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411 MMA Rankings 05.10.16: Welterweight Division
There were either two schools of thought when Georges St. Pierre stepped away from MMA at the end of 2013 – 1) any interest in the welterweight division would dissipate dramatically or 2) his absence would allow an assortment of new challengers to emerge. Clearly, the second line of thought came to fruition and all you need to do is check out the latest 411 MMA Rankings to get a clear picture.
Obviously in 2013, no one could have imagined Robbie Lawler would not only become the UFC champion but would be the winner in several fight of the year candidates. He has turned into a walking highlight reel and all this has been done north of 30-years-old with a man who debuted professionally when he was 18! This summer, Lawler will look to defend his title for the third time when he fights one of his leading challengers, Tyron Woodley. Woodley is less than three weeks younger than the champion and has never held a championship in MMA. He was at one point considered the eventual successor to the crown in Strikeforce but suffered his first loss against Nate Marquardt when the gold was on the line in 2012. After that fight, he moved to the UFC and despite two decision losses, has turned into one of the more dangerous welterweights thanks to his combination of power and wrestling.
Meanwhile, Stephen Thompson, who has knocked out Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks in the time that Woodley has been on the sidelines, will have to stop Rory MacDonald if he’s to get the next title fight. It’s one of the more intriguing questions of the spring, in what shape will Rory be in after UFC 189 last summer? He has not fought since the incredible fight with Lawler that saw MacDonald taken to his wits end and had people afterward acknowledging that such a fight goes a long way in taking its toll on the future of a fighter in their prime. Almost one year since then, Rory (if you’re talking about uncrowned welterweight champions or hype, he’s up there just like Woodley) needs to have an impressive showing to avoid all the negative talk. Sure, he’s still just 26 and technically one of the most skilled fighters in the sport, but fighters like Thompson are not waiting idly by.
Speaking of fresh names staking their claim top welterweights, Bellator champion Andrey Koreshkov dominated Benson Henderson last month in the latter’s debut. Henderson had been one of the most consistent fighters in the UFC at lightweight or welterweight but it was the Russian who controlled all five rounds and had Henderson incapable of mounting significant offense the whole time.
411’s MMA Ranking Rules
– Which fighters are eligible for these rankings? They must meet the following qualifications: fight at least once in the past 365 days or if they have not, be officially scheduled for an upcoming fight.
– A fighter serving a disciplinary suspension will not be ranked. They can return when they have served their suspension or in the event it is rescinded. This includes fighters who may disregard their suspension locally to fight overseas.
– If a fighter appears on just one single ballot, and in the top ten, five points will be deducted to balance between other fighters who may be ranked lower, but appear on a greater amount of ballots.
– Want to complain about a fighter’s ranking in the comments section? Please include an objective reason why you despise the list, and try your best to bring the rest of us to your way of thinking.
411’s Official MMA Rankings
Welterweight Division
1) “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (27-10, 1 NC)
Height: 5’11
Birthday: March 20, 1982
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Carlos Condit – Win via decision (split) – UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit – January 2, 2016
– vs. Rory MacDonald – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor – July 11, 2015
– vs. Johny Hendricks – Win via decision (split) – UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 – December 6, 2014
– vs. Matt Brown – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. Brown – July 26, 2014
– vs. Jake Ellenberger – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw – May 24, 2014
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Tyron Woodley – UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley – July 30, 2016
2) Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (13-1)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: February 11, 1983
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Johny Hendricks – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson – February 6, 2016
– vs. Jake Ellenberger – Win via KO (spinning hook kick) – UFC TUF 21 Finale – July 12, 2015
– vs. Patrick Cote – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 178: Cerrone vs. Alvarez – September 27, 2014
– vs. Robert Whittaker – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 170 – February 22, 2014
– vs. Chris Clements – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 165 – September 21, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Rory MacDonald – UFC Fight Night – June 18, 2016
3) Rory MacDonald (18-3)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: July 22, 1989
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Robbie Lawler – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor – July 11, 2015
– vs. Tarec Saffiedine – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine – October 4, 2014
– vs. Tyron Woodley – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov – June 14, 2014
– vs. Demian Maia – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann – February 22, 2014
– vs. Robbie Lawler – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks – November 16, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC Fight Night – June 18, 2016
4) Tyron Woodley (15-4)
Height: 5’9
Birthday: April 17, 1982
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via decision (split) – UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz – January 31, 2015
– vs. Dong Hyun Kim – Win via KO (punches) – UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le – August 23, 2014
– vs. Rory MacDonald – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov – June 14, 2014
– vs. Carlos Condit – Win via TKO (injury) – UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler – March 15, 2014
– vs. Josh Koscheck – Win via KO (punches) – UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks – November 16, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Robbie Lawler – UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley – July 30, 2016
Comment: Woodley is officially slated to return after more than a year out of action. Due to his desire to wait for a title shot that never came, and then injuries, Woodley has been seen more as a talking head on Fox Sports 1 than as a fighter inside the octagon over the past year. However, that’s all in the past because he will get that long awaited title fight against Robbie Lawler this summer at UFC 201.
