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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 will move on from his rivalry with Usman for a main-event clash against Colby Covington at UFC 296.2. Kamaru Usman (20-4) | UFC [2]
Despite taking the fight on less than two weeks’ notice, Usman had a strong showing in his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, ultimately falling via majority decision in the evening’s co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Despite his best efforts, “The Nigerian Nightmare” couldn’t overcome a strong start from his opponent, and he lost his third consecutive Octagon appearance. Usman’s next move figures to be intriguing: Will he remain at 185 pounds or return to welterweight, where he enjoyed a lengthy reign as champion.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, won’t be settled until after Edwards faces Colby Covington at UFC 296.4. 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, he will get a shot at 170-pound gold when he faces Leon Edwards in the UFC 296 main event.5. Gilbert Burns (22-6) | UFC [5 ]
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.6. Jason Jackson (17-4) Bellator [6]
“The Ass Kicking Machine” lived up to his moniker in the Bellator 301 headliner, as he ended Yaroslav Amosov’s 27-fight professional winning streak with a third-round technical knockout victory at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The newly-crowned Bellator welterweight champion made it look suprisingly easy as he denied his opponent’s takedown attempts while punishing Amosov with his boxing during exchanges. The 33-year-old Kill Cliff representative has won seven consecutive fights, a run that includes notable victories over the likes of Amosov, Douglas Lima, Paul Daley, Neiman Gracie and Benson Henderson.7. Yaroslav Amosov (27-1) | Bellator [7]
Heading into the Bellator 301 main event, Amosov looked like one of the California-based promotion’s most dominant champions. That all changed against Jason Jackson, as the Ukraine native struggled to implement his wrestling and was outgunned on the feet in a third-round TKO defeat. At just 30 years old, “Dynamo” should have plenty of time to bounce back from what was one of the more surprising results of 2023.8. 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. He was supposed to welcome Kelvin Gastelum back to 170 pounds on Sept. 16, but an injury forced his opponent to withdraw from the fight. Instead, Rakhmonov will meet Stephen Thompson at UFC 296.9. Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) | UFC [9]
Thompson had been scheduled to face Michel Pereira on July 29, on the main card of UFC 291, but after Pereira missed weight by three pounds, “Wonderboy” declined to meet him at a catchweight, citing his own previous experience with overweight foes. That stand, however principled, unfortunately means a little more shelf time at a career juncture at which the 40-year-old Thompson can least afford it. After that debacle delayed his return, Thompson will face a tough test in the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296.10. Sean Brady (16-1) | UFC [10]
Brady made sure Kelvin Gastelum had a rough return to 170 pounds, winning via third-round submission in a featured clash at UFC Austin on Dec. 2. After dominating the majority of the fight through takedowns and control, the Renzo Gracie Philly product elicited a tap with a kimura in the third stanza. In his first appearance in more than a year, Brady bounced back from his first career defeat against Belal Muhammad and kept himself relevant in the welterweight division.Other Contenders: Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque, Magomed Magomedkerimov, Jack Della Maddalena, Kevin Holland.
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