UFC Welterweight Rankings – Best Fighters in the UFC

Islam Makhachev leads the SOG Sports UFC welterweight rankings after successfully defending the 170-pound title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026. He is alone in Tier 1 because no other active welterweight combines his championship position, recent results and control across every phase of a fight.

Carlos Prates, Michael Morales, Garry and Sean Brady form Tier 2 as the strongest current challengers. These editorial rankings were reviewed on August 17, 2026 and account for fights completed through UFC 330.

How the Rankings Work

This is a SOG Sports assessment of the UFC welterweight division, not a copy of the promotion’s official top 15. Placement weighs recent performance, quality of opposition, championship results, striking and grappling depth, finishing danger, durability, activity and the likelihood that a fighter can beat the best opponents at 170 pounds right now.

Only active UFC fighters currently competing at welterweight are eligible. Career accomplishments still matter, but current form carries more weight, which is why several former champions sit below younger contenders. Fighters within the same tier are grouped together rather than ranked against one another, so their order inside a tier should not be read as a separate numerical ranking.

Tier 1: The Championship Standard

Islam Makhachev stands alone in Tier 1 of the SOG Sports UFC welterweight rankings.

Tier 1 requires more than championship talent. It belongs to the fighter who has proved he can impose a winning game against the division’s best options and retain the belt when opponents have a full camp to prepare for him.

Islam Makhachev

Makhachev reinforced his place at the top by defeating Garry by unanimous decision in his first welterweight title defense. Garry’s length and takedown defense made the fight more competitive than Makhachev’s title-winning performance against Jack Della Maddalena, but the champion still banked enough control and clean work to keep the belt.

His advantage is not simply wrestling. Makhachev can pressure without overextending, connect takedown attempts to clinch positions, threaten submissions and make opponents carry his weight. His improved striking keeps elite welterweights from selling out to defend the grappling. Tier 2 has dangerous challengers, but none has yet matched that complete championship proof.

Tier 2: Immediate Title Threats

Carlos Prates, Michael Morales, Ian Machado Garry and Sean Brady make up Tier 2.

Tier 2 contains the fighters with the clearest route to a title shot or the ability to win one. Every member has a defining weapon that works against high-level opposition, but each still has a question that separates him from Makhachev’s proven championship standard.

Carlos Prates

Prates has responded to his decision loss against Garry with three consecutive knockouts, including finishes of Leon Edwards and Della Maddalena. He creates unusual power without loading up, attacks the body to lower an opponent’s guard and stays composed when exchanges become dangerous.

The central question is how effectively that offense holds up against a pressure grappler who can repeatedly force clinches and mat returns. Until somebody makes him solve that problem for 25 minutes, Prates’ recent finishing run gives him one of the division’s strongest title cases.

Michael Morales

Morales remains unbeaten and announced himself as a genuine title threat by stopping Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady in the first round. His length matters, but his balance is the bigger separator. He can punch while moving backward, defend takedowns without losing his stance and turn small defensive wins into immediate offense.

His résumé is not yet as broad as Makhachev’s, and he has not been tested in a five-round UFC fight. The skill set, physical tools and recent finishes nevertheless make him one of the two most compelling new challengers at 170 pounds.

Ian Machado Garry

Garry lost his first UFC title opportunity to Makhachev, but the performance did not erase the work that took him there. Wins over Prates and Belal Muhammad showed that he can manage distance against a dangerous finisher and maintain structure against a persistent pressure fighter.

His height, kicking game and defensive awareness force opponents to cross a large amount of space. The title loss exposed the need for more urgency when a controlled fight is slipping away, yet Garry remains close enough to the top that one major win could put him back in the championship discussion.

Sean Brady

Brady gives the tier its most direct grappling threat. His pressure, chain wrestling and top control can remove open-space striking from a matchup, while his submission game punishes opponents who expose their neck or back trying to stand.

Morales stopped him in November 2025, but Brady recovered with a decision win over Joaquin Buckley in May 2026. That response keeps him in the immediate-contender group, although the speed and power he faced against Morales remain important concerns against the division’s most explosive strikers.

Tier 3: High-End Contenders

Gabriel Bonfim, Jack Della Maddalena, Uroš Medić, Yaroslav Amosov and Shavkat Rakhmonov form Tier 3.

