matchmaking.Other Contenders: Sean Brady, Ian Garry, Geoff Neal, Magomed Magomedkerimov, Michael Page.
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