The UFC’s welterweight division finds itself in a sudden state of disarray. With Johny Hendricks taking a fight with Matt Brown at UFC 185, the No.1 contendership is up for grabs at welterweight.
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler emerged victorious at UFC 181 in December against Johny Hendricks, taking the title in Hendricks’ first attempt at defending it. Lawler's long quest to the UFC title started when he was a teenager, and his win against Hendricks was the culmination of a 13-year journey. The two fought earlier in the year for the vacant welterweight championship after it was vacated by long-reigning welterweight king, Georges St-Pierre, with Hendricks becoming GSP’s successor.
Waiting for the winner of the UFC 181 main event was Rory MacDonald, who was fresh off his third-round TKO of Tarec Saffiedine in October, and winner of three straight fights. He had turned a corner since his November 2013 loss to Lawler at UFC 167, and he was the division’s top contender.
Then Lawler takes the title from Hendricks at UFC 181 and UFC President Dana White told reporters on Jan. 1 that a trilogy fight between Hendricks and Lawler “makes sense” and would be the promotion’s next move, leaving MacDonald to fend off yet another welterweight killer to maintain his position as the division's next-next contender.
"The Red King," as MacDonald is now nicknamed, took a fight with the always-dangerous Hector Lombard, who is 3-0 at welterweight in the UFC with wins over Nate Marquardt, Jake Shields and Josh Burkman.
While this shifting was going on at the top of the mountain, Matt Brown was left without an opponent for the UFC’s Feb. 14 Fight Night event in Broomfield, CO, when Tarec Saffiedine pulled out with an injury. A fight already booked for that night, Brandon Thatch vs. Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson was bumped up to five-round status and Matt Brown was moved off the card.
The Immortal was shifted to UFC 185 in Dallas, and will now take on Johny Hendricks. The former UFC welterweight champion is forgoing his rematch to stay active, as his manager told MMAFighting.com that Lawler wouldn't be ready fight until this Summer, and Hendricks didn't want to stay out of action that long.
With Hendricks facing Brown on March 14, and MacDonald taking on Lombard just a month later on April 25, the welterweight title shot is hanging in the balance. Whichever fighter emerges victorious most impressively will move on to face Lawler this Summer.
There are a number of possible scenarios and outcomes to this welterweight melee. The first of which would be that both Hendricks and MacDonald are victorious in their respective fights. If MacDonald puts on more of an inspiring performance than "Bigg Rigg," it's very possible that he could get the fight he has earned for the UFC welterweight title.
Another possible outcome would be if one of the two was to win and the other one to lose. In that case, if MacDonald wins against Lombard and Hendricks loses to Brown, MacDonald would definitely get the title shot against Lawler.
The other option to consider would be both Hendricks and MacDonald losing in their upcoming fights. In that case you could give the title shot to whomever defeated them most impressively. There is also the fight between the surging Kelvin Gastelum and Tyron Woodley at UFC 183. If Gastelum defeats Woodley, it would be his sixth win in the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 in his official Octagon debut against Uriah Hall in April 2013.
Lastly there is the aforementioned Thatch vs. Wonderboy fight on February 14. The winner there won't be in the running for the next title shot, but they could catapult themselves farther upward into a fight with a winner of one of the other big welterweight showdowns. Not to mention that No. 4-ranked Carlos Condit will be returning to action in 2015 from a knee injury.
The next welterweight challenger will most likely be Johny Hendricks, or Rory MacDonald, but there are a number of other welterweights who could break through the pack with impressive wins in the upcoming series of match-ups. With the champion out, we are entering into a sort of playoff period for welterweight division.
Rory MacDonald has the opportunity to take what was taken from him, his shot he has earned at the UFC welterweight title. For Johny Hendricks, he has a chance to prove that he deserves a third fight with Lawler, and a chance to definitively end their trilogy.
Whichever man winds up holding the UFC welterweight title when we enter the second half of 2015 will then have the prospect of facing off with the other king of the welterweight division, if he should decide to reclaim his throne.