Tier 3 is separated from Tier 2 by timing rather than a lack of talent. Recent losses, prolonged inactivity or a smaller sample against top opposition leave these fighters one major performance away from joining the immediate title picture.

Gabriel Bonfim

Bonfim has developed from a submission specialist into a more measured five-round fighter. He followed a finish of Randy Brown with a unanimous decision over former champion Belal Muhammad, proving that his pace and decision-making can survive beyond the early rounds.

His grappling remains the foundation, but he is now more comfortable using straight punches and defensive movement to create entries rather than forcing every exchange. A win over another current top contender would close the remaining gap between a strong run and a title-ready résumé.

Jack Della Maddalena

Della Maddalena has already proved he can win a UFC championship, using layered boxing and body work to take the belt from Muhammad. The current ranking also has to account for what followed: a title loss to Makhachev and a third-round stoppage loss to Prates.

He remains one of the division’s best pocket boxers, especially when he can pressure behind combinations instead of chasing one shot. Tier 3 reflects a former champion who still owns elite offensive tools but needs to stop the recent slide before returning to the front of the line.

Uroš Medić

Medić is a volatile matchup because his offense arrives quickly and with real finishing force. He can punish slow starts with straight punches, knees and kicks, and he rarely needs much clean contact to change a fight.

The tradeoff is a smaller body of work against the division’s established top group. His next step is showing that the same aggression can hold up when an opponent survives the opening exchanges, forces defensive wrestling and extends the fight.

Yaroslav Amosov

Amosov has made an immediate UFC impact with submission wins over Neil Magny and Joel Alvarez. His entries are difficult to time because he blends level changes with forward pressure, then stays patient enough to advance position before attacking a finish.

His championship experience outside the UFC gives him more composure than a typical newcomer. Tier 3 is the right holding point until he faces one of the promotion’s established top contenders, but his first two Octagon appearances suggest that test should come soon.

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Rakhmonov remains unbeaten at 19-0 and has finished 18 of those wins. He can pressure behind long strikes, wrestle along the fence and threaten submissions from transitions, giving opponents very few safe phases.

His placement is driven by activity. Rakhmonov has not competed since defeating Garry in December 2024, so the ranking cannot treat his current readiness as equal to contenders who have added multiple high-level wins since then. If he returns healthy and looks like the same fighter, Tier 2 will again be within reach.

Tier 4: Proven Ranked-Level Fighters

Mike Malott, Belal Muhammad, Joaquin Buckley, Rinat Fakhretdinov and Leon Edwards are in Tier 4.

Tier 4 combines rising ranked fighters with former champions whose recent form has moved them away from another title shot. These fighters can beat credible opposition now, but each needs a sustained run or a major tactical adjustment to reach the tiers above.

Mike Malott

Malott has rebuilt strongly since his late loss to Magny, winning four straight and stopping Gilbert Burns in April 2026. His ability to threaten with both power strikes and submissions makes him difficult to contain once he establishes forward pressure.

The remaining test is depth against the division’s current top 10. Malott has earned that opportunity, but Tier 4 recognizes that beating an aging name is different from solving the younger contenders clustered above him.

Belal Muhammad

Muhammad’s championship résumé and win over Edwards remain important, but current rankings cannot ignore three consecutive losses to Della Maddalena, Garry and Bonfim. The latter two defeats were especially damaging because they allowed newer contenders to pass him directly.

His pace, clinch work and takedown defense still make him a demanding five-round opponent. The issue is whether he can create enough damage and decisive offense when younger fighters match his cardio and deny extended control.

Joaquin Buckley

Buckley’s move to welterweight unlocked his speed and power, producing a six-fight UFC winning streak before losses to Kamaru Usman and Brady. He is most dangerous when he can close distance behind compact combinations and make opponents react to his explosiveness.

Those two defeats showed the same boundary from different angles. Experienced wrestlers can slow his offense, and disciplined top contenders can make him reset repeatedly. His physical tools keep him dangerous, but he needs a rebound win over ranked opposition.

Rinat Fakhretdinov

Fakhretdinov turns fights into tests of balance, patience and physical endurance. He pressures toward the fence, works from body locks and forces opponents to spend long stretches defending position instead of building offense.

