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FightIQ · FightIQ Rankings · Welterweight
FightIQ Rankings: our data, not the UFC's

FightIQ Welterweight Rankings

48 fighters are eligible. Here are our top 13, with the UFC's official and Meta rankings beside them. These are FightIQ's own data rankings, not the UFC's: see the UFC's official Welterweight rankings.

How these rankings work

We fit one strength rating per fighter from every UFC fight, and older fights count for less (a fight loses half its weight every three years). We rank on the cautious end of that rating, strength minus one unit of uncertainty, so a short record has to show more before it climbs. To appear in the top 15 a fighter needs a win over a ranked opponent, and to sit in the top five a win over a then-top-10 opponent. Read the full method.

Champion

Our data: #1 · 18-1 in the UFC, 6-0 since 2023; 2 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Jack Della Maddalena (champion at Welterweight, 2025) and Ian Machado Garry (then-#1 at Welterweight, 2026); 17-fight win streak

How to read it. The bar under each name is the plausible strength range; the white tick is our best estimate, and we rank on the left end. A wide bar means thin evidence. provisional entries are ranked where the numbers put them, and the label says the evidence is thin. The arrows show how many places we rank him above (▲) or below (▼) each list; gold means a gap of 3 places or more against the UFC's official rank.

  1. 1
    Official #2 ▲1Meta #1 =

    Why #1: 7-1 in the UFC, 7-1 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Jack Della Maddalena (then-#1 at Welterweight, 2026) and Leon Edwards (then-#4 at Welterweight, 2025); 3-fight win streak

    Best wins: Jack Della Maddalena (then-#1 at Welterweight, 2026); Leon Edwards (then-#4 at Welterweight, 2025); Geoff Neal (then-#11 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Score 1.162Range 1.162 to 2.720
  2. 2
    Official #1 ▼1Meta #2 =

    Why #2: 10-2 in the UFC, 7-2 since 2023; 12 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Belal Muhammad (then-#2 at Welterweight, 2025) and Geoff Neal (then-#8 at Welterweight, 2024); lost last fight to Islam Makhachev

    Best wins: Belal Muhammad (then-#2 at Welterweight, 2025); Geoff Neal (then-#8 at Welterweight, 2024); Carlos Prates (then-#13 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Score 1.097Range 1.097 to 2.580
  3. 3
    Michael Moralesprovisional
    Official #3 =Meta #3 =

    Why #3: 7-0 in the UFC, 5-0 since 2023; 7 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Sean Brady (then-#2 at Welterweight, 2025) and Gilbert Burns (then-#8 at Welterweight, 2025); 7-fight win streak

    Provisional (thin evidence: the record is short or old, so the rating is uncertain).

    Best wins: Sean Brady (then-#2 at Welterweight, 2025); Gilbert Burns (then-#8 at Welterweight, 2025); Neil Magny (then-#12 at Welterweight, 2024)

    Score 1.077Range 1.077 to 3.075
  4. 4
    Official #5 ▲1Meta #6 ▲2

    Why #4: 7-1 in the UFC, 7-1 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Belal Muhammad (then-#5 at Welterweight, 2026) and Stephen Thompson (then-#12 at Welterweight, 2025); 5-fight win streak

    Best wins: Belal Muhammad (then-#5 at Welterweight, 2026); Stephen Thompson (then-#12 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Score 0.872Range 0.872 to 2.624
  5. 5
    Official #6 ▲1Meta #5 =

    Why #5: 9-2 in the UFC, 4-1 since 2023; 11 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Leon Edwards (then-#1 at Welterweight, 2025) and Gilbert Burns (then-#6 at Welterweight, 2024)

    Best wins: Leon Edwards (then-#1 at Welterweight, 2025); Gilbert Burns (then-#6 at Welterweight, 2024); Joaquin Buckley (then-#9 at Welterweight, 2026)

    Score 0.783Range 0.783 to 2.395
  6. 6
    Mike MalottBig gap vs UFC
    Official #13 ▲7Meta #11 ▲5

    Why #6: 7-1 in the UFC, 6-1 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Gilbert Burns (then-#11 at Welterweight, 2026) and Kevin Holland (then-#15 at Welterweight, 2025); 4-fight win streak

    Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 7 places higher than the UFC does (#13). Our data credits his best win, Gilbert Burns (then-#11 at Welterweight, 2026); he has 8 UFC fights at this weight.

