MMA Fighter Rankings: Welterweight
On the first Wednesday of every month, theScore's MMA editors compile a list of the top 10 fighters in each of the major weight classes.
Rankings
Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight
Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Featherweight
Bantamweight | Flyweight
Women: Bantamweight | Strawweight
Welterweight
| Ranking | Fighter |
|---|---|
| 1 | Robbie Lawler |
| 2 | Johny Hendricks |
| 3 | Rory MacDonald |
| 4 | Tyron Woodley |
| 5 | Carlos Condit |
| 6 | Hector Lombard |
| 7 | Matt Brown |
| 8 | Rousimar Palhares |
| 9 | Ben Askren |
| 10 | Demian Maia |
- The king stayed the King at UFC 189, as Robbie Lawler retained the welterweight title in a scintillating, face-destroying war of attrition against Rory MacDonald.
- As for what's next for Lawler, a bout with Carlos Condit is rumored to be on deck. The aptly nicknamed "Natural Born Killer" chased Thiago Alves to the lightweight division with a nose-mashing TKO in May after missing 14 months with an ACL injury.
- Unimpressed with the UFC's rumored decision to anoint Condit the next contender, former champion Johny Hendricks has been the subject of rumors of his own, with many linking him to a bout with fellow former collegiate wrestling standout Tyron Woodley.
- Matt Brown solidified his place among the division's almost-elite at UFC 189, emerging victorious against Tim Means in one of the most exciting one-round fights of the year.
- In a bout shrouded in controversy, Rousimar Palhares retained the WSOF welterweight title with a foul-filled submission victory over Jake Shields. Palhares gouged Shields' eyes multiple times, and held the fight-ending kimura for too long after Shields had already tapped.