Welterweight
1. Tyron Woodley (17-3-1)
Woodley has spent more than eight years as a professional mixed martial artist, over four years in the UFC and happened to crack a legendary Robbie Lawler in the face 12 months ago to take UFC gold. Suffice to say, Woodley feels like it is time to get paid and has lobbied for it, driving for fights with the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz. However, if “The Chosen One” wants to be chosen for any role like that, he has at least one more hurdle to clear: Woodley will defend his UFC welterweight title for the third time when he faces Demian Maia at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California. Maia has not lost in three and a half years and possesses one of the most acclaimed, technically superb grappling games this sport has ever seen.2. Robbie Lawler (27-11, 1 NC)
Not that UFC President Dana White always mistakes the imminent plans of the MMA promotion for which he is the figurehead, but when White said in his most unequivocal voice that Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone was too injured to face Lawler at UFC 213 -- so injured that their bout could not be rescheduled three weeks later for UFC 214 -- folks were inherently skeptically. Lo and behold, just days after White's statement, Lawler-Cerrone was rebooked for UFC 214. Disaster averted.3. Demian Maia (25-6)
It has been over seven years since Maia's infamous and failed middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Having reinvented himself at 170 pounds, the 39-year-old Brazilian has more than earned another day in championship court. Now 10-2 as a UFC welterweight and with seven straight wins in tow, Maia will challenge Tyron Woodley for the gold at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California.4. Stephen Thompson (13-2-1)
A sensational winning streak earned him two UFC title shots, but Thompson could not wrest the UFC welterweight strap from champion Tyron Woodley. While “Wonderboy” managed a draw in their first bout, Woodley prevailed via majority decision in their March rematch at UFC 209. Thompson opted to head home to South Carolina for knee surgery after the loss, but the flashy karateka should be back in the Octagon by year's end.5. Douglas Lima (29-6)
Even after he regained the Bellator welterweight crown in devastating fashion from the man who took it from him, Russia's Andrey Koreshkov, criticisms persisted that Lima “had not faced anybody” yet. Those criticisms, at least temporarily, have been put to bed: At Bellator 180, Lima outstruck slick, savvy striker and new Bellator free agent acquisition Lorenz Larkin over 25 minutes, not just to retain his 170-pound title but to affirm the notion he is truly one of MMA's welterweight elite.6. Rory MacDonald (19-4)
It had been 11 months since MacDonald's disastrous final bout in the UFC against Stephen Thompson, as “The Red King” made his long-awaited Bellator debut in London on May 19 and blew dangerous veteran Paul Daley out of the water. It was a much-needed win for MacDonald, who had not had his hand raised in two and a half years. He is expected to challenge Douglas Lima for Bellator's 170-pound title next time out.7. Lorenz Larkin (18-6, 1 NC)
Cresting high off top-10 wins over Neil Magny and Jorge Masvidal in the UFC, Larkin parlayed his back-to-back breakout victories into a tidy Bellator MMA contract and a welterweight title shot in his promotional debut, which just so happened to be on the company's second-ever pay-per-view event. “The Monsoon” was unable to make it three consecutive wins over divisional aces, however, as champ Douglas Lima used his well-rounded MMA game to stymie Larkin and win a unanimous decision over five rounds.8. Jorge Masvidal (32-12)
Masvidal's back-to-back blowouts of Jake Ellenberger and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone had him in the running for a shot at the UFC welterweight title, and a win over Demian Maia at UFC 211 would have sealed it. Instead, Masvidal spent a little too much time with the Brazilian controlling his back and lost a split decision. Nonetheless, Masvidal's style and charisma have quickly made him a fan favorite at 170 pounds, making it hard to believe the UFC will go too long without booking him again.9. Neil Magny (19-5)
Magny's win over former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in December seemed like it would thrust him into the thick of things in the UFC welterweight title picture. Instead, Magny ended up on the shelf due to undisclosed injuries in early 2017 that precluded him from facing Jorge Masvidal or any other contenders and left him to continue his rehab while waiting for another major booking.10. Donald Cerrone (32-8, 1 NC)
It is remarkable that Cerrone has stayed generally healthy during his career, given his frequent fighting mentality. The shoe had to drop eventually, and unfortunately, it came when “Cowboy” was lined up for a potential “Fight of the Year” candidate with former UFC champ Robbie Lawler. Nonetheless, Cerrone-Lawler has been rebooked for UFC 214 on July 29, just three weeks after its initially intended date.Other Contenders: Colby Covington, Dong Hyun Kim, Andrey Koreshkov, Gunnar Nelson, Kamaru Usman.
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