Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Welterweight

1. Kamaru Usman (15-1)

Even those who predicted victory for Usman couldn’t have imagined “The Nigerian Nightmare” being as dominant as he was against Tyron Woodley at UFC 235. Usman claimed the welterweight throne on the strength of five dominant rounds against Woodley, overwhelming his opponent with wrestling, clinch work and top control. In fact, Usman probably deserved more 10-8 scorecards than he received. Nonetheless, Usman has hardware for his trophy case and an ongoing 10-fight winning streak. Usman is targeting a fall return to the Octagon as he recovers from a March surgery that repaired a double hernia.

2. Tyron Woodley (19-5-1)

For a man laying claim to the welterweight “GOAT” title coming in, UFC 235 was a cold dose of of reality for Woodley. “The Chosen One” was overwhelmed from the outset against Kamaru Usman, as he was dominated from bell to bell in the evening’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Once he was unable to land his powerful right hand, Woodley had no other answers for his opponent, and his wrestling was surprisingly no match for “The Nigerian Nightmare.” The ex-champ was supposed to face Robbie Lawler in a rematch at UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

3. Colby Covington (14-1)

Love him or hate him, Covington is not going anywhere. The American Top Team representative claimed interim welterweight gold at UFC 225, taking a hard-earned five-round verdict over Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event. The victory presumably set up a title unification bout against reigning 170-pound king Tyron Woodley, but Covington was stripped of the interim crown after electing to undergo sinus surgery. In a surprising turn of events, Covington accepted a fight with Robbie Lawler at UFC Newark rather than wait for reigning champion Kamaru Usman to return to full health.

4. Jorge Masvidal (34-13)

Masvidal sent an emphatic message to the rest of the division at UFC 239, when he knocked out Ben Askren in a promotion-record five seconds. After back-to-back quick stoppages of Askren and Darren Till, “Gamebred’s” stock has never been higher than it is now. Whether it’s enough to warrant a title shot next remains to be seen, but Masvidal is nonetheless due for another high-profile opponent in his next outing.

5. Rafael dos Anjos (29-11)

Dos Anjos struggled against wrestlers in back-to-back losses against Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, but the Brazilian had no such issues with Kevin Lee in the UFC Rochester headliner on May 18. Dos Anjos held his own in the wrestling department, landing four takedowns to his opponent’s six. More importantly, he wore Lee down en route to a fourth-round submission victory. Now 4-2 at 170 pounds in the Las Vegas-based promotion, the ex-lightweight king will headline UFC San Antonio against Leon Edwards on July 20.

6.Ben Askren (19-1)

Askren wasn’t likely to remain unbeaten forever, but few could have predicted that his first defeat would come in record time. The decorated wrestler met a quick demise against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239, falling victim to a flying knee and two follow-up punches in just five seconds. After earning a questionable victory over Robbie Lawler in his Octagon debut, the former Bellator champion has some work to do to be regarded among the top contenders in the division.

7. Robbie Lawler (28-13)

Lawler’s loss to Ben Askren comes with an asterisk, as it appeared that the former welterweight champion was not unconscious from his opponent’s choke when referee Herb Dean halted their fight at UFC 235. Prior to that, “Ruthless” nearly finished the Askren, slamming his foe following an initial takedown attempt before dropping brutal ground-and-pound. As things currently stand, Lawler has technically lost three of his last four UFC bouts but appears to still have plenty left in the tank. Lawler was slated to rematch Tyron Woodley at UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis, but “Ruthless” elected not to remain on the card after his opponent withdrew due to injury. Instead, Lawler will square off against ex-interim champ Colby Covington in the UFC Newark main event on Aug. 3.

8. Rory MacDonald (21-5-1)

MacDonald had plenty of questions to answer after an uninspiring majority draw against Jon Fitch allowed him to advance to the semifinals of Bellator’s welterweight grand prix. The UFC veteran’s post-fight interview, where he seemed to express a lack of desire to compete, only furthered speculation that “The Red King’s” best days were behind him. However, MacDonald quelled some of those concerns with a relatively convincing unanimous verdict over the previously unbeaten Neiman Gracie at Bellator 222. Next, he will advance to the 170-pound finals to face Douglas Lima, who he previously defeated at Bellator 192.

9. Douglas Lima (31-7)

Lima ended the hype surrounding flamboyant British striker Michael Page in emphatic fashion, defeating Venom via first-round knockout at Bellator 221. Not only did Lima end Page’s unbeaten run, but he punched his ticket to the finals of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix. Lima will now await a rematch with reigning 170-pound king Rory MacDonald.

10. Darren Till (17-2-1)

Till had a meteoric rise to title contention in the UFC, but his fall has been quite steep in recent months. After being submitted by Tyron Woodley in a title bout at UFC 228, “The Gorilla” returned to home soil to suffer a knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal in the UFC London main event on March 16. Considering the contentious nature of his win over Stephen Thompson in May 2018, Till could very well be on a three-fight losing streak right now. The future could prove interesting for the Liverpool native, as he has contemplated a move to 185 pounds in the past.

Other Contenders: Santiago Ponzinibbio, Leon Edwards, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Anthony Pettis, Stephen Thompson.

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