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Welterweight
1. Leon Edwards (21-3, 1 NC) | UFC [1]
While Edwards needed a last-minute knockout to wrest the welterweight crown from Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, “Rocky” authored a much more complete performance in their trilogy, taking a five-round, majority-decision triumph over “The Nigerian Nightmare” in the UFC 286 headliner at the O2 Arena in London. Edwards outlanded Usman on the feet, showcased solid defensive wrestling and weathered a third-round point deduction to extend his unbeaten streak to 12 within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Edwards can move on from his rivalry with Usman, but his next challenge may already be looming: Colby Covington weighed in as an alternate for the main event and was tabbed by Dana White as the No. 1 contender in waiting.2. Kamaru Usman (20-3) | UFC [2]
Usman entered UFC 286 with the confidence of knowing he had won the majority of his rounds against Leon Edwards in their first two bouts. That all changed in London, as Edwards put together his best all-around performance in three meetings with “The Nigerian Nightmare” to capture a majority decision triumph in the evening’s welterweight championship headliner. After winning his first 15 UFC appearances, Usman will have to attempt to rebound from the first two-bout losing streak of his professional career in his next outing.3. Belal Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
Muhammad made a statement on May 6, winning a lopsided decision over former title challenger Gilbert Burns in the five-round co-main event of UFC 288 in Newark, New Jersey. For a time, “Remember the Name” became a bitterly appropriate handle for the 34-year-old Roufusport standout, as he compiled a 10-fight unbeaten streak before earning a title shot. Of course, that title now resides with the only man who owns a longer unbeaten streak in the division, Muhammad's onetime opponent Leon Edwards. The unfinished business of their March 2021 meeting, which ended in a no contest due to an inadvertent eye poke by Edwards just 18 seconds into Round 2, will apparently now be settled, with UFC gold on the table as well.4. Colby Covington (17-3) | UFC [4]
Covington’s grudge match against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 went exactly as one might expect, as “Chaos” relied on his relentless grappling to cruise to a unanimous verdict over his former American Top Team stablemate. Shortly thereafter, Covington’s rivalry with Masvidal spilled outside of the Octagon following an alleged assault in Miami in which “Gamebred” is accused of attacking his rival for talking about his kids. Covington did not fight again in 2022, but despite that inactivity, it appears he will be next in line to face reigning 170-pound king Leon Edwards.5. Khamzat Chimaev (12-0) | UFC [5]
Chimaev missed weight so badly ahead of UFC 279 that his headlining matchup with Nate Diaz was scrapped in favor of a 180-pound catchweight bout against Kevin Holland, which he dominated in the form of a first-round submission victory. In the aftermath, the Allstars Training Center representative showed no remorse for his troubles on the scales, but he’ll need to be more professional if he is to receive a welterweight title shot. Chimaev says he plans on competing at both 170 and 185 pounds going forward, and no matter where he fights, “Borz” figures to be a force with which to be reckoned as his career progresses.6. Gilbert Burns (22-6) | UFC [6]
Burns stepped up on short notice to take on Belal Muhammad in the co-main event of UFC 288 and came up short across five rounds. Worsening matters, “Durinho” appeared to be suffering from some sort of injury to his left arm that impaired his performance in the later rounds. Burns' cheerful willingness to take on the contenders that nobody wants to fight, including Khamzat Chimaev and now Muhammad, is admirable, but his own path back to another title shot is cloudier than ever.7. Yaroslav Amosov (27-0) | Bellator [7]
After a hiatus that lasted more than a year and a half, Amosov returned from defending his native Ukraine against Russian invasion to put on a masterclass against Logan Storley in the Bellator 291 headliner. “Dynamo” battered Storley with blistering multi-punch combinations, kicks to the legs and body and timely takedowns en route to a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. It was a far more decisive victory than his split verdict over Storley in their first meeting in November 2020, and by unifying the Bellator welterweight belt, Amosov left no doubt regarding the top 170-pound talent in the California-based promotion.8. Shavkat Rakhmonov (17-0) UFC [8]
Rakhmonov engaged in a slugfest with Geoff Neal for the better part of three rounds before locking in a standing rear-naked choke at the 4:17 mark of Round 3 during their encounter at UFC 285. The Kazakhstan native has finished all 17 of his professional opponents — including five in the UFC.9. Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) | UFC [9]
Thompson put on a striking showcase in the UFC on ESPN 42 main event, outdueling Kevin Holland over four rounds to force a corner stoppage at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 3. After struggling against the grappling of Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns in his last two outings, “Wonderboy” excelled against an opponent who was willing to engage on the karateka’s terms. Thompson will be paired with another striker next when he faces Michel Pereira at UFC 291.10. Sean Brady (15-1) | UFC [10]
Brady’s undefeated run came to an end at UFC 280 in a second-round technical knockout loss to Belal Muhammad in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22. The Philadelphia native was unable to ground his opponent, and as a result, he was eventually overwhelmed by Muhammad’s pressure and volume striking. Brady, who is still 5-1 in UFC competition, was forced to withdraw from a proposed booking against Michel Pereira at UFC on ESPN 43 due to a groin injury. He’ll now lock horns with Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290.Other Contenders: Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque, Michael Chiesa, Logan Storley, Jack Della Maddalena.
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