On Saturday morning (in the United States), two of the planet’s best welterweights 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 bring the former champions back into title contention this year. However, it didn’t take long to see that Prates was the better fighter, and in two-plus rounds, he made it through surgery and dismantled Della Maddalena en route to a TKO victory. With this victory, his name has been included in the discussion of contenders for 2026.
After the UFC Perth main event, let’s see where Prates and Dela Maddalena land in our new UFC welterweight rankings.
10. Joaquin Buckley (21-7)
Joaquin Buckley has faced many hardships during his UFC career. However, most of this was at middleweight. But since he bulked up to 170 pounds last year, the “New Mansa” has won six in a row. Three of these wins came against great players of this era, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington.
His biggest test to date came when he faced division veteran 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 shortcomings in a lopsided decision defeat.
9. Shawn 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 earlier, he scored three major wins, including a win against another former champion Leon Edwards. However, he ran into serious trouble against heavy-hitter Michael Morales at UFC 322. The knockout loss he suffered may have cost him a title shot in 2026.
8. Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0)
Shavkat Rakhmonov has proven time and again that he can ultimately capture UFC gold. He cemented this fact with a hard-fought victory over fellow rising star Ian Garry at UFC 310. Although he was not the best version of himself, he went undefeated at 19–0 despite battling a serious knee injury.
However, knee problems are becoming a serious problem. The disease sidelined him for the entire 2025. Now, he is expected to miss much of 2026 after re-injuring the joint and requiring another surgery. That’s why he drops down our latest UFC welterweight rankings and could eventually fall out of the top 10 by the summer.
7. Kamaru Usman (21-4)
For six consecutive years, Kamaru Usman set a great standard of excellence as he built a resume that will guarantee him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. He would go on to be known 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.
Still, despite losing three fights, the 38-year-old showed at UFC Atlanta that he is far from over. Earned a very impressive decision win over one of the fastest rising stars in the division. Although he may not fight for gold again, Usman remains an elite talent at 170 pounds.
6. Belal Muhammad (24-4)
Belal Muhammad has long received a lot of criticism for his fighting style, but the impressive results cannot be denied, and it has catapulted him over the top to become the welterweight king in 2024. However, it is extremely difficult to live there, and that is what creates legends.
Unfortunately, after becoming champion, Muhammad suffered two disappointing defeats. The most recent case came against Ian Machado Gary in November. 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 country’s second largest MMA exporter. The DWCS contract winner won his first seven inside the Octagon – including five finishes – and earned a title shot in May 2025. In his first shot at gold, he was successful, taking the belt from Belal Muhammad.
However, staying on top has been difficult for the Australian team. In his first title defense, he was soundly defeated by former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Then, despite being in front of his countrymen, Carlos Prates demolished them in May. JDM is firmly out of the title picture in 2026.
4. Carlos Prates (24-7)
Since earning his UFC contract at the Contender Series three years ago, Carlos Prates has been excelling in the Octagon. Win their first four – they all finish. However, he got a bump in the road in April 2025 when fellow title contender Ian Machado Garry knocked him out.
But since then he has bounced back from that setback. Winning three in a row, they have all been eliminated again, and the most recent was a dominant destruction of former division king Jack Della Maddalena. The Brazilian is now a legitimate title contender.
3. Ian Machado Gary (17-1)
Weighing in at 170 pounds, Ian Machado is a notable part of Gary’s new wave of rising stars. He is a very technical striker who is arguably the best self-promoter in the division. He has already achieved many big victories inside the Octagon. However, his biggest victory came in November, when he defeated former division king Belal Muhammad.
By completely shutting down Muhammad’s grappling game in Qatar, the Irishman showed he is more skilled than he is given credit for.
2. Michael Morales (19-0) – Top Contender
Ecuador’s Michael Morales is quickly becoming one of the most feared fighters in the division. After an impressive performance on the regional scene, he won five straight inside the Octagon, including three finishes. However, in their last two encounters, they have defeated two of the best players in the division over the past five years. The most recent occurred at UFC 322 when he shut down a title opportunity with an impressive knockout victory over Shawn Brady.
1. Islam Makhachev (28-1) – Champion
Islam Makhachev has solidified his place as one of the greatest UFC lightweights of all time with his wins over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice) and Charles Oliveira. Not only is he a dominant wrestler, but he has one of the most underrated standup games in the game.
At UFC 322, he made his mark in UFC history when he moved up in weight and became the latest fighter to win titles in two divisions, as he became the new welterweight king with a dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena.
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