Welterweight
1. Tyron Woodley (18-3-1)
Woodley has been on fire for over three years. He has gone undefeated in his last six bouts, taken the UFC welterweight title in devastating fashion from an entrenched champion like Robbie Lawler and then successfully defended that championship three times in less than 12 months. It is no wonder the man is a little miffed he is not getting a Conor McGregor or Georges St. Pierre fight and the accompanying payday. Indignation aside, “The Chosen One” is just hitting his prizefighting prime at 35 years old and now has a better handle on the identity of his next challenger. UFC President Dana White has said that the winner of the Lawler-Rafael dos Anjos battle on Dec. 16 will get the next crack at Woodley.2. Robbie Lawler (28-11, 1 NC)
Lawler for three consecutive years was one half of MMA’s unanimous “Fight of the Year.” When he lost his UFC welterweight title via brutal knockout to Tyron Woodley in July 2016, no one would have held it against the “Ruthless” one if he decided to hang up the gloves after 15 years in the fight game. Instead, Lawler bounced back 12 months later, as he earned a fun decision over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 214 and put himself in prime position to contend once more. Lawler will face former UFC lightweight champion turned welterweight contender Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC on Fox 26 main event on Dec. 16 in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and if UFC President Dana White is to be believed, a shot at Woodley’s championship will be on the line.3. Demian Maia (25-7)
Maia's title challenge against Tyron Woodley in July went anything but swimmingly for the jiu-jitsu legend. Fortunately for Maia, the UFC schedule is taking the Octagon back to his hometown of Sao Paulo, and the Brazilian will get a chance to get back into the win column, albeit against a dangerous prospect. Maia is expected to take on Colby Covington at UFC Fight Night 119 on Oct. 28.4. Stephen Thompson (13-2-1)
Thompson could not take the UFC welterweight title in his two-fight series with Tyron Woodley, and now he finds himself on the comeback trail following knee surgery. “Wonderboy” is not looking to take any sort of tune-up bout, though. After an organic social media game got fans revved up, the UFC has rubber stamped a Thompson-Jorge Masvidal clash for UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 4.5. Douglas Lima (29-6)
Lima's knockout vengeance to reclaim the Bellator MMA welterweight title from Andrey Koreshkov, coupled with his five-round domination of Lorenz Larkin in June, have re-established the Atlanta-based Brazilian as one of the true welterweight elite. If any doubters remain, “The Phenom” can help to quiet them in his next title defense: Lima will defend his title on Jan. 20 against former UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald in Los Angeles.6. Rory MacDonald (19-4)
The physical toll of his knockout loss in the 2015 “Fight of the Year” with Robbie Lawler had many wondering if MacDonald was already damaged goods. His last UFC fight 11 months later, a lackadaisical five-round loss to Stephen Thompson, led to further speculation. However, a dominant submission win over Paul Daley in May has earned MacDonald a shot at Bellator MMA champ Douglas Lima on Jan. 20 in Los Angeles. A win over “The Phenom” would earn MacDonald a title belt and prove the 28-year-old is anything but done as an elite 170-pounder.7. Rafael dos Anjos (27-9)
What happens when you lose your UFC title via first-round knockout and then drop a five-round decision to a top contender? If you are dos Anjos, you move up a weight class and quickly whip two legitimate welterweights like Tarec Saffiedine and Neil Magny. Now, all of a sudden, the Brazilian finds himself on the doorstep of a title shot in his brand new division. Dos Anjos will meet former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in the UFC on Fox 26 main event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the winner promised the next crack at welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.8. Jorge Masvidal (32-12)
Losing a close split decision to Demian Maia in May did nothing to slow Masvidal’s hype or trash talking. Having hit his stride at 170 pounds, Masvidal continued incessant public call-outs of notable welterweights until his social media campaign to face former title challenger Stephen Thompson clicked. The exciting Masvidal-Thompson pairing will be featured on the UFC 217 card on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden.9. Neil Magny (19-6)
Magny’s shocking hot streak, during which he went 10-1 over an 11-fight stretch in the Octagon, is over. In fact, after his lopsided loss to former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 215, the Brooklyn, New York, native has now lost two of his last three bouts. Nonetheless, Magny’s entire modus operandi seems predicated on taking tough fights, and that particular streak does not seem like it will end anytime soon. In his next outing, Magny will welcome back former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, as they meet at UFC 219 on Dec. 30.10. Kamaru Usman (11-1)
Already 5-0 in the UFC and riding a nine-fight winning streak overall, Usman showed a new wrinkle in his still-developing MMA game at UFC Fight Night 116, decking jiu-jitsu world champion Sergio Moraes into a front flip in less than three minutes. The 29-year-old “Nigerian Nightmare,” one of the UFC’s best prospects at 170 pounds, continues to show massive improvement on a fight-to-fight basis.Other Contenders: Donald Cerrone, Colby Covington, Paul Daley, Leon Edwards, Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Continue Reading » Lightweight