Champ: Matt Serra

Top Contenders:
Matt Hughes
Georges St. Pierre
Jon Fitch
Karo Parysian
Josh Koscheck

Much like the lightweight division, the welterweight title picture has been on hold in the UFC despite being one of the most exciting and talent-stacked weight classes. The title picture is set through early-2008 as Serra will be defending against Matt Hughes in December, and then GSP has been assured a title match against the winner of that fight. As a fan, I must say that it has been a little disappointing that a division that is so talent-heavy has only had 1 title match so far this year.

Jon Fitch has solidified his position in the top three of the WW division with another impressive win against former top-5 (and arguably top-3) contender Diego Sanchez. Fitch is on a tear right now. He has good striking and a great ground game. With the exception of possibly Matt Hughes, Fitch is probably the storngest pound-for-pound fighter in this division. If the title hadn’t been on hold for so long, I’d say he’s ready for a title fight now. Since it looks like summer of 2008 is the earliest the WW title isn’t spoken for. Looks like Fitch will have at least one more match before he’d get a shot at the title.

Karo Parysian has long been hovering at the top of the welterweight division. At one point he was in line for a title shot, but missed his opportunity due to an injury. His only losses in the UFC were to GSP and Diego Sanchez (when Diego was at the top of his game). And his only losses outside the UFC were to Sean Sherk in 2000 and 2001 (Karo was only 18 at the time). If Karo wins his fight in November, then this sets up a potential #1 contender fight against Jon Fitch in early 2008.

Josh Koscheck may not be a fan favorite, but he continues to improve his skills as a well-rounded MMA fighter. Right now many of the most dominant MMA fighters are former wrestlers who have expanded their game to add striking and jiu-jitsu. As Koscheck continues to expand his game, he should continue to climb the WW ranks. The only thing keeping him from moving into title contention is that he hasn’t had many decisive, dominant victories against tough opponents. If he can add some ground and pound to his arsenal, then he has the talent to go far.

Other fighters in contention in the welterweight division include Diego Sanchez, Marcus Davis and Mike Swick (if he cuts down to 170 as planned).