Although the welterweight class in MMA is decently heavier than its contemporaries in other combat sports, it keeps in the tradition of offering a rich history of memorable battles.
Japanese organizations like Shooto have typically referred to fighters between 156-171 lbs. as “middleweights,” while the UFC’s 170-pound division dates back to the late 90s when the organization anointed its first welterweight champion, [autotag]Pat Militech[/autotag], at UFC 17.5 in Brazil.
Since then, the division has produced a slew of great fights and Hall of Fame fighters alike.
It’s impossible to properly pay homage to all the best bouts that have gone down at 170 pounds, so I’ll instead widdle down my list to my favorite welterweight wars.
Whether we’re talking about back-and-forth battles or brutally bloody affairs, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my favorite fights from the weight class.
As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and biases and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top five.
So, without further ado …
