There is a lot of activity between the big names in the UFC welterweight division, but what does it all mean for the title picture?
For months, fans have eagerly been waiting for news on the UFC’s exciting welterweight division. Several contenders are riding impressive win-streaks and the competition for a title shot is greater than it has been in many years. But, while all the match-ups are intriguing, what does all this activity mean for the title picture?
Business is finally picking up again at 170 pounds in the UFC, and it’s all happening in May:
*RDA x Covington (5/12)
Usman x Ponzinibbio (5/19)
*Thompson x Till (5/27)
Magny x Nelson (5/27)* Not yet officially announced by UFC.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 28, 2018
In late 2017, UFC President Dana White announced that the bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Robbie Lawler in December would be a title eliminator for the next shot at undisputed champion Tyron Woodley. Since that time, things have been in a state of flux at 170 lbs. First, there were rumors of a bout between Woodley and Nate Diaz in late December that materialized out of nowhere. The bout did not come to fruition, and Woodley elected to undergo a minor procedure on his right shoulder that is expected to keep him out of action until mid-2018. In subsequent interviews since then, Woodley has said he is on track in his recovery.
.@TWooodley hops on @UFCtonight and dishes on his shoulder, training @FloydMayweather and there being no real #1 contenders in his division! pic.twitter.com/C5IyDuF9e0
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 22, 2018
This is the most confusing part of the situation. If Woodley is going to be ready in July, why are so many match-ups being worked on rather than a top contender receiving a title shot? The most likely answer at this point would appear to be because of Woodley himself. In several interviews, Woodley has stated that he is not opposed to a bout with top contender dos Anjos but has been firm that his priority is a high-profile bout that helps his legacy and reputation as one of the best fighters in the world. The most obvious choice was expected to be Georges St. Pierre, who has been outspoken about not returning to 185 since winning the middleweight title in his return in November. As the months have gone on, however, it’s become apparent that a GSP return to action in any form is not likely. The logical conclusion now is that Woodley is electing to push his return back a little later in order for his next contender to raise their stock even more and make the title bout more intriguing. Furthermore, he could be telling the UFC that he will accept a fight with the winner who is most impressive and not necessarily the highest ranked.
The most obvious title eliminator is the rumored bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington in May. Dos Anjos is on a three fight win-streak and carries the status of being a former lightweight champion. Covington has become the biggest heel in the sport not named Conor McGregor. His inflammatory comments have reached the point that they’ve overshadowed his five fight win-streak that includes a victory over most recent title challenger Demian Maia. Considering RDA’s pedigree in the UFC and the pre-fight promotion that would be expected from Covington, the winner of this bout would be the most high profile opponent for a bout with Woodley.
Of course, there is a lot to be said also of new UFC upstart Darren Till. Till is on a three fight win-streak but it was his first round knockout of Donald Cerrone that has fans buzzing about the newest face at the top of the division. Till has yet to suffer a loss in his professional career, but his expected fight in his native Liverpool against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson would by far be his toughest test. Thompson, by all accounts, is the far more polished version of Till. The South Carolina product would be the unanimous next contender at any other time in the division but has already failed twice to wrest the title from Tyron Woodley in the last year and a half. For Till, an impressive enough victory over Thompson could be enough to lock in a title shot depending on how dos Anjos vs Covington plays out.
The dark horse in the picture is Kamaru Usman against Santiago Ponzinibbio in Chile. Both men are on impressive win-streaks in the welterweight division but are still lost in the shuffle of fighters in the rankings. Ponzinibbio is one of the deadliest strikers in the division, and is riding back-to-back victories over Gunnar Nelson and Mike Perry. Kamaru Usman is on an eleven fight win-streak in his career but recently lost momentum after a sub-par performance over Emil Meek where he claimed he was at “30%” and drew ire of fans for his effort. Neither man carries the star power of the two aforementioned bouts, but in the event of injury the Ponzinibbio/Usman winner could conceivably step in.
There are still factors left to be determined. The first is whether or not the bout between dos Anjos and Covington materializes, and if it as an interim title bout. The second is if the UFC does have a plan in place for Woodley that is being kept secret. With so much attention coming up on the lightweight division, is a high profile bout with Nate Diaz still a possibility, for example? With a super-fight in place for July between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier, adding a bout like Woodley vs Diaz could help to build the pay-per-view. Until the fight gets closer, however, the MMA world will unfortunately have to patiently wait.
