Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Welterweight
1. Kamaru Usman (20-1) [1]
Usman kept on trucking at UFC 268, earning a unanimous decision triumph over Colby Covington in a championship rematch at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 6. “The Nigerian Nightmare” dropped Covington twice in the second round then survived a late push in the championship frames from his opponent to close the book on his rivalry with the controversial Covington. Usman now has 15 consecutive UFC triumphs under his belt, a streak that is only surpassed by middleweight great Anderson Silva.2. Colby Covington (16-3) [2]
Covington survived early adversity and surged late but still couldn’t quite get over the hump in a unanimous decision loss to Kamaru Usman in a welterweight title rematch in the UFC 268 headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York. Now 0-2 against the reigning champion, Covington will have to look for other appealing matchups within the welterweight division. In his post-fight interview, “Chaos” vowed that the best is yet to come for him, an indication that he might like to return to action as soon as he recovers from the grueling five-round bout with Usman.3. Gilbert Burns (20-4) [3]
It wasn’t his most crowd-pleasing performance, but Burns did what had to be done against Stephen Thompson at UFC 264, grounding his opponent in each round en route to a unanimous decision triumph at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 10. “Durinho” has been victorious in seven of his last eight Octagon appearances and in victory rebounds from a third-round TKO loss to Kamaru Usman in a title bout at UFC 258.4. Leon Edwards (19-3, 1 NC) [4]
Edwards scored his first victory since July 2019 with a convincing five-round verdict over fan favorite Nate Diaz in a five-round, non-title affair at UFC 263. The Englishman’s well-rounded attack kept Diaz off balance for four rounds, but he had to survive a scare after being wobbled by a left hand in the final frame. Edwards is unbeaten in his last 10 welterweight appearances. Next, “Rocky” will get to settle his longstanding grudge with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269.5. Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) [5]
Amosov gave Ukraine its first MMA champion with an impressive performance against Douglas Lima in the Bellator 260 main event on June 11. The combat sambo champion held his own with Lima on the feet and grounded the Brazilian in every round to win a unanimous decision and claim the 170-pound throne. The 27-year-old Amosov’s sparkling undefeated record includes seven triumphs under the Bellator MMA banner.6. Stephen Thompson (16-5-1) [6]
Thompson may have seen his last chance at a title shot slip through his hands in the UFC 264 co-main event, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Gilbert Burns at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 10. Ultimately, “Wonderboy’s” inability to remain upright cost him dearly, and the momentum built in back-to-back decision triumphs over Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal was lost. At 38 years old, Thompson has some work to do to climb back into contention.7. Vicente Luque (21-7-1) [7]
Luque survived some early danger on the canvas before rallying to submit Michael Chiesa with a first-round brabo choke at UFC 256 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Aug. 7. The 29-year-old Brazilian has won four consecutive fights at 170 pounds and is well-known for his finishing acumen, with 13 victories coming inside the distance. His latest effort even caught the attention of reigning welterweight king Kamaru Usman, though he likely still has some work to do before he earns a title shot.8. Michael Chiesa (18-5) [8]
Chiesa appeared to be on the verge of a fifth straight welterweight triumph at UFC 265 when he took Vicente Luque’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke early in the opening round of their bout. However, Luque turned the tables and secured a brabo choke during a scramble to force a submission at the 3:25 mark of Round 1. The setback temporarily halts Chiesa’s momentum, but “Maverick” has nonetheless enjoyed plenty of success since transitioning from lightweight. Next, Chiesa will face Sean Brady on Nov. 20.9. Jorge Masvidal (35-15) [9]
Even with a full camp behind him, Masvidal was no match for Kamaru Usman at UFC 261, as he fell via-second round knockout in the evening’s main event at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. After back-to-back losses to Usman – the other being a five-round verdict at UFC 251 – Masvidal’s days as a top contender at 170 pounds appear to be in the rearview until a new champion is crowned. The “BMF” champion will attempt to bounce back from those two title losses against Leon Edwards at UFC 269.10. Michael Page (20-1) [10]
While it was undeniably a controversial outcome, Michael Page’s split-decision triumph against Douglas Lima in the Bellator 267 main event is the biggest victory of the flamboyant striker’s MMA career. It also had to be especially satisfying after Lima knocked him out in their first meeting in 2019. Currently on a six-fight winning streak, “Venom” finds himself in the thick of Bellator’s welterweight title picture — though he could also pursue a trilogy against Lima in the near future.Other Contenders: Douglas Lima, Neil Magny, Belal Muhammad, Khamzat Chimaev, Ray Cooper III.
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