5) Carlos Condit (30-9)
Height: 6’1
Birthday: April 26, 1984
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Robbie Lawler – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit – January 2, 2016
– vs. Thiago Alves – Win via TKO (doctor stoppage) – UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves – May 30, 2015
– vs. Tyron Woodley – Loss via TKO (injury) – UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler – March 15, 2014
– vs. Martin Kampmann – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 – August 28, 2013
– vs. Johny Hendricks – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz – March 16, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
6) Johny Hendricks (17-4)
Height: 5’9
Birthday: September 12, 1983
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Stephen Thompson – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson – February 6, 2016
– vs. Matt Brown – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 185 – March 14, 2015
– vs. Robbie Lawler – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 – December 6, 2014
– vs. Robbie Lawler – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler – March 15, 2014
– vs. Georges St. Pierre – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks – November 16, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 – July 9, 2016
Commment: It’s a fight to avoid falling into disarray in this welterweight division, at UFC 200. Between Hendricks and Gastelum, the loser of the two will become 1-3 in their last four fights. Hendricks, the former champion is actually 2-2 since 2014 and is coming off a loss in which he was finished for the first time in nearly ten years.
7) Demian Maia (22-6)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: November 6, 1977
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Gunnar Nelson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015
– vs. Neil Magny – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia – August 1, 2015
– vs. Ryan LaFlare – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – March 21, 2015
– vs. Alexander Yakovlev – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC TUF Brazil Finale – May 31, 2014
– vs. Rory MacDonald – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann – February 22, 2014
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Matt Brown – UFC 198 – May 14, 2016
8) Neil Magny (18-4)
Height: 6’3
Birthday: August 3, 1987
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Hector Lombard – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – March 20, 2016
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via decision (split) – UFC TUF Latin America 2 Finale – November 21, 2015
– vs. Erick Silva – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira – August 23, 2015
– vs. Demian Maia – Loss via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia – August 1, 2015
– vs. Hyun Gyu Lim – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber – May 16, 2015
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
9) Ben Askren (15-0, 1 NC)
Height: 5’10
Birthday: July 18, 1984
Currently Fighting With: One FC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Nikolay Aleksakhin – Win via decision (unanimous) – One FC 41 – April 15, 2016
– vs. Luis Santos – No Contest (eye poke) – ONE FC: Valor of Champions – April 27, 2015
– vs. Nobutatsu Suzuki – Win via TKO (strikes) – ONE FC: Reign of Champions – August 29, 2014
– vs. Bakhtiyar Abbasov – Win via submission (arm-triangle choke) – ONE FC: Honor and Glory – May 30, 2014
– vs. Andrey Koreshkov – Win via TKO (strikes) – Bellator 97 – July 31, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
Comment: Askren dispensed of his latest challenger, Russia’s Nikolay Aleksakhin via unanimous decision. While he was only in any real danger during one burst of action in the third round, his outstanding grappling dominated the majority of the fight. Ben remains the one welterweight nobody has been able to solve.
