Welterweight
1. Robbie Lawler (27-10, 1 NC)
Lawler at UFC 195 proved once again why he should never be counted out of a fight. Seemingly on his way to losing a decision against high-volume challenger Carlos Condit, Lawler went out blazing in the final round with an audacious display of striking that earned him a split decision and allowed him to keep the UFC welterweight belt. The past six months have seen “Ruthless” emerge victorious from protracted battles with Condit and Rory MacDonald in two bruising title defenses. Lawler stated after the bout that he is prepared to rematch Condit, though a new No. 1 contender has already been appointed in Tyron Woodley.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. Hendricks was set to meet Tyron Woodley at UFC 192 before being hospitalized due to a weight-cutting disaster. Hendricks will be back in action at 170 pounds when he takes on Stephen Thompson at UFC 196 in February.3. Rory MacDonald (18-3)
For four rounds on July 11, MacDonald went toe-to-toe with Robbie Lawler. At times, it appeared the Canadian might leave UFC 189 as the new welterweight champion. However, early in round five, a straight left hand from the champion obliterated MacDonald’s already damaged nose and forced the “Red King” to give in. Since 2011, MacDonald has gone 8-2 inside the Octagon, beating the likes of B.J. Penn, Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia; his only two losses in that span have come against Lawler.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. The former Mizzou Tiger missed his bout at UFC 192 due to a failed Johny Hendricks weight cut, but it came with a silver lining: Woodley has been promised the next welterweight title shot.5. Carlos Condit (30-9)
Three years after he nearly dethroned Georges St. Pierre, Condit once again came up short in a bid for the welterweight title at UFC 195. The “Natural Born Killer” executed a terrific game plan through four rounds with Robbie Lawler, but the champion came on strong in the final frame and nearly finished Condit before earning a controversial split decision. Following the hard-luck loss, Condit said that he is considering hanging up his gloves.6. Demian Maia (22-6)
Maia was utterly dominant in his UFC 194 showdown with Gunnar Nelson, as the Brazilian controlled his fellow grappler on the ground for nearly all three rounds. With four straight wins against the likes of Neil Magny and Ryan LaFlare, Maia has thrust himself into an increasingly crowded title picture at 170 pounds.7. Matt Brown (20-13)
Note to welterweights: Brown is not the man with whom to trade elbows. Tim Means found that out the hard way on July 11, when “The Immortal” used heavy elbow strikes to stun “The Dirty Bird” before finishing with a guillotine choke late in the first round. The win got Brown back on track after decision losses to reigning UFC champ Robbie Lawler and former titlist Johny Hendricks halted the Ohioan’s quest for gold, but an injury took him out of a scheduled November meeting with Kelvin Gastelum.8. 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. The pair was set to do it again on Nov. 13 in Singapore, but Santos missed weight and the bout was scratched on the eve of the event.9. Jake Shields (31-8-1, 1 NC)
Shields was submitted for the first time in his 40-fight career when he succumbed to a third-round kimura from Rousimar Palhares on Aug. 1. Frustrated by Palhares’ delayed release of the hold, as well as the Brazilian’s eye gouging in the fight, the American jiu-jitsu specialist socked “Toquinho” with a punch after the bell. In September, Shields was ordered by the Nevada Athletic Commission to complete 50 hours of community service for the late punch. He will reportedly face Jon Fitch for the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight title on April 1.10. Neil Magny (17-4)
The UFC’s short-notice Superman swooped in to take the place of yet another injured fighter in November, making the most of a late assignment against Kelvin Gastelum. Despite a late-round scare and some controversy over the judges’ scores, Magny left Mexico with a split decision win -- his ninth victory in his last 10 Octagon outings and his fourth win of 2015.Other Contenders: Dong Hyun Kim, Andrey Koreshkov, Ryan LaFlare, Rick Story, Stephen Thompson.
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