The welterweight division in the UFC is a weight class that groups fighters within 156 to 170 lbs. On December 16, UFC’s Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards defended his title against Colby Covington. This was his second defense of the championship. In the history of MMA, there have been many quality champions and fighters in the Welterweight division. Let’s have a look at the 10 best fighters in this division in MMA history.
10. B.J. Penn
B.J. Penn is considered one of the greatest lightweights of all time. He had only two victories in the Welterweight division during his UFC career, but he won the title on his UFC debut by defeating Matt Hughes. Unfortunately, Penn was never able to defend the Welterweight title because he was stripped of the championship by the promotion after a contract dispute. He wasn’t the best welterweight statistically, but his win against Matt Hughes at UFC 46 is definitely a remarkable one.
9. Colby Covington
Colby Covington made his MMA debut in 2012 and has been rising in the sport since then. On June 9, 2018, Covington won the Interim UFC Welterweight title by defeating Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225. However, he was stripped of the title due to an injury. “Chaos” challenged Kamaru Usman for the Welterweight title twice but lost both times. His professional MMA record is 17 wins and 4 losses. Covington has notable wins over former champions like Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler and Rafael.
8. Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz is one of the most entertaining fighters to ever compete in MMA. He made his MMA debut in 2001 and went on to win the first four bouts. Diaz entered the UFC in 2004 and defeated Jeremy Jackson and Robbie Lawler in his first two bouts. He faced several tough opponents, like Sean Sherk, Joe Riggs and Deigo Sanchez, who gave him defeats. “Diablo” left UFC in 2007 and joined PRIDE, where he defeated Takanori Gomi in his debut, who was the lightweight champion at the time. Diaz went 12-1 before rejoining the UFC. In his second run, Nick defeated BJ Penn before facing Carlos Condit, who won a controversial decision.
7. Pat Miletich
Pat Miletich was the first ever UFC Welterweight Champion. He dominated this division in the initial days of the sport. The Hall of Famer started his MMA career in 1995 and went to win 15 fights before losing to Matt Hume due to a doctor’s stoppage. After suffering his first loss, “The Croatian Sensation” won his next eight fights and captured the Welterweight title in the process. He defended the title four times. Pat was a submission specialist and got 16 of his 29 wins via submissions.
6. Tyron Woodley
Woodley made his professional MMA debut in 2009 and had an amazing run in Strikeforce. Woodley suffered his first professional loss to Nate Marquardt, but after this, he went 4-2 by defeating Josh Koscheck and Dong Hyun Kim. When “The Chosen One” earned his title shot against Robbie Lawler at UFC 201, he gave his best performance and won the fight via knockout in the first round. Woodley defended his title three times before losing it to Kamaru Usman.
5. Robbie Lawler
Robbie made a great start in his MMA career and entered the UFC in 2002. Initially, he was a Middleweight and during his second run with the UFC, Lawler moved to the Welterweight division and won three consecutive fights. This winning streak led “Ruthless” to a title shot against Johnny Hendricks, which he lost. But after defeating Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown, he got another chance against Hendricks and this time he won and captured the Welterweight title. Robbie Lawler is the only fighter in MMA history to win three consecutive Fight of the Year awards.
4. Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman is an incredible fighter who entered the UFC in 2015. He won the Welterweight title by defeating Tyron Woodley and defended it five times. He is definitely one of the greatest champions in the division’s history. During his title reign, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has eliminated his opponents in a violent fashion. He was undefeated in the promotion from 2015–2021.
3. Leon Edwards
The current UFC Welterweight Champion, Leon Edwards, is a phenomenal fighter and has been undefeated since 2016. Edwards has defeated longtime title holder Kamaru Usman twice. On his way to the title, “Rocky” defeated Nate Diaz, Vicente Luque and former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. His recent title defense came against Colby Covington, whom he defeated via unanimous decision.
2. Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes has had an amazing and great MMA career. He started his career with an impressive 8-1 record before entering the UFC. Hughes made his UFC debut in 2001 and won the Welterweight Championship by defeating Carlos Newton at UFC 38. He defended his title five times before losing it to B.J. Penn. Matt then again became the Welterweight champion in 2005 and scored victories over fighters like Frank Trigg, B.J. Penn and Royce Gracie.
1. George St-Pierre
George St-Pierre is not only the best fighter in the Welterweight division but also one of the greatest fighters to fight in the UFC octagon. He won the Welterweight title twice and made nine defenses during his second run. He never lost the title until his retirement. During his MMA career, GSP suffered only two losses, one against Matt Hughes and the other against Matt Serra. However, he avenged both his losses in a dominating manner in the rematch with both his rivals.
Also Read: 10 Best Heavyweight Fighters In The History Of MMA
