Last week, I examined the top contenders of the UFC’s Welterweight Division. Now, let’s look at the ten highest-ranked welterweights currently competing in other MMA organizations. The first two names on this list, WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit and his uncrowned Elite XC counterpart Jake Shields, are in a virtual tie – with Condit ahead by mere fractions of a percent due to more recent activity. Both men demonstrated the ability to perform at a very high level, and either could potentialy be ranked in the top five, however with all remaining top ten fighters locked into UFC contracts, Shields and Condit are held back by not being able to fight competitors at or above their level.
The remainder of this list is comprised of veterans who’ve been around the block many times, never quite reaching the top of their weightclass but ready to give any top contender a tough matchup. Several hold championship titles in smaller promotions, and most are familiar faces to American fans, having appeared in the UFC, IFL, and the now defunct BodogFIGHT league.
[#8] Carlos Condit (WEC Welterweight Champion)
MMA Record: 22-4
Last bout: Defeated Carlo Prater by submission (guillotine choke) at WEC 32
Current affiliation: WEC
After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his career in 2006, Carlos Condit won his next seven fights, in the process gaining and defending the WEC welterweight title as well as avenging a prior loss to Carlo Prater. Now, Condit is a big fish in a small pond, as the only top-ten fighter in a shallow division. The fans can only hope that Zuffa does not intend to waste the prime years of Condit’s career by having him fight subpar competition, and that we will soon see him test his skills against UFC’s elite.
[#9] Jake Shields
MMA Record: 20-4-1
Last bout: Defeated Mike Pyle by submission (rear naked choke) at Elite XC – Renegade
Current affiliation: Elite XC
Jake Shields has been on an impressive nine fight winning streak since 2004, with notable victories over Condit, UFC’s middleweight contender Yushin Okami, and veterans Dave Menne & Renato ‘Charuto’ Verissimo. Shields was slated to face Drew Fickett for the newly-established Elite XC 170 lbs title, but had to pull out of the bout with a back injury. He is now ready to get back into action, but in the meanwhile the plans for the Fickett bout fell apart. Shields will still participate in Elite’s first welterweight title bout; his opponent is not yet know but rumored to be Nick Thompson, Jay Hieron, or Paul Daley.
[#12] Nick Thompson
MMA Record: 36-9-1 (1-1 UFC)
Last bout: Defeated Michael Costa by submission (kimura) at Sengoku – Third Battle
Current affiliation:Sengoku
Since a loss to Karo Parisyan back at UFC 59, Nick ‘The Goat’ Thompson won 12 consecutive fights, including a submission over the UFC newcomer Chris Wilson and TKO stoppage of the highly-esteemed lightweight competitor Eddie Alvarez. Thompson held the BodogFIGHT welterweight title until the league’s collapse, and picked up two victories in Japan’s Sengoku since then. Thompson is on the short list of potential contenders to the soon-to-be-issued Elite XC 170 lbs title.
[#15] Jay Hieron (IFL Welterweight Champion)
MMA Record: 15-4-0 (0-2 UFC)
Last bout: Defeated Mark Miller by TKO at IFL – New Jersey
Current affiliation: IFL
Jay Hieron received an opportunity to compete in the UFC after only a year of fighting as a pro. He was stopped by George St. Pierre in his Octagon debut, and after losing his second UFC bout to Jonathan Goulet, he found a new home in the IFL. There, Hieron amassed a respectable record of 7-2 and captured the IFL welterweight title. With IFL on the verge of an imminent collapse, Hieron will likely be picked up by Elite XC or WEC. He, too, is rumored to be a potential opponent for Shields in his next Elite XC bout.
[#18] Drew Fickett
MMA Record: 34-5-0 (4-3 UFC)
Last bout: Defeated Jeff Horlacher by submission (guillotine choke) at RITC 111
Current affiliation: None
One of the most experienced fighters on this list, Drew Fickett is a long time veteran of UFC and Rage in the Cage. Though he defeated Keita Nakamura in his most recent UFC bout, Fickett has not returned to the Octagon since – as a matter of fact each one of his five most recent fights took place in a different league. Fickett was scheduled for a bout with Jake Shields to crown a new Elite XC welterweight champion, but the bout fell apart after first Shields and then Fickett were sidelined by injuries. Fickett recently took a fight in RITC, while still claiming to be unable to face Shields due to an injury. This put him on the outs with Elite XC, and it is not clear what is next for ‘The Master’.
