7. Tyron Woodley
A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri, Woodley made a seamless transition to mixed martial arts. He won his first 10 fights before running into a volley of Nate Marquardt elbows in a battle for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight championship in July 2012. The setback only served to strengthen his resolve. Woodley brought his talents to the UFC less than a year later and has gone 7-2-1 in 10 appearances since, a majority draw with Stephen Thompson and decisions losses to Rory MacDonald and Jake Shields his only missteps. “The Chosen One” reached the 170-pound summit at UFC 201, where he cut down Robbie Lawler with first-round punches to capture the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title. Now operating out of the Roufusport academy in Milwaukee, Woodley last appeared at UFC 209 on March 4, when he retained his championship with a five-round majority decision over Thompson.
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