Welterweight
1. Tyron Woodley (17-3-1)
It was an absolutely dreadful title fight and among the worst in UFC history. Nonetheless, in the UFC 209 headliner, Woodley earned a razor-thin majority decision over Stephen Thompson in their championship rematch; it was the forgettable sequel to their majority draw at UFC 205 in November. Now, the 170-pound ruler will assuredly politick for big paydays in public while he awaits the winner of the forthcoming Demian Maia-Jorge Masvidal showdown in May.2. Robbie Lawler (27-11, 1 NC)
We are not that far removed from Lawler's welterweight title reign of excitement ending. In fact, it happened at UFC 201 in July. Nonetheless, Lawler’s brutal knockout loss at the hands of Tyron Woodley has knocked him to the sidelines. The “Ruthless” one has since announced his departure from American Top Team and continues to field fight offers. However, with Lawler pulling out of a November bout with Donald Cerrone over needing more time to recoup and former tormentor Nick Diaz allegedly declining a rematch, according to UFC President Dana White, Lawler waits for that ideal dance partner. Naturally, we mean an opponent that is not afraid to mix it up with the man who has authored an unprecedented three consecutive “Fight of the Year” winners.3. Stephen Thompson (13-2-1)
Thompson came up just short against welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 205 in November, fighting to a majority draw. At UFC 209 four months later, “Wonderboy” failed to gain the gold in another squeaker, this time dropping a majority decision to Woodley. Thompson remains adamant he will fight for a UFC title again, but the road for the 34-year-old figures to be a difficult one.4. Demian Maia (24-6)
Over his six-fight winning streak, the 39-year-old Maia has gotten more and more dominant. However, the UFC chose to run back Tyron Woodley-Stephen Thompson following their majority draw in November, so Maia has been forced to stay busy to save his chance at a title shot. His next hurdle comes in the form of rising contender Jorge Masvidal at UFC 211 on May 13 in Dallas.5. Rory MacDonald (18-4)
MacDonald’s Bellator MMA debut is finally set and figures to be a fun one, as “The Red King” will meet knockout artist Paul Daley in the Bellator 179 headliner on May 19. The downside for MacDonald is that it comes in the form of a road game, taking place at SSE Arena in London. It will be the first time in his 23-fight pro career that MacDonald has fought outside the United States and Canada.6. Lorenz Larkin (18-5, 1 NC)
A former 205-pounder in Strikeforce, Larkin began his UFC career as a middleweight and went 1-4 in those five fights. Since dropping to 170 pounds, he is 4-1. He put on an absolute master class at UFC 202 against Neil Magny, who had won nine of his previous 10 fights in the Octagon. The real question surrounding Larkin centers on who wants him more. Is it former promoter Scott Coker, now with Bellator MMA, or does the UFC view him as a future title contender at 170 pounds? Only time can tell.7. Kelvin Gastelum (13-2)
In his nearly four-year UFC tenure, Gastelum has failed to make the 170-pound limit on three occasions. When “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner went up to 185 pounds and blew the doors off of veteran Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 in December, it seemed sensible for Gastelum to remain a middleweight, but the Arizona native insisted he would return to welterweight. For now, his promoter disagrees: Gastelum will stay at 185 pounds and face Vitor Belfort on March 11 in Fortaleza, Brazil.8. Jorge Masvidal (32-11)
In the wake of his six-minute demolition of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in January, Masvidal has been soaking up the limelight and frequently taking his characteristic brash talk to the media. After a series of callouts angling for a big fight, “Gamebred” has a date that could vault him right into a UFC welterweight title shot: On May 13 in Dallas, Masvidal tries to break surging Demian Maia’s six-fight winning streak.9. Neil Magny (19-5)
Magny's wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Hector Lombard put him on the 170-pound map, but his lopsided TKO loss to Lorenz Larkin in August was a serious stumbling block for his status as a welterweight contender. Nonetheless, Magny is 11-2 in his last 13 bouts in the Octagon and figures to continue tangling with the division's emerging elite.10. Donald Cerrone (32-8, 1 NC)
Cerrone's four-fight tear after his jump to welterweight in 2016 was thrilling and awe-inspiring, but ultimately, his hot streak came to a crashing halt in front of his partisan Denver crowd on Jan. 28. In six minutes, Cerrone was basically knocked out twice by Jorge Masvidal, who used “Cowboy” as a steppingstone and sent the Jackson-Wink MMA product back to the drawing board.Other Contenders: Dong Hyun Kim, Andrey Koreshkov, Douglas Lima, Gunnar Nelson, Kamaru Usman
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