Welterweight
1. Robbie Lawler (25-10, 1 NC)
In a fight just as closely contested as their first, Lawler prevailed over Johny Hendricks in a five-round championship rematch at UFC 181, as the “Ruthless” veteran finally captured UFC gold after 13 years as a mixed martial artist. Lawler is now 6-1 in his second Octagon run -- a stint marked by brutal knockouts and hard-nosed victories against the likes of Rory MacDonald, Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger.2. Johny Hendricks (16-3)
Hendricks faded down the stretch in his rematch with Robbie Lawler at UFC 181, and it cost the “Bigg Rigg” his belt. While many fans and pundits believed Hendricks did enough to eke out a victory, the 31-year-old dropped a split decision to Lawler after five rounds, suffering his second loss in three fights after a six-fight winning streak led him into title contention. Hendricks will try to earn a rubber match with Lawler when he takes on Matt Brown at UFC 185 on March 14.3. Rory MacDonald (18-2)
MacDonald capped an outstanding 2014 campaign on Oct. 4 with a punishing third-round knockout of former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine. The 25-year-old Canadian believes he should be next in line for a title shot, and with wins over Saffiedine, Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia in the last eight months, it is a hard claim to deny. However, MacDonald will need to clear another hurdle before vying for the belt, as the “Red King” is set to face Hector Lombard on April 25 in Montreal.4. Tyron Woodley (14-3)
Woodley fought off his back foot for most of his three-round encounter with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 183, but a steady diet of big right hands helped “The Chosen One” earn a split decision against his overweight opponent. The win was Woodley’s second straight since having his title hopes derailed in a unanimous decision loss to Rory MacDonald in June.5. Hector Lombard (35-4-1, 1 NC)
The hard-hitting Cuban took a measured approach against famously durable veteran Josh Burkman at UFC 182, but Lombard impressed nonetheless. Walking down Burkman for the better part of 15 minutes, “Showeather” connected with blasting punches and leg kicks before turning his attention to ground work in the final frame. The former Bellator titlist will take on fellow contender Rory MacDonald at UFC 186 in April.6. Carlos Condit (29-8)
Condit missed out on a December 2013 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” remains sidelined following surgery to repair a torn ACL but recently revealed plans for a May return.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. The Ohioan will return to action against ex-champ Johny Hendricks on March 14 at UFC 185.8. Ben Askren (14-0)
Askren added another belt to his collection on Aug. 29, as the former Bellator welterweight ace claimed the 170-pound title in One Fighting Championship with an 84-second decimation of Nobutatsu Suzuki. Unbeaten in 14 fights and rapidly shedding the “blanket” reputation which once plagued him, Askren currently sits poised as the most dangerous 170-pounder outside of the UFC. The Roufusport fighter will put his title on the line against 70-fight veteran Luis “Sapo” Santos in April.9. Jake Shields (31-7-1, 1 NC)
Shields has made it look easy in his first two bouts with new promoter World Series of Fighting. After forcing Ryan Ford to submit to a rear-naked choke in October, the American jiu-jitsu practitioner took out Brian Foster with a first-round neck crank at WSOF 17 in January. The latter win earned Shields a future shot at reigning WSOF welterweight champ and fellow submission specialist Rousimar Palhares.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. Maia will return from an injury-induced 10-month hiatus against unbeaten Ryan LaFlare on March 21 in Rio de Janeiro.Other Contenders: Kelvin Gastelum, Dong Hyun Kim, Douglas Lima, Rousimar Palhares, Rick Story.
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