Strikeforce Fedor vs. Henderson: Ranking the Top 10 Welterweights in MMA

After Evangelista Santos was forced to withdraw from his fight at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, Tyron Woodley stepped in to fight Paul Daley in a fight that would more than likely determine the top contender in the Strikeforce welterweight division.

In the biggest fight of his short career, Woodley used his wrestling base to defeat Paul Daley. Now, Woodley will play the waiting game to see if he will be next in line to fight for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship.

With Nick Diaz vacating his Strikeforce title, Woodley is now at the top of the organization's 170-pound division. Where does in stand in all of MMA? Let's find out.

10. Martin Kampmann

Martin Kampmann has now lost two straight fights, but both losses have been controversial decisions against fellow contenders.

One could make a case that Carlos Condit has surpassed Kampmann since the two fought to a decision that went the way of the Xtreme Couture fighter. However, Condit hasn't fought competition ranked as highly as the two fighters Kampmann recently lost to — Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez.

Kampmann edges out Condit for the last spot on this list, but that could very well change if Condit performas well against B.J. Penn at UFC 137.

9. Diego Sanchez

After suffering a setback against John Hathaway in his first fight since returning to welterweight, Diego Sanchez has defeated Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann to become a contender in the division.

Sanchez will now fight Matt Hughes in a bout that won't do much for him in terms of rankings, but a win over the former UFC Welterweight Champion would definitely put him one step closer to a potential title shot.

8. Paul Daley

Paul Daley has lost two in a row, but he showed a much-improved ground game and some solid takedown defense against Tyron Woodley at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson. Additionally, Daley didn't look awful in his last loss, as he had Nick Diaz hurt in one of the most exciting fights of 2011.

Still, Daley's spot on this list rests mostly on his technical knockout win over Martin Kampmann in September 2009. For that reason, Daley needs to get back on track in his next fight if he wants to keep a spot on this list.

7. Tyron Woodley

With a win over Paul Daley, Tyron Woodley has to be considered one of the best fighters in the division. However, the win was far from dominant and he had trouble taking Daley down early in the fight.

Woodley will definitely be a contender when he makes the inevitable move to the UFC, but he might not be well-rounded enough to be considered a serious threat to capture a UFC title.

6. Nick Diaz

His last win, which came against Paul Daley, was far from flawless, but Nick Diaz is more than deserving of a title fight against Georges St-Pierre after winning his 10th straight bout.

Diaz's chance to become the top welterweight in the world will come at UFC 137, which will take place in late-October 2011.

5. Josh Koscheck

After losing to Georges St-Pierre for a second time, it will be interesting to see what path Josh Koscheck takes next. Koscheck is undoubtedly one of the best in the welterweight division, but he has hit another road block and time is running out for him to win a UFC title.

Koscheck has expressed interest in a middleweight fight with Stephan Bonnar, but nothing has been confirmed with regards to that bout. A move to 185-pounds might be a serious option if Koscheck is desperate enough to win a belt.

4. B.J. Penn

Since losing the UFC Lightweight Championship, B.J. Penn has defeated Matt Hughes and fought to a draw with Jon Fitch. With those two performances, Penn is once again a contender at 170 pounds.

With Jon Fitch rehabilitating an injury and Jake Shields taking a step back after his loss to Georges St-Pierre, a win over Carlos Condit at UFC 137 could potentially earn Penn a welterweight title shot.

3. Jon Fitch

Although he didn't lose the fight, Jon Fitch's argument for a second chance at UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre took a hit with his draw against B.J. Penn at UFC 127.

Nonetheless, Fitch remains one of the top welterweights in the world. Fitch will have to wait to get back in the win column, though, as he heals an injury that forced him out of a previously scheduled rematch with Penn.

2. Jake Shields

He lost to the champion, but Jake Shields gave Georges St-Pierre his toughest fight in quite some time. Now, Shields will take a step back and act as a test for up-and-coming Jake Ellenberger.

A move to middleweight is always an option, but it appears Shields' focus will remain on the 170-pound division at the moment.

1. Georges St-Pierre

After defending his belt for a sixth straight time, Georges St-Pierre will look to win his 10th straight bout when he faces off against former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz.

A division can never be completely cleaned out, but St-Pierre would be about as close as a champion could get to beating all challengers if he is able to defeat Diaz.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.