Unofficial Welterweight Rankings (post UFC 322)

[fries in the bag]

Champion: Islam (28-1; double champ, dominant win JDM)
#1. Morales (19-0; undefeated, TKO Brady)
#2. Shavkat (19-0; undefeated, decision win Garry)
#3. JDM (18-3; former champ, clear win Belal)
#4. Belal (24-4; former champ, TKO Brady)
#5. Garry (16-1; close win Prates)
#6. Prates (23-7; KO Leon)
#7. Kamaru (21-4; former champ)
#8. Brady (18-2; submit Leon)
#9. Leon (22-6; former champ, 3 straight losses to Belal/Brady/Prates)


Fight Results:
- Islam > JDM > Belal > Brady > Leon
- Shavkat > Garry > Prates > Leon

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Q1 2026 (Jan or Feb):
- Lightweight Title Fight: Topuria vs {Arman or Paddy}
- Title Fight: Islam vs Morales
- #1 Contender: Shavkat vs {Winner of Garry vs Belal}
- #2 Contender: Prates vs {Loser of Garry vs Belal}
- #3 Contender: JDM vs Usman

White House (July 4, 2026):
- Main Event: Jones vs Pereira
- Co-Main Event: Islam vs Topuria (if they both win their fights in Q1 2026)

MSG (November 2026):
- Title Fight: Islam vs Shavkat (if they both win their fights in 2026)

 

['Suga Daddy']

What they will actually look like post rankings update (and should)
C - Islam Makhachev
1 - Jack Della Maddalena
2 - Belal Muhammad
3 - Shavkat Rakhmonov
4 - Michael Morales
5 - Ian Machado Garry
6 - Carlos Prates
7 - Kamaru Usman

 

[fries in the bag]

What they will actually look like post rankings update (and should)
C - Islam Makhachev
1 - Jack Della Maddalena
2 - Belal Muhammad
3 - Shavkat Rakhmonov
4 - Michael Morales
5 - Ian Machado Garry
6 - Carlos Prates
7 - Kamaru Usman

not bad

but here's the problem. after being dominated for 5 rounds by islam, jdm should drop a few places.
after tko brady (current #2) in 1 round, morales shoots to #1 contender from current #8.

why?

because even islam admitted in the post conference that ww has young guys (morales) who can ko him,
so he will do the same game plan to go to wrestling. islam is aware how good morales is.

morales would do better than jdm against islam. actual threat of power bombs in striking.

the rest look fine.