Jason Burgos
On Saturday morning (in the United States), two of the best welterweights on the planet faced off in the main event of UFC Perth when former division king Jack Della Maddalena took on dangerous Brazilian striker Carlos Prates.
A win could get the former champ right back into title contention this year. However, it did not take long to see that Prates was the better fighter, and over two-plus rounds, he got surgical with it and took Della Maddalena apart en route to a TKO win. The victory adds his name to the contender discussion in 2026.
Following the UFC Perth main event, let’s see where Prates and Della Maddalena land in our new UFC welterweight rankings.
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. Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0)
Shavkat Rakhmonov has proven over and over again that he can eventually hold UFC gold. 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 19-0.
However, that knee issue is becoming a serious problem. The ailment sidelined him for all of 2025. Now, he is expected to miss much of 2026 after reinjuring the joint and needing another surgery. It’s why he plummets down our latest UFC welterweight rankings and could eventually be bounced from the top 10 by the summer.
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. Belal Muhammad (24-4)
Belal Muhammad has long gotten a lot of flak for his fight style, but there is no denying the impressive results, and it carried him all the way to the top to become the welterweight king in 2024. However, staying there is extremely difficult, and what makes legends.
Unfortunately, after becoming champ, Muhammad has suffered a pair of disappointing losses. The most recent one came in November against Ian Machado Garry. There is no serious doubt that he will ever fight for the title again.
5. Jack Della Maddalena (18-4)
Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena has become his nation’s second greatest MMA export. The DWCS contract winner won his first seven inside the Octagon — including five finishes — and fairly earned a title shot in May of 2025. In his first shot at gold, he was successful, taking the belt from Belal Muhammad.
However, staying at the top has been difficult for the Aussie. In his first title defense, he was soundly outworked by former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev. Then, despite being in front of his countrymen, he was demolished by Carlos Prates in May. JDM is firmly outside the title picture in 2026.
4. Carlos Prates (24-7)
Since earning his UFC contract on the Contender Series three years ago, Carlos Prates has been outstanding in the Octagon. Winning his first four — all of them finishes. However, he did hit a bump in the road in April 2025 when he was outpointed by fellow title contender Ian Machado Garry.
But he has bounced back from that setback since. Winning three straight, all of them finishes again, and the most recent was a dominant destruction of former division king Jack Della Maddalena. The Brazilian is now a legit title contender.
3. Ian Machado Garry (17-1)
Ian Machado Garry is a notable part of the new wave of rising stars at 170 pounds. He is a very technical striker who is arguably the best self-promoter in the division. He has already scored several big wins inside the Octagon. However, his biggest win came in November, when he defeated former division king Belal Muhammad.
The Irishman showed he is more well-rounded than he gets credit for by completely shutting down Muhammad’s grappling game in Qatar.
2. Michael Morales (19-0) – Top Contender
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.
1. Islam Makhachev (28-1) – Champion
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.
