UFC Welterweight - 2023

Last Modified Jun 04, 2023 09:01 GMT

The UFC Welterweight Division contains a group that weighs 156 to 170 lb (71 to 77 kg). The UFC Welterweight Division is between the Lightweight and Middleweight Division.


UFC 286: Edwards v Usman 3
UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.




Current Welterweight Champion


The current UFC Welterweight Champion is Leon Edwards [21–3].

'Rocky' made his octagon debut in 2014.

Leon Edwards is the first Jamaican-born fighter to grab a championship in UFC history. He claimed the title in August 2022 when he snapped Kamaru Usman's fight-win streak [15] with a knockout. The win also earned him a Performance of the Night award.





Latest Results from UFC Welterweight Division


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DateFight MethodRound Result
June 3, 2023Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos SantosDecision3(5:00)Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Abubakar Nurmagomedov






UFC Welterweight Rankings 2023


RankFighterRecordMWin StreakResultLast fightNext fight
CLeon Edwards21–3 (1 NC) 3 (1 def)WinUFC 286 - Kamaru UsmanTBD
1Kamaru Usman20–3 0LossUFC 286 - Leon EdwardsTBD
2Colby Covington17–3 1WinUFC 272 - Jorge MasvidalTBD
3Belal Muhammad22–3 (1 NC) 4WinUFC 288 - Gilbert BurnsTBD
4Khamzat Chimaev12–0 12WinUFC 279 - Kevin HollandTBD
5Gilbert Burns22–5 2WinUFC 287 - Jorge MasvidalTBD
6Shavkat Rakhmonov17–0 17WinUFC 285 - Geoff NealTBD
7Stephen Thompson17–6–1 1WinUFC on ESPN 42 - Kevin HollandUFC 289 - Michel Pereira
8Geoff Neal15–5 0LossUFC 285 - Shavkat RakhmonovTBD
9Sean Brady15–1 0LossUFC 280 - Belal MuhammadTBD
10Vicente Luque21–9–1 0LossUFC on ESPN 40 - Geoff NealTBD
11Neil Magny27–1010LossUFC 283 - Gilbert BurnsTBD
12Michael Chiesa18–610LossUFC Fight Night 198 - Sean BradyTBD
13Jorge Masvidal35–17−20LossUFC 287 - Gilbert BurnsTBD
14Jack Della Maddalena14–2 14WinUFC 284 - Randy BrownTBD
15Michel Pereira28–11 (2 NC) 5WinUFC Fight Night 206 - Santiago PonzinibbioUFC 289 - Stephen Thompson





History of UFC Welterweight



The UFC Welterweight Title is considered one of the most prestigious titles in the UFC. The inaugural Welterweight Champion was crowned at UFC Brazil in 1998 when Pat Miletich won the belt. Carlos Newton, Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn, Georges-St Pierre, Matt Serra, Johny Hendricks, and Robbie Lawler held the Welterweight Championship.


GSP and Matt Hughes are the only two-time Welterweight Champions in UFC history.


At UFC 201, Tyron Woodley defeated Robbie Lawler to win the Welterweight Championship. Woodley, who defended the title against Stephen Thompson (twice), Demian Maia, and Darren Till, was defeated by Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 via unanimous decision.


Erstwhile welterweight champion Kamaru Usman defended his title against Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal at UFC 245 and UFC 251, respectively. During his three-year reign, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' had four successful title defenses before losing to Leon Edwards at UFC 278.


After defeating Kamaru Usman in the fifth round via KO in their rematch at UFC 278, Leon Edwards has become the UFC welterweight champion of the world.





UFC Weight Divisions


Men

  1. Heavyweight
  2. Light Heavyweight
  3. Middleweight
  4. Welterweight
  5. Lightweight
  6. Featherweight
  7. Bantamweight
  8. Flyweight


Women

  1. Featherweight
  2. Bantamweight
  3. Flyweight
  4. Strawweight


Click to learn about UFC Rankings.



*Last Updated on June 4, 2023.

FAQs

Who is the current UFC welterweight champion?

Leon Edwards is the current UFC welterweight champion.

Who is the No.1 ranked fighter in UFC welterweight class?

Kamaru Usman is the No.1 contender in the UFC welterweight division.

What is the UFC welterweight class weight limit?

The welterweight division weighs 156 to 170 lb (71 to 77 kg).