His results merit recognition, but his climb has been slower than several contenders above him and he still lacks a defining win over the division’s top group. A step up in competition would reveal whether his control-heavy approach can produce the same success against faster, more layered opponents.

Leon Edwards

Edwards owns the strongest championship résumé in this tier, including two title-fight wins over Usman. His technical strengths remain clear: sharp southpaw kicking, intercepting knees, clinch awareness and the ability to manage long-range exchanges.

Current form drives this placement. Losses to Muhammad, Brady and Prates have exposed problems when sustained pressure removes his preferred pace. Edwards has the skill to rebound, but he needs to show that he can reclaim initiative rather than waiting for a perfect counter.

Tier 5: Dangerous Veterans and Specialists

Michael Page, Kevin Holland, Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, Myktybek Orolbai and Geoff Neal make up Tier 5.

Tier 5 contains fighters with a weapon that can trouble almost anyone, but without the current consistency of Tier 4. Some are veterans moving in and out of the rankings, while others are talented specialists still working to turn a strong style into a complete contender run.

Michael Page

Page’s long stance, feints and sudden straight attacks make conventional kickboxing difficult against him. After earning two middleweight wins, he returned to 170 pounds and outpointed Sam Patterson in March 2026.

He can make aggressive strikers reach and pay for it, but low-volume rounds leave little margin if an opponent refuses to chase. At this stage, Page remains a dangerous matchup whose title route depends on beating a ranked welterweight while maintaining enough activity to control the scorecards.

Kevin Holland

Holland’s length, opportunistic submissions and willingness to attack from awkward positions give him more ways to finish than most fighters in this range. His April 2026 win over Randy Brown also showed that he can settle into a disciplined welterweight fight after an uneven 2025 schedule.

Consistency remains the boundary. Holland can look like a ranked threat when he dictates range, then lose long stretches when opponents force clinch exchanges or make him fight backward. Tier 5 reflects both the danger and the volatility.

Daniel Rodriguez

Rodriguez applies steady boxing volume, works well off the jab and is willing to exchange in the pocket. That pressure can expose opponents who depend on having time and space to build their offense.

His recent results have been uneven, and he absorbs enough return fire to make close fights difficult to control. He remains a credible veteran test, but another run toward the rankings requires cleaner defense and more separation on the scorecards.

Neil Magny

Magny remains active and relevant after stopping Ramiz Brahimaj in the second round at UFC 330. The win extended his UFC welterweight records to 38 appearances and 25 victories, a remarkable measure of his durability and adaptability.

His length, clinch work and composure still punish opponents who fade after early success. He is no longer positioned as a likely title challenger, but he continues to be one of the division’s most useful measuring sticks because beating him demands sustained execution.

Myktybek Orolbai

Orolbai’s physical wrestling and repeated mat returns can overwhelm opponents who cannot separate quickly. He controlled much of his UFC 330 fight with Jeremiah Wells before a third-round submission loss abruptly reversed the result.

That defeat does not erase his upside, but it highlights the cost of leaving openings while attacking. Orolbai has the pace and grappling to climb, yet he now needs to show that he can manage risk after an opponent survives his early control.

Geoff Neal

Neal is a compact, powerful southpaw whose best combinations arrive when he can hold the center and force opponents into direct exchanges. His takedown defense has also made him difficult to neutralize with a simple wrestling plan.

Losses to the division’s best have limited his upward momentum, and inactivity has prevented a quick reset. His hand speed and power still make him too dangerous to dismiss, but he needs a meaningful win to move beyond the veteran-threat tier.

Tier 6: Breakout Candidates

Abubakar Vagaev, Randy Brown, Carlos Leal, Sam Patterson, Jeremiah Wells, Jacobe Smith and Chidi Njokuani are in Tier 6.

Tier 6 is where credible depth meets breakout potential. These fighters have produced UFC-level wins or arrived with meaningful experience, but they need either a larger sample or better opposition before their strongest traits can be treated as contender-level proof.

Abubakar Vagaev

Vagaev arrived with championship experience from ACA and won his UFC debut against Saygid Izagakhmaev in July 2026. His performance showed the patient wrestling, physical clinch game and round management expected from a veteran rather than a typical newcomer.

