UFC 143: Power Ranking the Top 10 Welterweight Contenders

Georges St-Pierre will defend his UFC welterweight title on February 4 in Las Vegas, taking on former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz in a highly anticipated bout. After that, however, there are plenty of men lined up for a crack at the guy who walks out of UFC 143 with the gold.

Let’s see if we can’t get some sort of ranking hammered out for the top 10 contenders in the UFC, as 2012 promises to be a big year at 170 pounds.

10. Rick Story (13-5)

For whatever reason, the UFC is big on Rick Story. He’s performed reasonably well against lower-tier opponents, but he’s had trouble with most of the guys he was paired with in 2011, as the promotion department attempted to get him into the spotlight a little more.

He had a close fight with Thiago Alves—one that he scraped out via an unconvincing unanimous decision before taking losses to perennial also-ran Charlie Brenneman and Martin Kampmann to close out the year.

Story needs more seasoning and will probably develop into a stellar talent, but now isn’t his time. If Anthony Johnson wasn’t in the midst of a move to middleweight, Story wouldn’t even be on this list.

9. Thiago Alves (19-8)

People forget how good Thiago Alves is, usually based on the fact that he’s up and down in the UFC and has had trouble making weight. However, he’s only lost to guys who are better wrestlers than he is (most of which were pretty close) and is among the tightest kickboxers in the division.

He’s been better with his weight since hooking up with Mike Dolce, but he needs to be better prepared overall when he steps into the cage. His takedown defense makes it tough for middle-tier wrestlers to do much with him, and his own ground game is an unfortunately overlooked weapon that could allow him easier wins against the strikers he likes to bang it out with.

Alves is still young, though, and has room to improve. Expect to see him fight for one more title before he’s done in the sport.

8. Rory MacDonald (12-1)

Canada’s next big welterweight star has looked good in the UFC. Had he been able to close the deal at UFC 115, MacDonald could easily be undefeated with a win over Carlos Condit on his resume. Still, he’s rebounded from that with incredible conviction, pushing his way into the top 10 as a result.

When Dana White talks about good athletes studying mixed martial arts in the future instead of playing football or basketball, MacDonald is the example he’s talking about. He began training to go pro when he was 14, and the result is a kid in his early 20s that no one wants to see across the cage.

He is guaranteed to be a champion before he retires, but he’s still a work in progress today.

7. Jake Shields (26-6-1)

After going without a loss in over six years, Shields has lost two straight and is just 1-2 in the UFC. Many would argue, myself included, that he’s a better middleweight and his recent run at 170 pounds supports the idea.

He’s not to be written off, though, as he’s among the most well-rounded ground fighters in the game today and still can take a punch. His standup is awkward, and he may never look really comfortable on the feet, but he does enough to get by until he can take the fight to the ground.

185 may be where he ends up, but he’s still not a lost cause at welterweight.

6. Martin Kampmann (18-5)

Criminally underrated Dane Martin Kampmann is as tough as anyone at 170 pounds and has all the tools needed to be a champion one day.

He’s still young, has incredible standup and is a far better wrestler and grappler than people realize. He also has a chin for the ages that people don’t often give enough credit to.

Yes, he’s lost to Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields, one of whom I haven’t ranked and the other I’ve ranked below Kampmann, but did either of those losses convince anyone that he was a grossly outmatched fighter?

No. He beat Sanchez outright but was thieved by the judges, and the Shields fight could have gone either way.

Kampmann is elite, and it’s time people started taking notice.

5. Josh Koscheck (16-5)

A classic heel if ever there was one, Koscheck is done as a welterweight-title challenger after going 0-2 against the champion in his career. He admits as much now, though, looking to fight in what he calls the “moneyweight” division in the hopes of cashing in with interesting fights.

It’s unfortunate that a man so talented was dwarfed so significantly by the champion, because in another world it would be he or teammate Jon Fitch holding welterweight gold while others came after them.

Now, in Koscheck’s case particularly, he’s more or less a gateway into the welterweight top five that young contenders have to pass through.

4. Jon Fitch (23-3-1)

Fitch has been hovering in the spot immediately behind St-Pierre in the rankings for quite some time, a guy who would probably be champion if he didn’t fight in a division owned by one of the best ever.

With that said, his game hasn’t evolved at all to contend with GSP, and there are more young guys coming up who could potentially give him problems.

He’s smart fighter, and a guy who knows how to win, but the longer he goes without getting another chance at the title, the more he’ll slip in the rankings.

The world isn’t standing still for him, and people are leapfrogging him based on their own performances—even if they never have to fight him directly to do it.

3. Jake Ellenberger (26-5)

Another of the young crop coming up in the welterweight division, Ellenberger is a scary matchup for anyone. He has the wrestling chops to take the fight wherever he wants and the power in his hands to hurt opponents if they try to trade with him.

Astonishingly enough, he’s had over 30 fights before his 27th birthday and currently rides a five-fight win streak in the UFC.

Stylistically, at this point in the game, he’s probably the toughest matchup for Georges St-Pierre.

2. Carlos Condit (27-5)

No man has earned his nickname more, as "The Natural Born Killer" just goes out there to finish guys. He’s a former WEC champion and shows improvement every time out in a manner that’s frightening when you consider that he’s still on the southern side of 30.

When earlier drama removed Nick Diaz from his shot at the title, Condit was quickly booked in his place, and no one batted an eye. The guy is a very skilled, very violent competitor who will likely hold the title one day.

1. Nick Diaz (25-7)

Love him or hate him, he’s the talk of the MMA world. He got cut from the UFC for not doing things their way, was told he’d never be back until he did, still didn’t change and ended up back with the promotion anyway.

He’s a skilled fighter and an enthralling character, and he’s pushed his way into title contention by doing things on his own terms and fighting his own way; the fact that he’s signed to fight GSP already confirms that.

Whether people like it or not, he’s at the top of the list right now.