mma / Columns

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

April 27, 2021 | Posted by Jonathan Solomon


411’s Official MMA Rankings

Welterweight Division


1) Kamaru Usman (19-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: May 11, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Jorge Masvidal – Win via KO (punch) – UFC 261 – April 24, 2021

– vs. Gilbert Burns – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 258 – February 13, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: Usman continues to showcase improvements that put you in awe. In the second round Saturday night, he lit Jorge Masvidal up with a powerful right hand and then knocked him completely out with the ensuing hammer fists. Three of Usman’s last four fights (all title defenses) have ended with TKOs or KO and the one decision (against Masvidal) was on a few days notice. Not only is Usman arguably the best wrestler at welterweight, he’s got the power in his hands to match.

It’s looking like Colby Covington will be next in line for another championship rematch. They fought in December 2019 and it was a boxing match for five rounds which ended within the final minute when Covington couldn’t continue. He sustained a broken jaw in the fight. Covington returned to his MAGA shtick last year when he beat Tyron Woodley, but it seems he’ll need Usman to show up on his worst day for a chance at the upset.



2) Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (35-15)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: November 12, 1984

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Kamaru Usman – Loss via KO (punch) – UFC 261 – April 24, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: It took Masvidal 50 pro fights to be knocked out. His only previous loss due to strikes was in Japan in 2008 at Sengoku 3 when the referee jumped in extremely early to award the fight to Rodrigo Damm. At UFC 261, there was no claims of an early stoppage – Masvidal was out cold.

Masvidal’s chances to become the best welterweight in the world came and went. It will be interesting to see what he wants to do next. Assuming Usman remains champion into 2022, does Masvidal want to fight the Nate Diaz/Leon Edwards loser or the Gilbert Burns/Stephen Thompson loser?



3) Gilbert Burns (19-4)

Height: 5’10

Birthday: July 20, 1986

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Kamaru Usman – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC 258 – February 13, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC 264 – July 10, 2021



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




5) Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: August 25, 1991

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Belal Muhammad – No Contest (accidental eye poke) – UFC Fight Night – March 13, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Nate Diaz – UFC 262 – May 15, 2021



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:

– vs. Leon Edwards – UFC 262 – May 15, 2021



7) Douglas Lima (32-8)

Height: 6’1

Birthday: January 5, 1988

Currently Fighting With: Bellator MMA

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Gegard Mousasi – Loss via decision (unanimous) – Bellator 250 – October 29, 2020

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Yaroslav Amosov – Bellator 260 – June 11, 2021

Comment: There’s no welterweight tournament this year, but champion Douglas Lima will defend Bellator’s 170-pound title against undefeated Ukrainian fighter, Yaroslav Amosov. Amaosov is 25-0 overall and 6-0 in Bellator. He has beaten collegiate wrestling champion Ed Ruth, another former collegiate wrestler in Logan Storley and then MMA veterans like Erick Silva and Gerald Harris. This title fight will be Lima’s return following his attempt to win the middleweight championship – he lost the unanimous decision last October.



8) Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: February 11, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Geoff Neal – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – December 19, 2020

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Gilbert Burns – UFC 264 – July 10, 2021



9) Rory MacDonald (21-6-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: July 22, 1989

Currently Fighting With: PFL

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Douglas Lima – 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:

– vs. Curtis Millender – PFL – April 29, 2021

Comment: The PFL welterweight season kicks off Thursday night. In his company debut, Rory MacDonald will fight Curtis Millender (18-6) who has competed across Bellator, LFA, UFC and elsewhere. In the PFL, fighters earn points based on the outcomes of the fights (Winner gets 3 points, Loser gets 0 points. A draw results in both fighters receiving 1 point. Bonus points of 1, 2 or 3 are awarded to winner based on if they score a finish in that particular round (for example, a fighter who wins by first round KO will earn 6 points). At the end of the regular season, the top four fighters in the division will advance to their playoffs.



10) Michael Chiesa (18-4)

Height: 6’1

Birthday: December 7, 1987

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Neil Magny – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – January 20, 2021

– vs. Rafael dos Anjos – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – January 25, 2020

– vs. Diego Sanchez – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 239 – July 6, 2019

– vs. Carlos Condit – Win via submission (Kimura) – UFC 232 – December 29, 2018

– vs. Anthony Pettis – Loss via submission (triangle armbar) – UFC 226 – July 7, 2018

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



11) Vicente Luque (20-7)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: November 17, 1991

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Win via submission (Brabo choke) – UFC 260 – March 27, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment:



12) Jingliang Li (18-6)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: March 20, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio – Win via KO (punch) – UFC on ABC – January 16, 2021

– vs. Neil Magny – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 248 – March 7, 2020

– vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – August 31, 2019

– vs. David Zawada – Win via KO (body kick) – UFC Fight Night – November 24, 2018

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

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



13) Neil Magny (24-8)

Height: 6’3

Birthday: August 3, 1987

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Michael Chiesa – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – January 20, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Geoff Neal – UFC on ESPN – May 8, 2021



14) Belal Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC)

Height: 5’10

Birthday: July 9, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Leon Edwards – No Contest (accidental eye poke) – UFC Fight Night – March 13, 2021

– vs. Dhiego Lima – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 258 – February 13, 2021

– vs. Lyman Good – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – June 20, 2020

– vs. Takashi Sato – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 242 – September 7, 2019

– vs. Curtis Millender – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 236 – April 13, 2019

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Demian Maia – UFC 263 – June 12, 2021




15) Tyron Woodley (19-7-1)

Height: 5’9

Birthday: April 17, 1982

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Vicente Luque – Loss via submission (Brabo choke) – UFC 260 – March 27, 2021

– 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

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown