MMA Rankings > UFC Welterweight Rankings

UFC Welterweight Division Rankings

A review and ranking of the UFC's 170-pound Welterweight division - March 2010 Update

Without a doubt one of the strongest weight classes in terms of pound for pound talent in the world of mixed martial arts, the UFC’s 170lb division is teeming with a pool of dynamic wrestler/striker hybrids whose skills are augmented by their extreme athleticism. While current champion Georges St-Pierre is considered to be one of the best fighters in the world today, many names on this list have challenged him in the past and may challenge him in the future. Also be sure to see our MMA Welterweight rankings as we take a look at the top 170 pound fighters in the UFC and other MMA organizations across the globe.

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Georges St-Pierre handed Jon Fitch his lone loss in 12 UFC fights at UFC 87 in August 2008, but Fitch told Pro Fighting Fans that he's "a better fighter" than GSP today.

1. Georges St-Pierre – (21-2; 13-2 UFC) – The longtime UFC welterweight champion is getting close to cleaning out his division. First capturing the title at UFC 65 in 2006, “Rush” was knocked out in his very next bout courtesy of a hard right by Matt Serra. He worked his way back up the ladder reclaiming the title at UFC 79 in 2007 and defending it four times. He will make his fifth title defense against Dan Hardy atop the UFC 111 fight card in March.

2. Jon Fitch – (21-3-1; 11-1 UFC) – After debuting as a middleweight, Fitch dropped a weight class and has seen nothing but success. He won his first seven 170-pound bouts, including a UFC 76 fight with Diego Sanchez, to earn a title shot with GSP. He fell to GSP @ UFC 87 but has put together three consecutive victories since. His most recent bout was a UFC 107 match with Mike Pierce, which he won via unanimous decision. He is scheduled to fight Thiago Alves at UFC 111 in March in a bout that is likely for a number one contender slot.

3. Thiago Alves – (16-6; 9-3 UFC) – “The Pit Bull” had a rocky start to his UFC career by beginning 2-2. Seven straight victories followed his mediocre start landing him a title opportunity against GSP. Although he took the champ all five rounds, he was defeated via unanimous decision at the historic UFC 100 in July. Alves will get a chance to revenge one of his three organizational losses when he meets Jon Fitch at UFC 111, this time with a number one contender position on the line.

4. Dan Hardy – (24-6-1; 4-0 UFC) – Hardy compiled a solid career while fighting in England for a variety of well-known promotions. He brought his game to the UFC in the fall of 2008 at UFC 89 earning a split decision victory over Akihiro Gono surprising many in the fighting business in the process. Victories over Rory Markham, Marcus Davis, and Mike Swick followed making the next logical step a big one. He will face champion GSP at UFC 111 in March for the 170-pound title belt.

5. Paulo Thiago – (13-1; 3-1 UFC) – This special operations police officer in his homeland of Brazil has carved up a profitable career in the octagon. Thiago has shown surprising stand-up skills in his victories over Josh Koscheck, which also earned him a KO of the Night bonus, and Jacob Volkmann. He also showed superior ground skills after his most recent bout at UFC 109 this February in a Submission of the Night performance against Mike Swick. His only loss in the organization came last July at UFC 100 losing to Jon Fitch via decision.

6. Josh Koscheck – (16-4; 12-4 UFC) – A product of The Ultimate Fighter, Koscheck has developed into a certifiable star. Koscheck has proven that he will not back down from anyone at anytime. After losing two of three from October 2008 through February 2009, he has since bounced back with a pair of stoppage victories. He used his power to KO Frank Trigg at UFC 103 in September and his ground skills to submit Anthony Johnson at UFC 106 in November. He will fight Paul Daley on the UFC 113 fight card in Montreal this May.

7. Paul Daley – (23-8-2; 2-0 UFC) – After successful stops in Cage Rage, Strikeforce, and Elite XC, Daley joined the UFC in 2009. He came into the organization with high expectations and has lived up to them so far. At UFC 103 in September, Daley took out Martin Kampmann via 1st round TKO. He earned another stoppage at UFC 108 in January via 1st round KO over Dustin Hazelett. If Daley can get by Josh Koscheck at UFC 113 in May, he may be considered the top contender in the division.

8. Matt Hughes – (43-7; 16-5 UFC) – Hughes won his first welterweight title at UFC 32 in 2001 by beating Carlos Newton. He piled up victories in the octagon over the next nine years against some of the best mixed martial artists including Sean Sherk, Georges St-Pierre, Frank Trigg, and Royce Gracie to name a few. He defeated Matt Serra at UFC 98 last May in his most recent match. He has an intriguing fight lined up on the UFC 112 fight card this April against Renzo Gracie.

9. Matt Serra – (10-6; 7-6 UFC) – Serra came out of The Ultimate Fighter 4 “Comeback” season re-energized. He stole the belt from GSP at UFC 69 in April 2007, and even though he held the belt for only one year, can still consider himself a former world champion. He was considered finished when he was defeated by Matt Hughes in a close decision loss at UFC 98, however he showed otherwise at UFC 109. He stopped Frank Trigg via 1st round TKO while earning Knockout of the Night honors and placing himself back in the mix for welterweight gold.

10. Diego Sanchez – (21-3; 10-3 UFC) – “The Nightmare” has jumped between the middleweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions since he was welcomed into the organization in 2005 by winning The Ultimate Fighter 1. His lightweight stint ended after losing a title bout to BJ Penn at UFC 107 in December. He has decided to return to the welterweight division against John Hathaway at UFC 112 in April.

Look for Top Ten UFC Rankings to be up the first week of every month from here on out, exclusively on ProFighting-fans.com.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer

Published March 2010
Photo used with permission from the UFC

UFC Welterweight Division Rankings

A review and ranking of the UFC's 170-pound Welterweight division - March 2010 Update

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