[#20] Paul Daley (Cage Rage Welterweight Champion)
MMA Record: 17-6-2
Last bout: Defeated Sam Morgan by TKO at ShoXC – Elite Challenger Series
Current affiliation: Cage Rage/Elite XC
After posting consecutive TKO victories over UFC veterans Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig, Mark Weir, and Sam Morgan, the 25 year old British kickboxer and Cage Rage welterweight champion Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley unexpectedly announced his retirement from MMA. Recently, Daley rescinded the short-lived retirement, and is expected to return to action soon – potentially taking Fickett’s place in the Elite XC title matchup against Jake Shields.
[#21] Hayato Sakurai
MMA Record: 32-8-2 (0-1 UFC, 8-3 Pride FC)
Last bout: Lost to David Baron by submission (guillotine choke) at Shooto – Tradition 1
Current affiliation: Unknown
A mainstay of the Pride ‘Bushido’ events and a veteran of Shooto, DEEP, and numerous other Japanese promotions, Hayato ‘Mach’ Sakurai has also unsuccessfully challenged Matt Hughes for the UFC welterweight title back at UFC 36. More recently, he’s knocked out the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winner and current UFC lightweight contender Mac Danzig at Pride 33. Since Pride’s demise, Sakurai has competed in Dream, Yarennoka, and Shooto, where he suffered an upset loss to David Baron. Though a bit past his prime, Sakurai could still present a threat to anyone in his weight class. He is rumored to take on Nick Diaz next, to crown the Dream welterweight champion.
[#22] Brad Blackburn
MMA Record: 12-9-1
Last bout: Defeated Delson Heleno by KO at IFL – New Jersey
Current affiliation: UFC
After a rough patch in his career in 2005, when he suffered four consecutive losses – two of them to the lightweight standouts Roger Huerta and Brandon Melendez, Blackburn found a fresh start in the IFL, where he has racked up a record of 4-2 (with 1 No Contest), including a TKO victory over the current champion Jay Hieron. Blackburn should really have been a part of last week’s list of top UFC welterweights: since the article was published, he has been signed by the UFC to face James Giboo on the upcoming Ultimate Fight Night 14 card.
[#25] Brock Larson
MMA Record: 23-2 (1-1 UFC)
Last bout: Defeated John Alessio by DQ (illegal knee) at WEC 33
Current affiliation: WEC
Brock Larson – not to be confused with the heavyweight contender Brock Lesnar– was 12-0 when he lost a unanimous decision to Jon Fitch in his UFC debut. He then went on another nine fight winning streak before losing a title shot to the WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit. Larson will look to get another streak going, and will likely rematch John Alessio next (Alessio was disqualified in their first bout for an illegal knee to the head of a downed opponent.)
Interestingly enough, Larson’s last UFC bout was a decision victory over Keita Nakamura. Beating Nakamura seems to be a sign of doom for a fighter’s UFC career, as both Larson and Drew Fickett disappeared from the UFC rosters. If I were Rob Emerson, I would be worried…
[#27] Nick Diaz
MMA Record: 17-7 (6-4 UFC, 1 No Contest in Pride FC)
Last bout: Defeated Muhsin Corrbrey by unanimous decision at Elite XC – Return of the King
Current affiliation: Elite XC
Last but not least, Nick Diaz is the most controversial fighter on this list. Diaz’s fighting style and attitude gained him a following in the UFC, where he’s had some great victories – including a TKO of Drew Fickett a KO of Robbie Lawler and a submission of Josh Neer – but also found himself on the wrong end of the judges scorecard after four close bouts. Diaz then decided to drop to lightweight, and in an upset win, submitted the Pride FC lightweight champion Gomi with a gogoplata in a non-title bout. (The bout was ruled a No-Contest after Diaz tested positive for marijuana after the fight.)
Diaz since then attempted to stay at LW, fighting at 160 in Elite XC, where he was stopped by a cut in a 160 lbs title bout with KJ Noons. He came in overweight at 169 lbs in his last bout, and is rumored to take on Hayato Sakurai for the Dream welterweight title, but there have also been talks of a rematch with Noons at 160.