In the past three weeks, EIGHT out of the top ten welterweights have fought and require matchups.
So, although I am not Dana White or Hunter Campbell, here is how I would keep the 170lbs division moving.
(C) Islam Makhachev vs (6) Ian Garry:
The rankings may be changed soon, but at the time of writing, Ian Garry is ranked number six; however has just beaten Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Muhammad is currently ranked number two, and we expect Garry to replace him in the rankings.
This would put the Irishmen in pole position to get the title fight, which he called for in his post-fight press conference.
Also, as all fight fans know, the UFC is a business and sometimes makes fights based on marketability, not the rankings.
Garry is definitely a fighter who holds a lot of interest from the UFC fanbase; however, not always popular, he will bring in viewers if he were drawn up against Makhachev.
Obviously, there is the Ireland vs Dagestan element to this hypothetical matchup, with Garry being labelled as a ‘wannabe McGregor’ by fans and Makhachev being the ‘second Khabib’ in the fans’ eyes.
In UFC media week, Makhachev told the UFC that he “wanted to defend the welterweight title more than Kamaru Usman” so he would have to stay fairly active, like Usman did, so Garry is the perfect first defence, as he is one of the most active ranked welterweights.
Makhachev himself wants to defend his belt against Usman, due to his name and his previous reign as champion; however, in an incredibly stacked division, I do not think Usman can go 1-3 in his last four and earn a title shot.
If the UFC chose to go with Morales, that would also make a lot of sense after his round one TKO of Sean Brady, but someone has to fight Shavkat Rahkmonov when he returns from injury.
Carlos Prates also called for a title shot, but in my opinion, beating Leon Edwards, riding a two-fight losing streak, does NOT warrant a title fight, especially after Sean Brady did not get one, who beat Edwards previously.
(3) Michael Morales vs Shavkat Rahkmonov (4):
Morales vs Rahkmonov might be the highest-level non-title fight the UFC could make.
B0th fighter are unbeaten in their careers and in different circumstances could be fighting for a title.
However, Rahkmonov has been out for over a year now, and with inactivity being punished in the UFC, I do not think he will be given a title shot.
Honestly, if Garry was not a company man and more importantly, not faced Rahkmonov already, I do believe Morales would get the title shot.
Nevertheless, someone has to face the “boogeyman” of the division and I think the most competitive and entertaining matchup the UFC can give him is Morales.
In my book, this would be the No. 1 contender’s fight.
(1) Jack Della Maddelena vs Carlos Prates (5):
As previously mentioned, I do not think beating current Leon Edwards warrants a title shot, but Carlos Prates is not far from one.
This is why I would give him the former champion Jack Della Maddelena.
First of all, this is a very easy fight to market, with both having a fan-friendly style and are liked by the fans.
This is a step up for Prates to see if he is title-ready and a striker for Della Maddelena, after fighting Muhammad and Makhachev.
Seems to be a very obvious fight to make.
Belal Muhammad (2) vs Kamaru Usman (8):
Another obvious fight, in my opinion, is Belal Muhammad and Kamaru Usman.
Muhammad will drop down the rankings after the Garry loss, and with their ongoing beef, this is the logical fight to make for the two.
They had an altercation on Usman and Cejudo’s podcast ‘Pound4Pound’, which increases the marketability of the matchup.
Also, when two high-level wrestlers meet, it is often either a high-level grappling battle or both choose to stay on the feet, meaning this fight is very likely to be entertaining in and out of the cage.
Leon Edwards (9) vs Jorge Masvidal (NR)
Although this fight would have been way more popular a couple of years ago, I think it is the perfect time to bring this matchup back up.
After the infamous ‘three piece and a soda’ incident backstage at UFC London in 2019, we have yet to see the incident be revolved in the cage.
However, Masvidal has campaigned for a return to the UFC and wants to fight on the White House card.
I think Edwards makes the perfect dance partner as he is no longer a contender at Welterweight following a third loss, and should face a fellow veteran for big money.
Sean Brady:
If the UFC do go with my fights, I do believe Brady should wait and fight the loser of Maddelena and Prates, as right now I do not see a fight that makes sense.
He could fight Gabriel Bonfim (ranked 11), who is on a three-fight streak, but Brady could see this a too far a step down for him, which does not really help his title hopes.
Currently, the Welterweight division is one of, if not the most exciting division in the UFC, so let’s hope they all stay active so the fans get these unbelievable matchups.
