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Welterweight
1. Kamaru Usman (16-1)
Usman endured a challenging first title defense, as he battled Colby Covington for nearly five rounds before earning a technical knockout victory at the 4:10 mark of the fifth round in the UFC 245 main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Usman survived Covington’s high output early and gradually asserted himself as the bout wore on thanks to solid body work and harder strikes overall. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has begun his UFC tenure with 11 consecutive victories, and the latest was his most difficult to date. Next, Usman is expected to face the red-hot Jorge Masvidal at a UFC event during International Fight Week in July.2. Colby Covington (15-2)
Whether you love or hate his schtick, Covington proved himself to be a top-flight competitor at UFC 245, as he battled Kamaru Usman for the better part of five entertaining rounds in the evening’s headliner before falling via technical knockout at the 4:10 mark of the final period. Covington showcased his trademark volume early on but was unable to maintain his frenetic pace down the stretch in seeing his seven-fight winning streak come to an end. Still, “Chaos” gave Usman plenty of problems and the entertaining nature of their bout means that a rematch could eventually be in store.3. 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 was supposed to face Robbie Lawler in a rematch at UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis but was forced to withdraw due to injury. A showdown with Leon Edwards will headline UFC London on March 21.4. Jorge Masvidal (35-13)
If it wasn’t already obvious before, it is now: Masvidal is a bonafide star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “Gamebred” captured the one-off “BMF” title in an entertaining showdown with Nate Diaz in the UFC 244 headliner, winning via TKO after three rounds when a cageside doctor determined Diaz could no longer continue due to a cut above his eye. Barring some kind of improbable short-notice appearance, the victory likely caps off a memorable 2019 for the Miami native that included a record setting knockout of Ben Askren as well as an impressive stoppage of former title challenger Darren Till. Masvidal’s breakout campaign has earned him a title shot, as he is expected to face Kamaru Usman during International Fight Week in July.5. Leon Edwards (18-3)
Edwards gave the most complete performance of his career at UFC on ESPN 4, earning convincing five-round verdict over former lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos in San Antonio on July 20. That makes eight consecutive victories for “Rocky,” the second longest active winning streak in the division behind only reigning champ Kamaru Usman. Edwards has positioned himself as one of the top contenders at 170 pounds and was reportedly in talks with the UFC to face Usman at Madison Square Garden before negotiations fell apart. A matchup with Tyron Woodley will serve as the main event for UFC London on March 21.6. Douglas Lima (32-7)
It wasn’t the most thrilling performance, but Lima reclaimed the welterweight throne with a decision victory over Rory MacDonald in the grand prix finals at Bellator 232. In avenging a previous loss to “The Red King” at Bellator 192, Lima thwarted the takedown attempts of his opponent while picking him apart on the feet with crisp jabs and leg kicks. Now a three-time Bellator 170-pound king, Lima has won six of his last seven appearances within the California-based promotion. “The Phenom” will attempt to become a two-division champ when he faces Gegard Mousasi for the vacant middleweight crown at Bellator 243.7. Michael Chiesa (17-4)
Chiesa looks quite comfortable at welterweight, particularly when he looks significantly larger than his opponent as he did against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Raleigh. The Sikjitsu product used his size and grappling to ground the former lightweight king for significant periods of time to capture a unanimous verdict in the evening’s co-main event. Since moving up from the lightweight division, Chiesa has earned convincing triumphs over Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez and dos Anjos to establish himself as a person of interest at 170 pounds.8. Rafael dos Anjos (29-13)
Dos Anjos lost for the fourth time in his last five Octagon outings at UFC Fight Night 166, dropping a unanimous verdict to Michael Chiesa in the evening’s co-main event in Raleigh, N.C. While the Brazilian did have some success on the feet, he was unable to keep the contest upright long enough to impose his will. Instead, it was Chiesa who controlled the fight on the mat through his superior size and grappling.9. Rory MacDonald (21-6-1)
The entirety of the Bellator welterweight grand prix was a slog for MacDonald, and it finally caught up to him in the tournament finals, where he dropped a unanimous verdict — and the 170-pound belt — to Douglas Lima. Unlike his first meeting with Lima, the Tristar Gym representative was unable to impose his will through takedowns at Bellator 232, and as a result, “The Phenom” gradually picked him apart with quick left hands and hard leg kicks. When MacDonald finally did briefly ground his opponent, Lima was able to quickly reversed the position to put his final stamp on the fight. “The Red King” will not have a trilogy with Lima anytime soon, as he has departed for the Professional Fighters League with an eye on competing for the promotion’s $1 million payout in the 2020 season.10. Demian Maia (28-9)
Even at 41 years old, Maia remains one of the most crafty submission specialists in the sport today, and he showed it once again against Ben Askren at UFC Fight Night 162 in Singapore. The Brazilian used a heel hook to sweep into top position before transitioning to a rear-naked choke that rendered Askren unconscious 3:54 into the third round of their headlining contest. After rough outings against top-tier wrestlers Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley, Maia has rebounded to post a three-fight winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion and has won 10 of his last 13 appearances overall. He’ll look to continue that momentum in a matchup with fellow grappler Gilbert Burns at UFC Brasilia.Other Contenders: Ben Askren, Robbie Lawler, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, Geoff Neal.
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