10) Matt “The Immortal” Brown (20-13)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: January 10, 1981
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Tim Means – Win via submission (guillotine choke) – UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor – July 11, 2015
– vs. Johny Hendricks – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 185 – March 14, 2015
– vs. Robbie Lawler – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. Brown – July 26, 2014
– vs. Erick Silva – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva – May 10, 2014
– vs. Mike Pyle – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen – August 17, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Demian Maia – UFC 198 – May 14, 2016
11) Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (19-1)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: August 23, 1990
Currently Fighting With: Bellator MMA
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Benson Henderson – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 153 – April 22, 2016
– vs. Douglas Lima – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 140 – July 17, 2015
– vs. Adam McDonough – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 122 – July 25, 2014
– vs. Justin Baesman – Win via KO (flying knee) – Bellator 118 – May 2, 2014
– vs. Nah-Shon Burrell – Win via KO (knee and punches) – Bellator 112 – March 14, 2014
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
Comment: Koreshkov’s previous biggest fight of his career was in 2013 when he was stifled by then-Bellator champ Ben Askren. Fast forward to 2016, and he controlled former UFC fighter Benson Henderson for five rounds to successfully defend his Bellator championship. Andrey was the more powerful man in the cage in Connecticut and Henderson was never in a position to take advantage of any positioning or momentum.
12) Gunnar Nelson (15-2-1)
Height: 5’11
Birthday: July 28, 1988
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Albert Tumenov – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night: REEM vs. Arlovski – May 8, 2016
– vs. Demian Maia – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015
– vs. Brandon Thatch – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 189 – July 11, 2015
– vs. Rick Story – Loss via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – October 4, 2014
– vs. Zak Cummings – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night – July 19, 2014
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
Comment Nelson came through Sunday with a big submission win over Albert Tumenov (ending the Russian’s five fight win streak), marking his first win over a ranked welterweight.
13) Hector Lombard (35-5-1)
Height: 5’9
Birthday: February 2, 1978
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Neil Magny – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – March 20, 2016
– vs. Josh Burkman – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier – January 3, 2015
– vs. Jake Shields – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler – March 15, 2014
– vs. Nate Marquardt – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos 3 – October 19, 2013
– vs Yushin Okami – Loss via decision (split) – UFC on Fuel TV 8: Silva vs. Stann – March 3, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Dan Henderson – UFC 199 – June 4, 2016
Comment: Lombard will return to middleweight for his next fight, his first bout at 185-pounds since he lost a decision to Yushin Okami. Now, he’s coming off his first loss by TKO (at 170) and will do so against Dan Henderson. Someone is being knocked out in Inglewood.
14) Jake Shields (31-8-1, 1 NC)
Height: 5’11
Birthday: January 9, 1979
Currently Fighting With: World Series of Fighting
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Rousimar Palhares – Loss via submission (Kimura) – WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields – August 1, 2015
– vs. Brian Foster – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – WSOF 17: Shields vs. Foster – January 17, 2015
– vs. Ryan Ford – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – WSOF 14: Ford vs. Shields – October 11, 2014
– vs. Hector Lombard – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler – March 15, 2014
– vs. Demian Maia – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields – October 9, 2013
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
15) Benson “Smooth” Henderson (23-6)
Height: 5’9
Birthday: November 16, 1983
Currently Fighting With: Bellator MMA
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Andrey Koreshkov – Loss via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 153 – April 22, 2016
– vs. Jorge Masvidal – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – November 28, 2015
– vs. Brandon Thatch – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch – February 14, 2015
– vs. Donald Cerrone – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver – January 18, 2015
– vs. Rafael dos Anjos – Loss via KO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos – August 23, 2014
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
Comment: While Henderson definitely did not look bad in his Bellator debut last month, it just so happened that champion Andrey Koreshkov was better.
Final Notes: Stun Gun Kim and Albert Tumenov received additional votes.
