Welterweight
1. Georges St. Pierre (25-2)
St. Pierre emerged from a brutal five-rounder against Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 with his title reign intact by the slimmest of margins, two 48-47 scorecards allowing “Rush” to keep the belt which many fans and pundits believe he should have lost. Afterward, the longtime 170-pound ruler declared his intention to step away from the cage for an indefinite amount of time, citing personal issues.
2. Johny Hendricks (15-2)
Hendricks’ heavy hands and powerful wrestling base came through as advertised at UFC 167, giving longtime welterweight ace Georges St. Pierre all he could handle across 25 minutes. His performance was not enough to persuade the judges to crown a new champion, however, and GSP’s hiatus announcement after the bout put an immediate halt to any talk of an immediate rematch.
3. Carlos Condit (29-7)
At UFC Fight Night 27, Condit avenged the loss that occurred in his promotional debut and also authored one of the finest performances of his career to date, scoring a fourth-round technical knockout over Martin Kampmann. Before he can climb back into title contention, “The Natural Born Killer” must dispatch Matt Brown in what is sure to be a violence lover’s delight at UFC on Fox 9 in December.
4. Robbie Lawler (22-9, 1 NC)
After a spotty middleweight run in Strikeforce, the “Ruthless” one has looked positively reinvigorated in the UFC welterweight division. Lawler began the year with knockouts of Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker, and he capped it with a sensational outing against Rory MacDonald at UFC 167 which netted Lawler a split decision win and a spot in the top 10.
5. Rory MacDonald (15-2)
MacDonald played it safe against heavy hitter Jake Ellenberger in their July encounter and came out with a unanimous decision. He could not repeat the feat against slugger Robbie Lawler, as the veteran bombed MacDonald and surged past the young Canadian in the third round of their UFC 167 meeting.
6. Ben Askren (12-0)
Askren’s style may never please everyone, but the “Funky” one proved once again at Bellator 97 that few opponents can handle his wrestling, as he overwhelmed Andrey Koreshkov en route to a fourth-round stoppage; it was his ninth straight win in the promotion. Askren’s welterweight reign in Bellator is now a thing of the past, however, as he was recently released by the organization for which he has competed since May 2010.
7. Jake Shields (29-6-1, 1 NC)
It is rarely pretty, but Shields knows how to get the job done on fight night. The Cesar Gracie pupil earned his second consecutive welterweight triumph by taking a grueling, five-round split verdict over Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night 29. Like his previous victory over Tyron Woodley at UFC 161, Shields did little to please the crowd in victory. However, his status as one of the division’s most difficult outs cannot be denied.
8. Demian Maia (18-4)
After posting impressive triumphs against Dong Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch to begin his UFC welterweight tenure, the Brazilian’s run of success came to an end against Jake Shields at UFC Fight Night 29. For five grueling rounds, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace was outgrappled and outmaneuvered by the former Strikeforce champion, as he ultimately dropped a disappointing split decision on his home soil.
9. Jake Ellenberger (29-7)
Ellenberger talked a good game in the weeks leading up to his UFC on Fox 8 showdown with Rory MacDonald, but come fight night, the Nebraskan’s ominous promises of violence never materialized. Stuck on the end of the talented Canadian’s jab, “The Juggernaut” struggled to unleash his renowned knockout power, landing just 19 significant strikes in a disappointing, unanimous verdict defeat. With losses in two of his last four bouts, Ellenberger will attempt to right his ship against former Strikeforce ruler Tarec Saffiedine in January.
10. Matt Brown (18-11)
Less than three years ago, Brown was on the verge of losing his spot in the UFC after being submitted in three consecutive fights. Since then, “The Immortal” has staged a remarkable career comeback, stringing together a six-fight winning streak against dangerous opponents like Mike Swick, Mike Pyle and Jordan Mein. Brown will get the chance to shed the gatekeeper label once and for all when he faces former interim titlist Carlos Condit on Dec. 14.
Other contenders:
Steve Carl, Jon Fitch, Martin Kampmann, Tarec Saffiedine, Tyron Woodley.Continue Reading » MMA Lightweight Rankings