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. 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. MacDonald will square off against rising striker Stephen Thompson on June 18 in Ottawa.3. 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.4. Stephen Thompson (12-1)
Elevated to main-event status at the Feb. 6 event formerly known as UFC 196, “Wonderboy” shocked Johny Hendricks by handing the former UFC welterweight champ his first knockout loss. Since losing to Matt Brown in his second UFC appearance, Thompson has been nothing short of sensational, recording six straight wins with four stoppages against the likes of Jake Ellenberger and Robert Whittaker. The striker will have a chance to move even higher in the rankings on June 18, when he meets Rory MacDonald.5. Johny Hendricks (17-4)
Hendricks on Feb. 6 came up on the wrong side of a knockout for the first time in 21 fights, as the heavy-handed wrestler was taken down by the more technical striking of Stephen Thompson. The defeat comes as a major blow to the title hopes of “Bigg Rigg,” who was looking to work his way back into contention and build upon his 2015 win over Matt Brown.6. 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.7. 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. He will go for No. 5 when he tangles with Matt Brown on May 14 in Brazil.8. 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. An injury took him out of a scheduled November meeting with Kelvin Gastelum, but Brown will return May 14 opposite grappling ace Demian Maia.9. Neil Magny (18-4)
Following last year’s impressive 4-1 run, Magny kicked off his 2016 campaign with a come-from-behind March knockout of Hector Lombard. Magny was nearly finished in the opening round, but his gas tank carried him to victory in the third frame against the former Bellator middleweight ace. The Illinois native’s 11-3 record inside the Octagon also includes wins against the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, Tim Means and Erick Silva.10. 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. Askren will return to the One Championship cage on April 14, when he faces Nikolay Aleksakhin in the Philippines.Other Contenders: Dong Hyun Kim, Andrey Koreshkov, Ryan LaFlare, Jake Shields, Albert Tumenov.
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