Welterweight
1. Robbie Lawler (25-10, 1 NC)
In a fight just as closely contested as their first, Lawler prevailed over Johny Hendricks in a five-round championship rematch at UFC 181, as the “Ruthless” veteran finally captured UFC gold after 13 years as a mixed martial artist. Lawler is now 6-1 in his second Octagon run -- a stint marked by brutal knockouts and hard-nosed victories against the likes of Rory MacDonald, Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger. Lawler will put his title on the line in a rematch with MacDonald at UFC 189 on July 11.2. Johny Hendricks (17-3)
While it was a far cry from his thrilling scraps with Robbie Lawler, Hendricks was dominant in earning a ground-based unanimous decision over Matt Brown at UFC 185. The win put “Bigg Rigg” back on track and moved him one step closer to a rematch with Lawler, the man who took Hendricks’ belt in December.3. Rory MacDonald (18-2)
MacDonald capped an outstanding 2014 campaign on Oct. 4 with a punishing third-round knockout of former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine. Wins over Saffiedine, Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia put the 25-year-old Canadian in line for a title shot, and he will challenge divisional ace Robbie Lawler at UFC 189 in July. MacDonald lost a split decision to Lawler in November 2013.4. Tyron Woodley (14-3)
Woodley fought off his back foot for most of his three-round encounter with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 183, but a steady diet of big right hands helped “The Chosen One” earn a split decision against his overweight opponent. The win was Woodley’s second straight since having his title hopes derailed in a unanimous decision loss to Rory MacDonald.5. Carlos Condit (29-8)
Condit missed out on a December 2013 bout with Matt Brown and then was handed an equally tough task in Tyron Woodley at UFC 171. Despite an exciting start to the fight, Condit’s leg gave out midway through the second round, putting an end to any immediate title hopes and giving Condit his third defeat in four fights. “The Natural Born Killer” remains sidelined following surgery to repair a torn ACL but has been penciled in to return against Thiago Alves at a UFC Fight Night event on May 30.6. Ben Askren (14-0, 1 NC)
While Askren remains the top welterweight operating outside the UFC, his latest outing left much to be desired. Competing for the first time in eight months, the One Championship titlist took on fellow Bellator MMA veteran Luis “Sapo” Santos, but the bout was ruled a no-contest after just two minutes when Askren stuck Santos with a thumb to the eye. Askren is still unbeaten after 15 bouts and has recorded finishes in his last four wins.7. Matt Brown (19-13)
He spent the better part of two years slugging his way from the back of the pack to welterweight title contention with seven straight wins -- but nothing lasts forever, and “The Immortal” may have hit his ceiling. Brown has come up short against elite 170-pounders in his last two outings, dropping unanimous decisions to current UFC champ Robbie Lawler and ex-titleholder Johny Hendricks. He will attempt to halt the momentum of Tim Means at UFC 189 in July.8. Jake Shields (31-7-1, 1 NC)
Shields has made it look easy in his first two bouts with new promoter World Series of Fighting. After forcing Ryan Ford to submit to a rear-naked choke in October, the American jiu-jitsu practitioner took out Brian Foster with a first-round neck crank in January. Shields will get a shot at welterweight titleholder and fellow submission specialist Rousimar Palhares on Aug. 1 in the main event of WSOF 22.9. Demian Maia (20-6)
Maia made a successful return from a 10-month layoff on March 21, defeating Ryan LaFlare in the makeshift main event of UFC Fight Night in Rio de Janeiro. Despite fading hard in the fifth round, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace racked up enough points through the first four frames to earn his second consecutive unanimous decision.10. Rousimar Palhares (17-6)
Palhares has looked impressive in back-to-back bouts since joining World Series of Fighting, first snatching the promotion’s welterweight title from Steve Carl and then tapping fellow UFC vet Jon Fitch in his first defense. Both wins came by way of leg lock, the Brazilian’s submission of choice. “Toquinho” will put his belt on the line against another of the division’s most dangerous ground specialists, Jake Shields, on Aug. 1 in Las Vegas.Other Contenders: Thiago Alves, Dong Hyun Kim, Douglas Lima, Neil Magny, Rick Story.
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