When did the Welterweight division get so stacked?

[fries in the bag]

I remember just last year Lightweight was the strongest division.

The top 10 in Welterweight could all be UFC Champions in a different timeline... straight killers.

1. Jack Della Maddalena
2. Islam Makhachev
3. Belal Muhammad
4. Sean Brady
5. Shavkat Rakhmonov
6. Leon Edwards
7. Ian Garry
8. Carlos Prates
9. Kamaru Usman
10. Michael Morales


Also, rank them from best to worst

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

GSP Era - Stacked AF
JDM / Islam Era - Stacked AF

Woodley Era - Pretty weak , Low Tier
Usman Era - Weakest division in the UFC

 

[Luthien]

Also, rank them from best to worst

1. Shavkat Rakhmonov
2. Islam Makhachev
3. Sean Brady
4. Kamaru Usman
5. Ian Garry
6. Carlos Prates
7. Jack Della Maddalena
8. Michael Morales
9. Leon Edwards
10. Belal Muhammad

 

[BangBang]

1.Shavkat Rakhmonov
2. Islam Makhachev
3. Sean Brady
4. Jack Della Madelena
5. Leon Edwards
6. Ian Garry
7. Carlos Prates
8. Kamaru Usman

 

[10000yearsold]

did belal die after throwing the title fight for Islam?

 

[FreddieRoachsVoice]

I highly disagree with this. When a win over a 40 year old Wonderboy Thompson who fought for the title 9 YEARS AGO still has signficant title implications for you, the division is NOT stacked. Woodley was already competing in a weak era, Usman's was a total wasteland, and this is just the tiny little hope of a sapling for a new era... but it is far from fully developed. Granted, almost every division is at its worst atm but that doesn't make WW objectively stacked.

 

[JoeRowe]

The end of GSP era was stacked too

GSP
Hendricks
Woodley
Condit
Lawler
Rory
Kampmann
Ellenberger
Maia
Shields
Lombard
Kelvin
Brown
Larkin
Masvidal
Koscheck
Story

 

[Westbrick]

GSP Era - Stacked AF
JDM / Islam Era - Stacked AF

Woodley Era - Pretty weak , Low Tier
Usman Era - Weakest division in the UFC

Tbh honest GSP era was really weak
Actual era is also overrated

 

[Pequeño Corey]

I highly disagree with this. When a win over a 40 year old Wonderboy Thompson who fought for the title 9 YEARS AGO still has signficant title implications for you, the division is NOT stacked. Woodley was already competing in a weak era, Usman's was a total wasteland, and this is just the tiny little hope of a sapling for a new era... but it is far from fully developed. Granted, almost every division is at its worst atm but that doesn't make WW objectively stacked.

Does beating WB really have significant title implications though? It’s a decent win for an up and comer, but that’s about it, imo. Bonfim isn’t really in the “WW is stacked” discussions. He just cracked top ten and I suspect his ceiling has been realized.

 

[HHJ]

Tbh honest GSP era was really weak
Actual era is also overrated

"Nothing has ever been good"

 

[Dacha]

Kahabib never went up when Woodley was there.

 

[Dacha]

Shavkat will likely rule it in future imo.

 

[Young Calf Kick]

Kahabib never went up when Woodley was there.

I’m sure Woodley was really thankful for that.

 

[Dacha]

I’m sure Woodley was really thankful for that.

Not sure, it is a big gap between lw and ww.

Looking back Khabib had it but back then ....

Woodley had knockout power. Usman exposed him though.

 

[Rhood]

Imagine if Chimaev, Michael Page and Bryan Battle were still fighting in the Welterweight division.

The good news is we still have Buckley, Rinat, and D-Rod cracking the top 10 any day now.

But then theres also Joel Alvarez

 

[JoeRowe]

Not sure, it is a big gap between lw and ww.

Looking back Khabib had it but back then ....

Woodley had knockout power. Usman exposed him though.

Prime Woodley was a monster. He made a few paydays(PPV points for 205 & 214) then he got old and lazy.

 

[Tweak896]

WW has always been pretty stacked. I think it's crazy to call era's weak. Same with LW. I think currently it's so strong is because UFC has had rematches and rank squatting for the past 3 years and the contenders are just stacking up.

 

[Hdfi]

WW has always been stacked. If I'm not mistaken, only the lightweight division has more competitors.

 

[KO Shotz]

WW has been stacked. The Woodley era was meh, but WW always been loaded up.

 

[Dacha]

Prime Woodley was a monster. He made a few paydays(PPV points for 205 & 214) then he got old and lazy.

I would love to see how Khabib wrestling would measure against Woodley. But it will never be known....

Tonight' main event may give some answers...