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Welterweight
1. LeonEdwards (22-3, 1 NC) | UFC [1]
“Rocky” put on a vintage performance, for better or worse, at UFC296. For all the sound and fury promised by the public build-upbetween Edwards and challenger Colby Covington, the actual fightwas a straightforward affair, lacking any of the eye-popping dramaof Edwards’ pair of fights against Kamaru Usman. Instead, the champforced Covington into the sort of mid-paced kickboxing match thatcharacterized Edwards’ long rise to the top of the division, on hisway to winning the first four rounds on all judges’ scorecards.While Edwards’ second title defense is unlikely to have earned himmany new fans, it was a dominant showing against a veteranchallenger. Edwards’ next defense will come in the form ofunfinished business against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.
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2. KamaruUsman (20-4) | UFC [2]
Despite taking the fight on less than two weeks’ notice, Usman hada strong showing in his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaevat UFC 294, ultimately falling via majority decision in theevening’s co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Despite hisbest efforts, “The Nigerian Nightmare” couldn’t overcome a strongstart from his opponent, and he lost his third consecutive Octagonappearance. Usman’s next move figures to be intriguing: Will heremain at 185 pounds or return to welterweight, where he enjoyed alengthy reign as champion.
3. BelalMuhammad (23-3, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
Muhammad made a statement on May 6, winning a lopsided decisionover former title challenger Gilbert Burns in the five-roundco-main event of UFC 288 in Newark, New Jersey. For a time,“Remember the Name” became a bitterly appropriate handle for the34-year-old Roufusport standout, as he compiled a 10-fight unbeatenstreak before earning a title shot. Of course, that title nowresides with the only man who owns a longer unbeaten streak in thedivision, Muhammad's onetime opponent Leon Edwards. The unfinishedbusiness of their March 2021 meeting, which ended in a no contestdue to an inadvertent eye poke by Edwards just 18 seconds intoRound 2, will be settled in the UFC 304 headliner on June 27.
4. ShavkatRakhmonov (18-0) | UFC [4]
Rakhmonov put on yet another dominant performance at UFC 296,smothering and suffocating Stephen Thompson for most of two roundsbefore closing things out with a rear-naked choke late in thesecond. The throttling of “Wonderboy” marks the 18th finish in asmany outings for the man from Kazakhstan, and while the soft-spokenkiller has been slow to demand a title shot, he pointed out hisrésumé in the wake of his most recent win, and UFC matchmakers mayend up granting his wish in 2024.
5. RamazanKuramagomedov (13-0) Bellator [5]
Kuramagomedov made a statement at Bellator Champions Series Dublin,banking three rounds on the scorecards and then holding on for aunanimous decision triumph over Jason Jackson in the evening’s mainevent at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on June 22. By endingJackson’s eight-fight winning streak, the Dagestani capturedwelterweight gold at the age of 27. The American Top Team productwas able to blend striking and wrestling well enough to keep hisopponent off balance for 15 minutes, though his late fade could bea concern in future title defenses.
6. JasonJackson (18-5) | Bellator [6]
It was a case of too little, too late for Jackson at BellatorChampions Series Dublin. After struggling through the first threerounds against Ramazan Kuramagomedov, “The Ass Kicking Machine”resorted to his wrestling over the final 10 minutes. While thatallowed him to make the fight much close, his repeated chokeattempts were unsuccessful against a defensively sound opponent. Inaddition to relinquishing the Bellator welterweight stap, Jacksonsees an eight-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.
7. JackDella Maddalena (17-2) | UFC [7]
Down two rounds on the scorecards, Della Maddalena showed theappropriate sense of urgency in the third round of his fightagainst Gilbert Burns at UFC 299, as he rallied for a latetechnical knockout victory. Maddalena has won seven straight in UFCcompetition — and 17 in a row overall. After his latest triumph,the Aussie striker called out the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmanov fora title eliminator at 170 pounds.
8. YaroslavAmosov (27-1) | Bellator [8]
Heading into the Bellator 301 main event, Amosov looked like one ofthe California-based promotion’s most dominant champions. That allchanged against Jason Jackson, as the Ukraine native struggled toimplement his wrestling and was outgunned on the feet in athird-round TKO defeat. At just 30 years old, “Dynamo” should haveplenty of time to bounce back from what was one of the moresurprising results of 2023.
9. GilbertBurns (22-7) | UFC [9]
Burns appeared to be on his way to a decision triumph against JackDella Maddalena at UFC 299, but that all changed when “Durinho” atea knee from his opponent in the third frame. From there, Burnssuccumbed to ground-and-pound from his Aussie opponent for atechnical knockout loss at the 3:43 mark of Round 3. The37-year-old Brazilian has lost two straight fights for the firsttime in his professional career.
10. Ian Garry(15-0) UFC [10]
While it wasn’t a thrilling performance, Garry displayed a highfight IQ by using his grappling to outpoint Michael Page at UFC 303on June 29 in Las Vegas. The Irishman known as “The Future” hasracked up eight consecutive triumphs within the promotion, thoughrecent outings have done little to raise his profile. Still, if hecontinues to win, it will be hard to deny Garry his place among thedivision’s elite.
Other Contenders: ColbyCovington, StephenThompson, Sean Brady,GeoffNeal, MagomedMagomedkerimov. Jump To »
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