Welterweight Contenders for this year
Written by Sarvesh Pathak
1) Colby Covington
After Colby’s compelling win over former Welterweight champ Tyron Woodley last year, Dana White said ‘Colby is next in line.’. However, it seems like Kamaru Usman is reluctant to give him a shot saying that Colby must show more activity in the sport. It is said that Colby refused to fight Leon Edwards in January after Khamzat Chimaev was forced to pull out of the contest due to covid.
2) Leon Edwards
If he gets the win over Nate on June 14th, he’s most likely to get a shot at the title if Colby Covington is denied the opportunity. Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards last lost a fight in 2015 via submission against the current champ Kamaru Usman. He’s been undefeated ever since.
3) Stephen Thompson
Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson is scheduled to fight Gilbert Burns at UFC 264 on July 10th. A win over Burns could put him in a spot for the title. The last time Stephen fought for the title was against Tyron Woodley at UFC 205 which he lost.
4) Michael Chiesa
In an interview held recently, Ali Abdel Aziz Kamaru Usman’s manager said, he is looking to get back in the Octagon soon after a brilliant knockout victory over Jorge Masvidal. He said, ‘Kamaru could fight Michael Chiesa in August.’.