    Best wins: Gilbert Burns (then-#11 at Welterweight, 2026); Kevin Holland (then-#15 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Score 0.680Range 0.680 to 2.464
  7. 7
    Uros MedicBig gap vs UFC
    Official #12 ▲5Meta #9 ▲2

    Why #7: 8-3 in the UFC, 6-2 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Geoff Neal (then-#12 at Welterweight, 2026) and Daniel Rodriguez (then-#15 at Welterweight, 2026); 4-fight win streak

    Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 5 places higher than the UFC does (#12). Our data credits his best win, Geoff Neal (then-#12 at Welterweight, 2026); he has 8 UFC fights at this weight.

    Best wins: Geoff Neal (then-#12 at Welterweight, 2026); Daniel Rodriguez (then-#15 at Welterweight, 2026)

    Score 0.546Range 0.546 to 2.073
  8. 8
    Jack Della MaddalenaBig gap vs UFC
    Official #4 ▼4Meta #4 ▼4

    Why #8: 8-2 in the UFC, 5-2 since 2023; 10 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Belal Muhammad (champion at Welterweight, 2025) and Gilbert Burns (then-#4 at Welterweight, 2024); lost last fight to Carlos Prates

    Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 4 places lower than the UFC does (#4). His best win on our record is Belal Muhammad (champion at Welterweight, 2025).

    Best wins: Belal Muhammad (champion at Welterweight, 2025); Gilbert Burns (then-#4 at Welterweight, 2024)

    Score 0.384Range 0.384 to 1.998
  9. 9
    Official #7 ▼2Meta #7 ▼2

    Why #9: 15-6 in the UFC, 2-3 since 2023; 21 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Leon Edwards (champion at Welterweight, 2024); lost last fight to Gabriel Bonfim

    Best wins: Leon Edwards (champion at Welterweight, 2024)

    Score 0.224Range 0.224 to 1.576
  10. 10
    Official #10 =Meta #8 ▼2

    Why #10: 11-6 in the UFC, 6-2 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Colby Covington (then-#6 at Welterweight, 2024) and Stephen Thompson (then-#9 at Welterweight, 2024); lost last fight to Sean Brady

    Best wins: Colby Covington (then-#6 at Welterweight, 2024); Stephen Thompson (then-#9 at Welterweight, 2024); Vicente Luque (then-#11 at Welterweight, 2024)

    Score 0.093Range 0.093 to 1.514
  11. 11
    Leon EdwardsBig gap vs UFC
    Official #8 ▼3Meta #10 ▼1

    Why #11: 14-5 in the UFC, 2-3 since 2023; 19 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Colby Covington (then-#3 at Welterweight, 2023); lost last fight to Carlos Prates

    Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 3 places lower than the UFC does (#8). His best win on our record is Colby Covington (then-#3 at Welterweight, 2023).

    Best wins: Colby Covington (then-#3 at Welterweight, 2023)

    Score 0.049Range 0.049 to 1.556
  12. 12
    Official: unrankedMeta #14 ▲2

    Why #12: 16-12 in the UFC, 6-6 since 2023; 12 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Vicente Luque (then-#14 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Best wins: Vicente Luque (then-#14 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Score -0.030Range -0.030 to 1.232
  13. 13
    Official #14 ▲1Meta #15 ▲2

    Why #13: 10-5 in the UFC, 3-3 since 2023; 13 UFC fights at Welterweight; best wins Kevin Holland (then-#13 at Welterweight, 2025); lost last fight to Uros Medic

    Best wins: Kevin Holland (then-#13 at Welterweight, 2025)

    Score -0.217Range -0.217 to 1.268

Official ranks: UFC official rankings. Meta ranks: Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com.

In their top 15, not in ours

Our rankings as of
Results through
UFC official rankings as of
Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com as of
Who can be ranked
at least 3 decided UFC bouts, a UFC bout in the last 18 months, and not listed as Retired or Not Fighting on the fighter's UFC.com athlete page
How the rankings work · Welterweight official rankings · All divisions