Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Welterweight

1. Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) | UFC [1]

Muhammad’s patience paid off, as his 10-fight, four-and-a-half-year unbeaten streak culminated in a chance to challenge Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 304. Whereas their first meeting had been trending in favor of Edwards before ending due to an untimely eye poke, in the rematch Muhammad was the superior fighter in the cage from start to finish. Muhammad was slated to make his first title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, but a foot infection forced him to withdraw from that booking. “Remember The Name” will now instead defend his crown against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in Montreal.

2. Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0) | UFC [2]

Rakhmonov went the distance for the first time in his professional tenure, but he kept his unblemished record intact with a unanimous decision triumph over the previously unbeaten Ian Garry in the UFC 310 co-main event. In a closely-contested fight, Rakhmonov was able to author a few more significant moments than his opponent — while also surviving a couple too-close-for-comfort rear-naked choke attempts in Round 5 — to presumably secure a future title shot. However, an injury prevented Rakhmonov from facing Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, so that opportunity instead went to Jack Della Maddalena.

3. Sean Brady (18-1) UFC [3]

Brady authored the best performance of his career to date, dominating former champ Leon Edwards before securing a fourth-round submission victory in the UFC London headliner on March 22. The Philadelphia native has bested Kelvin Gastelum, Gilbert Burns and Edwards since suffering his lone career defeat to current 170-pound king Belal Muhammad in October 2022. It may be difficult to deny Brady another crack at Muhammad — this time with a title on the line — in the very near future.

4. Ramazan Kuramagomedov (13-0) Bellator [4]

Kuramagomedov made a statement at Bellator Champions Series Dublin, banking three rounds on the scorecards and then holding on for a unanimous decision triumph over Jason Jackson in the evening’s main event at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on June 22. By ending Jackson’s eight-fight winning streak, the Dagestani captured welterweight gold at the age of 27. The American Top Team product was able to blend striking and wrestling well enough to keep his opponent off balance for 15 minutes, though his late fade could be a concern in future title defenses.

5. Leon Edwards (22-5, 1 NC) | UFC [5]

One fight removed from losing the welterweight crown to Belal Muhammad, Edwards never got going against Sean Brady in the UFC London headliner. The Brit was dominated by his opponent’s grappling before succumbing to a rear-naked choke at the 1:39 mark of Round 4. After going unbeaten in 13 straight bouts from 2015 to 2023, “Rocky” will have to rebound from the first two-fight skid of his professional tenure.

6. Jason Jackson (19-5) | PFL [6]

Jackson began his bid to become a Professional Fighters League Tournament champion in style, as he submitted fellow former Bellator title holder Andrey Koreshkov in the second round of their bout on April 3. For “The Ass Kicking Machine,” it was a welcome return to the win column following a five-round defeat to Ramazan Kuramagomedov in a Bellator title bout in June 2024. It also sets up a PFL semifinal showdown with undefeated prospect Thad Jean.

7. Jack Della Maddalena (17-2) | UFC [7]

Down two rounds on the scorecards, Della Maddalena showed the appropriate sense of urgency in the third round of his fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 299, as he rallied for a late technical knockout victory. Maddalena has won seven straight in UFC competition — and 17 in a row overall. He’ll take another step up in competition when he meets Belal Muhammad in the UFC 315 main event.

8. Ian Garry (16-1) UFC [8]

Garry rebounded from his first career defeat in the UFC Kansas City headliner, as he captured a unanimous decision triumph over Brazilian knockout artist Carlos Prates on April 26. The Irish standout built up on early lead on the scorecards behind technical striking and timely wrestling, then survived a late push from his opponent. While the optics of the final round weren’t great for “The Future” he did more than enough over the first 20 minutes to deserve victory. Despite the recent loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, the 27-year-old isn’t far removed from the welterweight title picture.

9. Yaroslav Amosov (28-1) | CFFC [9]

After sitting on the sidelines for well over a year, Amosov rebounded from his first career defeat with a first-round submission of UFC veteran Curtis Millender at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 140. After the victory, the former Bellator titleholder revealed a UFC mouthguard, perhaps foreshadowing his next destination.

10. Shamil Musaev (18-0-1) PFL [10]

Musaev earned arguably his most impressive victory to date at the PFL Championships, where he stopped fellow unbeaten Magomed Umalatov via technical knockout in the third round of their welterweight final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 29. The 30-year-old completes a 2024 year that included victories over Umalatov, Murad Ramazanov (twice) and Logan Storley to solidify himself as one of the top welterweight talents in the world.

Other Contenders: Joaquin Buckley, Gilbert Burns, Magomed Umalatov, Magomed Magomedkerimov, Michael Morales.

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