UFC 129: Jake Ellenberger and 10 of the UFC's Most Overlooked Welterweights
With Georges St-Pierre laying waste to a laundry list of contenders, there is a misguided perception that the UFC welterweight division is thinning.
The 170-pound division remains one of the most stacked in the sport, and there are a plethora of rising contenders looking to cement their place in the spotlight.
UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger may be the best example.
He is riding a three-fight win streak over solid opposition like John Howard, Mike Pyle, and Carlos Eduardo Rocha. In his UFC debut, Ellenberger lost a split decision to welterweight contender Carlos Condit.
The bout still served as a moral victory for Ellenberger, who controlled the action and nearly stopped the former WEC champion.
The UFC welterweight division is loaded with so much talent that guys like Ellenberger are continuously swept under the rug.
This article attempts to pay homage to such talent. Ellenberger aside, here are 10 of the UFC's most overlooked welterweights.
Rick Story
1 of 10
Barring a bad nickname, Rick "The Horror" Story is a terrific fighter.
Since his debut in June 2009, he has compiled a UFC record of 5-1.
Story's résumé includes wins over Jake Ellenberger, Dustin Hazelett, and Johny Hendricks.
He'll finally get his chance in the spotlight at UFC 130 when he meets upper-echelon contender Thiago Alves.
Mike Pyle
2 of 10
It's amazing that a veteran like Mike Pyle is even included on this list.
Having fought world-class opposition throughout his career, the main enemy for Pyle seems to be consistency.
He defeated top welterweight contender Jon Fitch in July 2002, but Fitch was far from being the fighter we see today.
Even though the big win has eluded him, Pyle could finally be on the right track. He is coming off three consecutive victories over Ricardo Almeida, John Hathaway and Jesse Lennox.
Claude Patrick
3 of 10
Claude Patrick has long been considered one of the top Canadian prospects.
Currently on a 12 fight win streak, Patrick is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with nine career submission finishes.
He coasted in his last bout with a unanimous decision win over TUF Season 9 winner James Wilks.
Fans can expect to see Patrick in action via the UFC's live Facebook stream at UFC 129.
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John Hathaway
4 of 10
John Hathaway quickly burst onto the scene as a major player in the UFC welterweight division with four straight wins, including a huge upset over Diego Sanchez.
Since the victory over Sanchez, Hathaway's stock has declined a bit.
He was defeated for the first time in his career in a lopsided unanimous decision loss at UFC 120 to Mike Pyle.
At UFC Fight Night 24, he rebounded in an unimpressive split-decision victory over Kris McCray.
Despite inconsistencies, the potential upside for Hathaway, who turns 24 in July, remains promising.
Daniel Roberts
5 of 10
"Ninja" may be the perfect nickname to describe the skills of Daniel Roberts, who is a slick wrestler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist.
The only loss on his professional record stems from a vicious KO stoppage in his UFC debut against John Howard.
Since the loss, Roberts has won three straight, and he'll try to make it four when he faces Claude Patrick at UFC 129.
Rory MacDonald
6 of 10
Expectations have been high for Rory MacDonald ever since his UFC debut in January 2010.
At just 21 years of age, MacDonald carries with him a 10-1 record.
He suffered the first loss of his career at UFC 115 against former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit.
After dominating early, MacDonald wasn't able to quell a late Condit rally and ended up succumbing to strikes in the third round.
He faces a tough test in Nate Diaz at UFC 129.
Mike Pierce
7 of 10
Mike Pierce is an imposing figure in the welterweight division.
He's a strong wrestler with knockout power in both hands. Jon Fitch had his bell rung by Pierce in the third round of their UFC 107 bout.
Fitch was able to hang on and take the decision, but he desperately fought for survival to avoid the upset.
Minus the Fitch fight, Pierce hasn't lost a bout in nearly three years.
Johny Hendricks
8 of 10
Former two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion Johny Hendricks is a major prospect in the welterweight division.
He suffered a minor hiccup against a tougher than expected Rick Story at the TUF 12 Finale, but the former Oklahoma State Cowboy rebounded in a big way by earning "Knockout of the Night" honors in his UFC Fight Night 24 bout with TJ Waldburger.
Brian Ebersole
9 of 10
Stepping in as a late replacement for Carlos Condit, Brian Ebersole was a major underdog in his UFC 127 bout with Chris Lytle.
With 63 professional bouts under his belt, Ebersole had amassed a wealth of experience all over the world, and it took him 11 years to finally make it to the big show.
The wait was certainly worth it, as Ebersole shocked fans by taking the unanimous decision victory over Lytle.
Dong Hyun Kim
10 of 10
When it comes to contenders and future stars in the UFC welterweight division, the first name that comes to mind is South Korean judo star Dong Hyun Kim.
His strong grappling background makes him a handful for any UFC fighter.
He took the biggest victory of his career in a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 125.
UFC 132 could be Kim's true coming out party.
He's set to face Carlos Condit in a bout that could further him into title contention.
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