One UFC fight is still a limited sample. His experience raises his floor, but moving above Tier 6 requires proving that his control translates against faster opponents with established Octagon experience.

Randy Brown

Brown’s reach, straight punching and improved submission game have supported a long UFC run. He is most effective when he keeps opponents at the end of his offense and uses front-headlock threats to punish rushed entries.

Recent losses to Bonfim and Holland have pushed him away from the rankings. Brown remains capable of exposing inexperienced opposition, but he needs to reestablish his ability to win exchanges against the division’s sharper finishers.

Carlos Leal

Leal brings extensive experience, a sturdy base and the willingness to maintain a hard pace through competitive rounds. He can pressure behind combinations without abandoning takedown defense, which makes him a demanding assignment for developing welterweights.

The missing piece is a signature UFC win. His performances have shown that he belongs at this level, but the route to Tier 5 starts with creating clearer separation against the division’s established middle class.

Sam Patterson

Patterson rebounded from his loss to Page by stopping Santiago Ponzinibbio in the second round in July 2026. His 6-foot-3 frame creates leverage for front chokes and long strikes, and he has finished nearly every professional victory.

Page showed that Patterson can be made hesitant when an opponent controls distance and refuses predictable exchanges. The Ponzinibbio win was the right response, but a younger, more versatile opponent would provide a better test of his ceiling.

Jeremiah Wells

Wells produced one of UFC 330’s biggest surprises by submitting Orolbai with a third-round ninja choke after losing much of the early grappling battle. The finish captured his best qualities: power, persistence and the ability to attack a small mistake immediately.

At 39, his window for a long climb is narrow, but the result proved he remains more than a veteran roster test. A matchup with ranked opposition would show whether that comeback can become a late-career run.

Jacobe Smith

Smith is unbeaten and has finished each of his first three UFC opponents. His wrestling base creates top position, but his ground strikes are what turn control into damage and prevent opponents from treating a takedown as a temporary setback.

He may have one of the highest ceilings in the lower tiers. The only reason to remain cautious is competition level: Smith needs an experienced opponent who can survive the first attack and force him to solve problems beyond his preferred positions.

Chidi Njokuani

Njokuani used his reach and technical striking to earn a unanimous decision over Joel Alvarez at UFC 330. The performance ended a two-fight skid and showed that he can win a measured fight rather than depending on an early finish.

His accuracy makes careless pressure expensive, but consistency has followed him throughout his UFC career. Tier 6 is appropriate until he turns one strong rebound into a sustained run.

Tier 7: Emerging and Veteran Depth

Jake Matthews, Nicolas Dalby, Victor Valenzuela, Punahele Soriano, Daniil Donchenko, Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani and Jonathan Micallef complete Tier 7.

Tier 7 includes active veterans and emerging fighters who can win UFC bouts but have not yet built a current ranked-level case. The boundary with Tier 6 is evidence: another quality win could move several of these names quickly.

Jake Matthews

Matthews has spent more than a decade in the UFC and remains a balanced test with reliable defensive awareness, opportunistic grappling and enough striking to punish reckless entries. His experience allows him to change plans when the first approach stalls.

What he has not produced is a sustained run through the current welterweight rankings. He remains valuable division depth, but upward movement requires consecutive wins against opponents who are also climbing.

Nicolas Dalby

Dalby is still active and continues to turn fights into physical, high-effort contests. His split-decision win over Izagakhmaev in November 2025 was another example of how his pace and durability can disrupt a more decorated grappler.

Age and limited finishing output cap his title upside, yet he remains difficult to outwork cleanly. Prospects who cannot maintain focus across all three rounds often discover why Dalby has lasted so long.

Victor Valenzuela

Valenzuela made a successful UFC debut by defeating Max Griffin in April 2026. He stayed composed against an experienced opponent, applied effective striking pressure and avoided treating the short-notice opportunity like a reason to rush.

That debut belongs on the radar, but one UFC result is not enough to establish his level. A second win against a durable divisional opponent would begin to separate him from the crowded group of new welterweights.

Punahele Soriano

Soriano has found useful momentum at welterweight, winning three straight through February 2026. His compact power remains the obvious threat, but the more important development has been his ability to wrestle and work through decisions when the knockout does not arrive.

