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Welterweight
1. Kamaru Usman (15-1)
Even those who predicted victory for Usman couldn’t have imagined “The Nigerian Nightmare” being as dominant as he was against Tyron Woodley at UFC 235. Usman claimed the welterweight throne on the strength of five dominant rounds against Woodley, overwhelming his opponent with wrestling, clinch work and top control. In fact, Usman probably deserved more 10-8 scorecards than he received. Nonetheless, Usman has hardware for his trophy case and an ongoing 10-fight winning streak. Former interim champ Colby Covington is likely next on his agenda.2. Tyron Woodley (19-5-1)
For a man laying claim to the welterweight “GOAT” title coming in, UFC 235 was a cold dose of of reality for Woodley. “The Chosen One” was overwhelmed from the outset against Kamaru Usman, as he was dominated from bell to bell in the evening’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Once he was unable to land his powerful right hand, Woodley had no other answers for his opponent, and his wrestling was surprisingly no match for “The Nigerian Nightmare.” The ex-champ will attempt to get back on the winning track when he faces Robbie Lawler in a rematch at UFC on ESPN 4 in Minneapolis.3. Colby Covington (14-1)
Love him or hate him, Covington is not going anywhere. The American Top Team representative claimed interim welterweight gold at UFC 225, taking a hard-earned five-round verdict over Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event. The victory presumably set up a title unification bout against reigning 170-pound king Tyron Woodley, but Covington was stripped of the interim crown after electing to undergo sinus surgery. Now Covington awaits a potential showdown with newly crowned champion Kamaru Usman at a future event.4. Rafael dos Anjos (28-11)
It appears that wrestlers are Dos Anjos’ kryptonite at 170 pounds. After dropping a five-round verdict to Colby Covington in an interim title bout at UFC 225, the 34-year-old Brazilian was largely dominated for five more rounds by Kamaru Usman at “The Ultimate Fighter 28” finale. Dos Anjos’ lack of size and reach were evident against a natural welterweight, and after kicking off his 170-pound tenure with wins over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler, dos Anjos finds himself looking up at a deep pool of contenders. Next, he will face a fellow converted lightweight when he meets Kevin Lee in the UFC Rochester headliner on May 18.5.Ben Askren (19-0)
It probably wasn’t the way Askren wanted to get a win in his Octagon debut, but the former Bellator and One Championship titlist ran with it nonetheless. “Funky” earned a controversial submission victory over Robbie Lawler at UFC 235, as referee Herb Dean appeared to halt the contest while Lawler was still conscious, putting a damper on a bout that was just getting interesting. To his credit, Askren survived a tremendous beating in the bout’s opening moments. Askren will bypass the immediate rematch and instead faces Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239.6. Robbie Lawler (28-13)
Lawler’s loss to Ben Askren comes with an asterisk, as it appeared that the former welterweight champion was not unconscious from his opponent’s choke when referee Herb Dean halted their fight at UFC 235. Prior to that, “Ruthless” nearly finished the Askren, slamming his foe following an initial takedown attempt before dropping brutal ground-and-pound. As things currently stand, Lawler has technically lost three of his last four UFC bouts but appears to still have plenty left in the tank. He’ll get a chance to avenge a previous defeat when he meets Tyron Woodley in the UFC on ESPN 4 headliner on June 29.7. Rory MacDonald (20-5-1)
MacDonald didn’t necessarily look like a reigning champion against Jon Fitch in the quarterfinals of the welterweight grand prix at Bellator 220, but the resulting majority draw was enough for him to advance in the bracket. However, a bizarre post-fight interview where “The Red King” questioned his drive to compete is concerning for his long-term future in the sport. For now, MacDonald is still scheduled to face Neiman Gracie in the tourney semifinals at Madison Square Garden on June 14.8. Douglas Lima (31-7)
Lima ended the hype surrounding flamboyant British striker Michael Page in emphatic fashion, defeating Venom via first-round knockout at Bellator 221. Not only did Lima end Page’s unbeaten run, but he punched his ticket to the finals of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix. Lima will await the winner of the Rory MacDonald-Neiman Gracie semifinal at Bellator 222, and “The Phenom” has already said that he would prefer to avenge a previous loss to “The Red King” if given a choice of opponent.9. Jorge Masvidal (33-13)
Masvidal returned from more than a year hiatus to knock out former welterweight title challenger Darren Till in the second round at UFC London, ending a two-bout skid in the process. After the victory, Masvidal had an altercation with co-main event winner Leon Edwards, perhaps setting the stage for a future matchup down the road. That won’t be next on the agenda, however. Instead, “Gamebred will lock horns with former Bellator and One titlist Ben Askren in a feature bout at UFC 239 on July 6.10. Darren Till (17-2-1)
Till had a meteoric rise to title contention in the UFC, but his fall has been quite steep in recent months. After being submitted by Tyron Woodley in a title bout at UFC 228, “The Gorilla” returned to home soil to suffer a knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal in the UFC London main event on March 16. Considering the contentious nature of his win over Stephen Thompson in May 2018, Till could very well be on a three-fight losing streak right now. The future could prove interesting for the Liverpool native, as he has contemplated a move to 185 pounds in the past.Other Contenders: Santiago Ponzinibbio, Leon Edwards, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Anthony Pettis, Stephen Thompson.
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