Welterweight
1. Johny Hendricks (16-2)
Hendricks battled tooth-and-nail for five rounds with Robbie Lawler at UFC 171, where the Oklahoman’s determination and conditioning earned him the vacant UFC welterweight title. “Bigg Rigg” has now won seven of eight fights in the last three years, his lone loss coming against absent ruler Georges St. Pierre. Currently on the mend following biceps and shin surgeries, Hendricks is expected to return in early 2015 for a rematch with Lawler.2. Robbie Lawler (24-10, 1 NC)
It did not take long for Lawler to once again become the UFC’s top welterweight contender; in truth, he never vacated the spot. Only four months after dropping a hard-fought, five-round decision to Johny Hendricks, the 32-year-old American Top Team fighter has collected wins over Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger. Those victories put Lawler in line for a rematch with Hendricks once the champion heals.3. Rory MacDonald (17-2)
After drawing criticism for his conservative performances in recent fights, MacDonald roared back with a sensational showing at UFC 174. “Ares” pitched a virtual shutout against Tyron Woodley, forcing the powerful wrestler to fight with his back to the fence while MacDonald picked him apart with jabs and kicks. MacDonald will look to capture another significant win when he meets ex-Strikeforce champ Tarec Saffiedine in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Oct. 4.4. Tyron Woodley (13-3)
After a forgettable performance against Rory MacDonald at UFC 174, Woodley returned to top form on Aug. 23 in Macau, China. There, the American Top Team standout stepped in for the injured Hector Lombard and wrecked South Korean judoka Dong Hyun Kim with a counter right hand and follow-up punches, finishing their co-main event clash in just 61 seconds.5. Carlos Condit (29-8)
Condit missed out on a December bout with Matt Brown and then was handed an equally tough task in Tyron Woodley at UFC 171. Despite an exciting start to the fight, Condit’s leg gave out midway through the second round, putting an end to any immediate title hopes and giving Condit his third defeat in four fights. “The Natural Born Killer” has since undergone surgery to repair a torn ACL.6. Hector Lombard (34-4-1, 1 NC)
The blistering speed and powerful punches for which Lombard is known were on full display in the first round of his bout with Jake Shields at UFC 171. As the fight wore on, however, the judo specialist implemented throws, trips and submission defense to outwork Shields in a 15-minute unanimous decision. An injury forced “Lightning” to withdraw from a pivotal clash against Dong Hyun Kim at UFC Fight Night in Macau on Aug. 23.7. Matt Brown (19-12)
Brown’s storybook resurgence reached its first road block when he ran up against Robbie Lawler on July 26 in San Jose, Calif. “The Immortal” was outgunned by Lawler in a five-round slobber-knocker, ending Brown’s impressive winning streak at seven.8. Ben Askren (13-0)
The former Bellator MMA welterweight champion began another chapter in his career with a May 30 submission of overmatched Bakhtiyar Abbasov in his new home promotion, One Fighting Championship. Askren continues to troll UFC President Dana White and 170-pound ace Johny Hendricks on Twitter as he prepares for an Aug. 29 One FC title bout against Japanese knockout artist Nobutatsu Suzuki.9. Jake Shields (29-7-1, 1 NC)
It did not take the World Series of Fighting long to make Shields an offer after the grappling ace was surprisingly released from his UFC contract in March. Shields was supposed to make his promotional debut against Jon Fitch at WSOF 11, but an injury to the former Strikeforce champion ruined those plans. Instead, Shields will head to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to face hometown hero Ryan Ford in the main event of WSOF 14.10. Demian Maia (19-6)
Maia got his up-and-down run in the UFC welterweight division back on track with a one-sided victory against Alexander Yakovlev at “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” Finale. The grappling ace from Wand Fight Team dominated his Russian opponent for 15 minutes to snap a two-fight losing skid and keep his spot amongst the 170-pound elite. However, an injury has since forced Maia to withdraw from an Aug. 23 pairing with Mike Pyle.Other Contenders: Jake Ellenberger, Dong Hyun Kim, Douglas Lima, Jordan Mein, Tarec Saffiedine.
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