UFC welterweight division just got interesting with Leon Edwards winning the trilogy

It's odd realizing that Kamaru Usman is no longer a factor to the UFC welterweight title considering he lapped that division during his run as champion. That being said, it is also a breath of fresh air considering all the new and interesting matchups to make at 170 with Leon Edwards firmly established as champ.

1. Colby Covington

Alot of people don't think Colby is deserving of a third title fight despite his undeniable ability and skill that has kept him at the top of the division for years. He fought once after he first lost to Usman, and it was against a Tyron Woodley who was on a decline. His fight with Woodley was in September of 2020... his next fight after that would be his next title fight in November of 2021 which he would lose. He then decides to fight Jorge Masvidal in March of 2022 a fight that he dominated in. There are simply other contenders who Colby has refused to fight and have established more justifiable claims for a title fight at this moment.

2. Belal Muhammad

The Belal Muhammad disrespect has to stop. His last loss was to Geoff Neal in 2019, and Geoff Neal just went to war with Shavkat Rakhmanov at UFC 285 in a losing effort that without a doubt raised his stock. Since losing to Neal, Belal has beaten Lyman Good, Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson and even avenged one of his losses against Vicente Luque all in convincing fashion. The no contest against the current champion due to an eye poke is also something that has aged well for both Belal and Leon because both guys just kept winning. Another impressive victory and Belals case for a title shot is undeniable.

3. Shavkat Rakhmonov

This man in my opinion has stolen the hype train that surrounded Khamzat Chimaev regarding an undefeated surging welterweight contender. He makes the weight, shows up and finishes his opponents. Out of all 17 of his professional MMA fights, he has either knocked out or submit every person he has faced. Similar to how Chimaev was tested against a legit welterweight contender when he fought Gilbert Burns, Rakhmonov experience dthis against Geoff Neal and still managed to pull off a late third round submission. The main reason Shavkat is directly after Belal is because Dana White has openly stated that the UFC is looking to book Shavkat vs Belal in the future, very intriguing fight.

4. Gilbert Burns

There is a legit reason that Burns is at the bottom of this list, but it isn't necessarily a bad one. He fought Kamaru for the belt in early 2021 and fell short, came back and beat Stephen Thompson the same year. He then accepts a fight against Khamzat Chimaev who NOBODY wanted to fight at the time and drags him to hell in one of the best fights of 2022. Despite coming up short in a decision loss, that fight propelled his stock and made him an very avoided opponent as well. After submitting Neil Magny in January, he called for a busy 2023 and called out Colby Covington. The UFC matched him up with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 instead. If Gilbert can pull of a victory similar to the one against Magny, and keep busy through the year. He can easily fight for the title before the end of the year.