Jason Burgos
UFC 322 features three huge matchups inside the top 10 of the UFC welterweight rankings, including champ Jack Della Maddalena defending his No. 1 spot against former lightweight king Islam Makhachev. In the fallout from the massive event in New York City, get a look at the updated 170-pound rankings after UFC 322.
10. Joaquin Buckley (21-7)
Joaquin Buckley has hit several bumps in the road during his UFC career. However, much of that was at middleweight. But since he made the move to 170 pounds last year, “New Mansa” went on a tear and won six straight. Three of those victories came against greats of this era, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Colby Covington.
He got his biggest test yet when he faced division legend Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta. However, while he is one of the most dangerous strikers in the weight class, the former champ exposed his major grappling deficiencies in a one-sided decision loss.
9. Sean Brady (18-2)
Sean Brady has been very impressive during his 10-fight run in the UFC. After a loss against former champion Belal Muhammad three years ago, he reeled off three big wins, including against another former champ, Leon Edwards. However, he ran into serious trouble at UFC 322 against heavy-hitter Michael Morales. The knockout loss he suffered likely cost him a title shot in 2026.
8. Carlos Prates (23-7)
Carlos Prates has been outstanding inside the Octagon. While he lost to fellow rising star Ian Machado Garry in April, he fought well and impressed fans. At UFC 319, he was able to bounce back from the setback with a devastating KO win over veteran Geoff Neal. Then he followed that up with a career-defining moment by flattening former division king Leon Edwards. It moves his record inside the Octagon to an impressive 6-1.
7. Kamaru Usman (21-4)
For six straight years, Kamaru Usman set a legendary standard of excellence as he created a resume that will guarantee him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. He will go down as one of the greatest welterweight fighters of all time and one of the best pound-for-pound competitors of his era. However, all good things come to an end.
Yet, despite a three-fight losing skid, the 38-year-old showed at UFC Atlanta that he is far from done. Scoring a very dominant decision win over one of the fastest rising stars in the division. While he may not fight for gold again, Usman remains an elite talent at 170 pounds.
6. Ian Machado Garry (16-1)
There has been no faster-rising star at 170 pounds over the last couple of years than Irish fighter Ian Machado Garry. The Irishman won his first eight inside the Octagon and looked better each time. However, he met his young superstar match at UFC 310 in Shakvat Rakhmonov. While he was not dominated by the top contender, he showed he still has work to do if he hopes to compete for gold.
In April, he showed further growth in his game as he used a well-rounded attack to defeat the very dangerous Brazilian Carlos Prates. It helps “The Future” hold on to his top-five spot and stay in the title hunt.
5. Michael Morales (19-0)
Ecuador’s Michael Morales is quickly becoming one of the division’s scariest fighters. After a dominant run on the regional scene, he reeled off five straight inside the Octagon, including three finishes. However, in his last two bouts, he has crushed two of the division’s best of the last five years. The most recent came at UFC 322 when he may have locked up a title opportunity with a dominant knockout win over Sean Brady.
4. Belal Muhammad (24-3)
You can no longer doubt the talents of Belal Muhammad. He has beaten high-level fighters like Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Gilbert Burns, and Leon Edwards to become a UFC champion. His rise to the top is one of the best stories in the UFC. However, his time at the top of the mountain was short-lived.
Despite being a solid favorite at UFC 315, he saw his title reign end at the hands of Jack Della Maddalena. Considering how he is viewed by the UFC, he may need to win one or two fights to get another crack at the belt he once held.
3. Jack Della Maddalena (18-3)
Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena has become Australia’s second greatest MMA export. The Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner went 7-0 inside the Octagon and earned a surprise title shot at UFC 315 when Shavkat Rakhmonov was injured despite many doubters. Maddalena proved he is the total package, and when he ended Belal Muhammad’s title reign after one fight.
However, it is extremely hard to stay at the top, and the Aussie’s title run was just as long as Muhammad’s. At UFC 322, lightweight great Islam Makhachev moved up in weight and utterly dominated the champ. Della Maddalena will need to win a couple of fights to get back into the title picture after that loss.
2. Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0)
Shavkat Rakhmonov has proven over and over again that he is a future title contender at welterweight. And he solidified that fact at UFC 310 with a hard-fought win over fellow rising star Ian Garry. While he wasn’t his best version, he battled through a serious knee injury to stay unbeaten at 18-0.
Now, he moves on to a title fight with Belal Muhammad in 2025 and a chance to become the greatest athlete in Kazakhstan’s history.
1. Islam Makhachev (28-1)
Islam Makhachev has stamped his place as one of the greatest UFC lightweights ever with his wins over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice), and Charles Oliveira. Not only is he a dominant grappler, but he has one of the most underrated standup games in the sport.
At UFC 322, he etched his place in UFC history when he moved up in weight to become the latest fighter to win titles in two divisions as he became the new welterweight king with a dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena.
