Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)
With Josh Koscheck’s May 8 win over Paul Daley, St. Pierre’s next title defense was set. But before he meets Koscheck in a rematch of their August 2007 encounter, the two welterweights will square off as opposing coaches on the 12th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” with a very convenient and apparent good guy-bad guy dynamic in play.

2. Jon Fitch (23-3, 1 NC)
At UFC 117, Fitch finally met Thiago Alves in their long-anticipated rematch. However, there was little flair in what transpired. The workmanlike Fitch wore down Alves with strong takedowns and great positional control en route to a unanimous decision verdict that might put him on the doorstep to another UFC welterweight title shot.

3. Thiago Alves (17-7)
A lackluster loss to Jon Fitch in August, coupled with missing weight, seemed to signal Alves’ move to 185 pounds. Instead, “Pitbull” has linked up with MMA fighter-slash-nutritional guru Mike Dolce, who has vowed to get him in shape and on weight for a 170-pound clash with John Howard at UFC 124 on Dec. 11.

4. Dan Hardy (23-7, 1 NC)
His lopsided loss to Georges St. Pierre in March is now a distant memory. “The Outlaw” will get back into the saddle this fall, as the Octagon heads back to England for UFC 120 on Oct. 16 in London. There, Hardy will take on fellow welterweight contender Carlos Condit in what should be a high-action affair.

5. Josh Koscheck (15-4)
With high stakes up for grabs -- a UFC welterweight title shot and a coaching stint opposite Georges St. Pierre on “The Ultimate Fighter 12” -- Koscheck dominated Paul Daley for 15 minutes on the floor en route to a unanimous decision victory at UFC 113. After dodging a post-fight sucker punch from Daley and taunting the Montreal crowd, Koscheck cemented himself as one of MMA’s premiere heels and set in place the groundwork for the build-up to his rematch with St. Pierre.

6. Martin Kampmann (17-3)
In June, Kampmann put on perhaps the most impressive performance of his career, sweeping the cards in a one-sided decision win over Paulo Thiago. Now, Denmark’s top MMA export will get the tall task of welcoming former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields to the Octagon at UFC 121 on Oct. 23.

7. Paulo Thiago (13-2)
Following a tough, one-sided decision loss to Martin Kampmann at UFC 115 in June, Thiago will have the chance to end 2010 on a high note. The Brazilian will take on Diego Sanchez at UFC 121 on Oct. 23 in Anaheim, Calif.

8. Paul Daley (25-9-2)
Just by the skin of his teeth, Daley edged out a decision win over usual lightweight Jorge Masvidal on Sept. 11. The win set up “Semtex” for a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, which will begin Dec. 4 when the British banger makes his promotional debut against Scott Smith in St. Louis.

9. Nick Diaz (22-7, 1 ND)
The first defense of Diaz’s Strikeforce welterweight title will come Oct. 9 against a familiar foe. Diaz will risk his title against the only man to beat him in the last four-plus years -- K.J. Noons, who temporarily abandons the 155-pound division for the rematch.

10. John Hathaway (14-0)
In his first fight outside of Europe in May, Hathaway solidified himself as one to watch at 170 pounds. The next step for the talented Brit will come Oct. 16 in front of a partisan British crowd, as he meets veteran Mike Pyle on the main card at UFC 120.

Other contenders: Ben Askren, Carlos Condit, Jay Hieron, Dan Hornbuckle, Mike Swick.

* Due to a recent lack of accomplishment in the competitive welterweight division, previously 10th-ranked Mike Swick falls to the contenders list.