Best UFC Welterweights of All Time: Top 9 Ranked

Welterweight (170 pounds) has long been the UFC’s “perfect storm” division: big enough for real power, fast enough for elite skill, and deep enough that champions rarely get easy nights.

That also makes an all-time ranking messy—some legends ruled for years, some burned hotter for shorter, and some changed the sport even without long title runs.

For this list, the tiebreakers are simple: championship résumé (wins/defenses), quality of opponents, how dominant they were at their peak, and how much they reshaped what a top welterweight looks like.

Best UFC Welterweights of All Time: Top 9 Ranked

1) Georges St-Pierre

The gold standard. St-Pierre is a two-time UFC welterweight champ with nine successful title defenses, still the division record. He blended wrestling, jab-and-kickboxing, and elite decision-making into a blueprint most champs still borrow from.

2) Matt Hughes

If GSP is the standard, Hughes is the foundation. A two-time UFC welterweight champion with seven successful defenses overall, Hughes defined the early modern era with crushing top control, ruthless finishes, and a who’s-who list of title-fight moments.

3) Kamaru Usman

Usman’s prime was a problem: pace, pressure, and increasingly sharp striking layered onto elite wrestling. He captured the belt and logged five successful title defenses, building one of the most dominant modern runs at 170.

4) Tyron Woodley

At his best, Woodley was terrifyingly efficient—explosive power, elite takedown defense, and a counter game that made contenders freeze. He won the UFC welterweight title and defended it four times, anchoring a reign built on control and fight-changing moments.

5) Robbie Lawler

“Ruthless” didn’t just win a belt—he authored an era of violence. Lawler became champion and posted two successful title defenses, but his real argument is the quality: classic fights, relentless pressure, and a peak that turned five-round wars into must-watch TV.

6) Leon Edwards

Edwards’ résumé is highlighted by one of the most iconic title-winning moments ever, then a championship run that proved it wasn’t a fluke. He defended the belt (including a win over Colby Covington) before losing it to Belal Muhammad in 2024. His game—sharp kicks, timing, and composure—fits any era.

7) Pat Miletich

Miletich is the original welterweight king: he won the first UFC welterweight tournament, became the first UFC welterweight champion, and stacked defenses before eventually losing the belt at UFC 31. The division grew up fast after him, but you can’t tell the UFC’s 170 story without him.

8) B.J. Penn

Penn’s UFC welterweight title reign was short, but the talent level was undeniable. He won the belt by submitting Matt Hughes, then was stripped when he left the UFC—yet his skill (especially in the early 2000s) forced bigger welterweights to respect a lighter man’s technique.

9) Johny Hendricks

Hendricks is the “short reign, huge peak” pick. He reached the top in a stacked era, held the UFC welterweight title, and lived in the title picture with a style built on thunderous power and nasty wrestling. His championship chapter was brief—but the level of opposition and how close he came to defining the post-GSP era earns him a spot.

Honorable mentions: Matt Serra (one of MMA’s biggest upsets), Carlos Newton, and a few non-champ icons like Nick Diaz, Stephen Thompson, and Carlos Condit—fighters who didn’t rule the belt for long (or at all) but absolutely shaped the division.