Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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. Stephen Thompson (14-2-1)

After a seven-fight winning streak in the Octagon, things were looking good for “Wonderboy.” Then, he narrowly missed out on winning the UFC welterweight title twice, going to a majority draw with Tyron Woodley before losing a majority verdict to the champ just four months later. Thompson needed knee surgery after the second Woodley bout. Undaunted, he returned to action at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 and did so in style, dominating Jorge Masvidal every which way for 15 minutes en route to an authoritative unanimous decision.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Colby Covington (13-1)

Where do you even start with Covington? The American Top Team rep has racked up an 8-1 record in the UFC, and his dominant 2017 wins over Dong Hyun Kim and Demian Maia would have been enough for most fighters to claim they had a noteworthy year; never mind his out-of-control trash talking, which included his calling Brazilians “filthy animals.” However, “Chaos” managed to live up to his nickname once again in Sydney, where he got into an altercation with UFC heavyweight Fabricio Werdum, who hurled a boomerang at him. That resulted in Covington pressing assault charges against the Brazilian and then going on bizarre public rants about fascism. We can only guess what Covington has in store for 2018.

8. Demian Maia (25-8)

Going on 40 years old, Maia looked every bit his age in the UFC Fight Night 119 co-headliner, as he spent most of his three rounds against Colby Covington getting his face battered and bloodied on the feet in front of his hometown crowd in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After earning a UFC title shot with his outstanding three-year, seven-fight winning streak, Maia has now lost back-to-back bouts.

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. Usman will lock horns with Emil Weber Meek at UFC 219 on Dec. 30.

Other Contenders: Paul Daley, Leon Edwards, Jorge Masvidal, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Darren Till.

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