The division change has improved his outlook. He still needs stronger defensive layers against long strikers and chain wrestlers, but his current form gives him a realistic path toward Tier 6.

Daniil Donchenko

Donchenko won The Ultimate Fighter 33 welterweight tournament and has followed it with two more UFC victories, most recently a second-round stoppage of Theodor Berggren in June 2026. His combination striking is fast, varied and increasingly comfortable over longer exchanges.

He is only 24, so this placement reflects résumé rather than a low ceiling. The next question is how his offense functions against an opponent who can consistently threaten takedowns and deny extended kickboxing sequences.

Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani

Lebosnoyani has opened his UFC career with decision wins over Phil Rowe and Seokhyeon Ko. He can mix takedowns into striking exchanges, and that versatility gives him several routes to recover when a round is not developing as planned.

He now needs a performance that creates clearer separation. Both UFC wins were competitive, so a more decisive result against deeper welterweight opposition would strengthen the argument for a higher tier.

Jonathan Micallef

Micallef has won his first three UFC appearances, including a submission of Oban Elliott and a split decision over Themba Gorimbo. He uses a long frame well in open space and is comfortable transitioning from striking into back-taking opportunities.

The winning streak makes him one of Tier 7’s most likely movers. He has not yet faced a ranked opponent, but another step up would clarify whether his early UFC success can become a contender run.

Biggest Takeaways

Tier 2 Has Two Different Title Paths

Prates and Morales can force the title picture with another emphatic finish, while Garry and Brady are more likely to need a complete win over a fellow contender. That difference matters because Makhachev has already shown he can control five-round fights. Raw danger can earn an opportunity, but sustained phase-by-phase answers are more likely to win the belt.

Activity Is the Main Tier 3 Divider

Rakhmonov may be capable of beating anyone on the list, and Della Maddalena has already held the title. Their current placement is still defensible because rankings measure present standing, not hypothetical ceiling. Bonfim and Amosov are moving in the opposite direction by adding timely wins.

Recent Results Have Compressed the Middle Tiers

UFC 330 tightened the gap from Tier 5 through Tier 7. Magny, Wells and Njokuani strengthened their cases, while Orolbai absorbed a setback without losing the underlying tools that made him a prospect. That volatility is the clearest sign of welterweight depth: a fighter can move several spots with one strong performance, but very few wins guarantee safety.

Complete UFC Welterweight Tiers

UFC Welterweight Rankings FAQ

Who is the current UFC welterweight champion?

Islam Makhachev is the current UFC welterweight champion. He won the belt from Jack Della Maddalena in November 2025 and made his first successful defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026.

Are these the official UFC welterweight rankings?

No. These are SOG Sports editorial tiers based on current form, quality of opposition, skill set, activity and title potential. The UFC’s official rankings use a separate voting process and list only the champion plus 15 contenders.

Are fighters ranked within each tier?

No. A tier represents a shared competitive range, and the order of names inside it is not a separate ranking. The meaningful distinction is the boundary between tiers.

Why is Kamaru Usman not included?

This list is limited to fighters currently competing at welterweight. Usman’s UFC profile lists him in the middleweight division after his July 2026 fight with Dricus Du Plessis. If he returns to 170 pounds, his welterweight placement should be reconsidered.

How often are the rankings updated?

The rankings should be reviewed after major welterweight fights, title bouts and confirmed division changes. The current version includes results through UFC 330 on August 15, 2026.

Final Verdict

Makhachev remains the clear Tier 1 welterweight because he has converted a complete skill set into a championship and a successful defense. Prates and Morales supply the most dangerous fresh challenges, while Garry and Brady already have the high-level experience to return to the front with one decisive win.

The division’s most important tension is between proven ability and current activity. Rakhmonov and Della Maddalena may have higher ceilings than their tier suggests, but Bonfim, Amosov and several lower-tier fighters are building stronger present-tense cases. That is why one major result can reshape the 170-pound picture so quickly.

Related UFC Rankings

• UFC Lightweight Rankings: Best Fighters at 155 Pounds
• UFC Heavyweight Rankings: Best Fighters at 206-265 Pounds
• Best UFC Heavyweights Ever