mma / Columns

411 Welterweight MMA Rankings: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, More

September 22, 2020 | Posted by Jonathan Solomon


411’s Official MMA Rankings

Welterweight Division


1) Kamaru Usman (17-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: May 11, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Jorge Masvidal – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 251 – July 11, 2020

– vs. Colby Covington – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 245 – December 14, 2019

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 235 – March 2, 2019

– vs. Rafael dos Anjos – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – November 30, 2018

– vs. Demian Maia – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – May 19, 2018

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Gilbert Burns – UFC 256 – December 12, 2020

Comment: Usman’s next defense is already set, against Gilbert Burns in December, but all of a sudden his old rival Colby Covington is back in the picture.



2) Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (35-14)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: November 12, 1984

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Kamaru Usman – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 251 – July 11, 2020

– vs. Nate Diaz – Win via TKO (doctor stoppage) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019

– vs. Ben Askren – Win via KO (flying knee) – UFC 239 – July 6, 2019

– vs. Darren Till – Win via KO (punch) – UFC Fight Night – March 16, 2019

– vs. Stephen Thompson – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 217 – November 4, 2017

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



3) Gilbert Burns (19-3)

Height: 5’10

Birthday: July 20, 1986

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – May 30, 2020

– vs. Demian Maia – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – March 14, 2020

– vs. Gunnar Nelson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – September 28, 2019

– vs. Alexey Kunchenko – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – August 10, 2019

– vs. Mike Davis – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night – April 27, 2019

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Kamaru Usman – UFC 256 – December 12, 2020



4) Colby Covington (16-2)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: February 22, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – September 19, 2020

– vs. Kamaru Usman – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC 245 – December 14, 2019

– vs. Robbie Lawler – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – August 3, 2019

– vs. Rafael dos Anjos – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 225 – June 9, 2018

– vs. Demian Maia – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – October 28, 2017

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: In his first fight from the broken jaw and defeat at the hands of champion Kamaru Usman, Covington went right back to work. He was en route to a decision win over former champion and teammate Tyron Woodley when Woodley appeared to be injured and the ref stopped the fight. Afterwards, Covington called out both Usman and Jorge Masvidal.



5) “Notorious” Conor McGregor (22-4)

Height: 5’8

Birthday: July 14, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Donald Cerrone – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 246 – January 18, 2020

– vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov – Loss via submission (neck crank) – UFC 229 – October 6, 2018

– vs. Eddie Alvarez – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 205 – November 12, 2016

– vs. Nate Diaz – Win via decision (split) – UFC 202 – August 20, 2016

– vs. Nate Diaz – Loss via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 196 – March 5, 2016

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: Dana White said he has been talking with McGregor about a return to action, although no further details have come out about opponents or which weight class they’re considering.



6) Nate Diaz (20-12)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: April 16, 1985

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Jorge Masvidal – Loss via TKO (doctor stoppage) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019

– vs. Anthony Pettis – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 241 – August 17, 2019

– vs. Conor McGregor – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 – August 20, 2016

– vs. Conor McGregor – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz – March 5, 2016

– vs. Michael Johnson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy – December 19, 2015

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



7) Leon Edwards (18-3)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: August 25, 1991

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Rafael dos Anjos – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – July 20, 2019

– vs. Gunnar Nelson – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – March 16, 2019

– vs. Donald Cerrone – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – June 23, 2018

– vs. Peter Sobotta – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – March 17, 2018

– vs. Bryan Barbarena – Win via decision (unanimous) – September 2, 2017

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown




8) Douglas Lima (32-7)

Height: 6’1

Birthday: January 5, 1988

Currently Fighting With: Bellator MMA

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Rory MacDonald – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 232 – October 26, 2019

– vs. Michael Page – Win via KO (strikes) – Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix – May 11, 2019

– vs. Andrey Koreshkov – Win via technical submission (rear naked choke) – Bellator 206 – September 29, 2018

– vs. Rory MacDonald – Loss via decision (unanimous) – Bellator MMA – January 20, 2018

– vs. Lorenz Larkin – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 180 – June 24, 2017

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Gegard Mousasi – Bellator MMA – October 29, 2020

Comment: Lima is Bellator’s welterweight champion and will try to do what Rory MacDonald could not – beat Gegard Mousasi and become the middleweight champion, too. Now, they will fight next month for the vacant 185-pound championship following February when champion Rafael Lovato forfeited the title due to his health. If Lima can pull off the win, he would join Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Ryan Bader as Bellator fighters to hold two championships simultaneously.



9) Tyron Woodley (19-6-1)

Height: 5’9

Birthday: April 17, 1982

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Colby Covington – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – September 19, 2020

– vs. Gilbert Burns – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – May 30, 2020

– vs. Kamaru Usman – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 235 – March 2, 2019

– vs. Darren Till – Win via submission (D’Arce choke) – UFC 228 – September 8, 2018

– vs. Demian Maia – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 214 – July 29, 2017

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: Woodley is clearly not physically done as he is fighting the best of the welterweight division through five rounds in his last three fights. Unfortunately, he was not quite close to winning any of the three. He’s now two years removed from his last win, but if he still wants to compete, we’ll definitely see him back in the cage in 2021.



10) Rory MacDonald (21-6-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: July 22, 1989

Currently Fighting With: PFL

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Rory MacDonald – Loss via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 232 – October 26, 2019

– vs. Neiman Gracie – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 222 – June 14, 2019

– vs. Jon Fitch – Draw via decision (split) – Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix – Bellator 220 – April 27, 2019

– vs. Gegard Mousasi – Loss via TKO (strikes) – Bellator MMA – September 29, 2018

– vs. Douglas Lima – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 192 – January 20, 2018

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



11) Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: September 26, 1986

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Neil Magny – Win via KO (punch) – UFC Fight Night – November 17, 2018

– vs. Mike Perry – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on Fox – December 16, 2017

– vs. Gunnar Nelson – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – July 16, 2017

– vs. Nordine Taleb – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – February 19, 2017

– vs. Zak Cummings – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – August 6, 2016

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



12) Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (15-4-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: February 11, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Vicente Luque – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019

– vs. Anthony Pettis – Loss via KO (punch) – UFC Fight Night – March 23, 2019

– vs. Darren Till – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – May 27, 2018

– vs. Jorge Masvidal – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 217 – November 4, 2017

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 209: Woodley vs. Thompson 2 – March 4, 2017

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown




13) Neil Magny (24-7)

Height: 6’3

Birthday: August 3, 1987

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Robbie Lawler – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – August 29, 2020

– vs. Anthony Rocco Martin – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 250 – June 6, 2020

– vs. Jingliang Li – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 248 – March 7, 2020

– vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio – Loss via KO (punch) – UFC Fight Night – November 17, 2018

– vs. Craig White – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – May 27, 2018

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



14) Geoff Neal (13-2)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: August 28, 1990

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Mike Perry – Win via TKO (head kick) – UFC 245 – December 14, 2019

– vs. Niko Price – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 240 – July 27, 2019

– vs. Belal Muhammad – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – January 19, 2019

– vs. Frank Camacho – Win via KO (head kick) – UFC 228 – September 8, 2018

– vs. Brian Camozzi – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night – February 18, 2018

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown




15) Vincente Luque (19-7)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: November 17, 1991

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Randy Brown – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – August 1, 2020

– vs. Niko Price – Win via TKO (doctor stoppage) – UFC 249 – May 9, 2020

– vs. Stephen Thompson – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019

– vs. Mike Perry – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – August 10, 2019

– vs. Derrick Krantz – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – May 18, 2019

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown