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, Pat Militech, 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 …
No. 5: Josh Neer vs. Keith Wisniewski at UFC Live 6 (Oct. 1, 2011)
In keeping with my trend of “hipster picks” for the number five slot, I can’t help but give some shine to Josh Neer’s epic clinch battle with Keith Wisniewski.
Both midwestern MMA veterans were given a second chance to be a part of the UFC roster, but they had to fight each other first.
Another entry for “fights that don’t get talked about enough” is Josh Neer vs. Keith Wisniewski at UFC Live 6
Basically non-stop clinch striking… elbows, knees, bodywork, hand posting frames and wrist pins… absolute war: pic.twitter.com/S5wRcWBR51
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) December 12, 2023
As the tweet above indicates, this contest was essentially sorted out in the clinch through a series of punishing exchanges that sent mouthpieces and blood flying in every direction.
This fight got so chaotic that Neer’s mouthpiece got lost underneath the cage, which – according to Joe Rogan – was a first in the UFC.
No. 4: Matt Brown vs. Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night 40 (May 10, 2014)
Despite riding an impressive six-fight winning streak into this fight, Matt Brown still came in as a near 2-1 underdog to the then-prospect Erick Silva.
Silva was coming off an impressive knockout over Takenori Sato, but was not beyond being broken if his opponent could survive his initial storm.
The storm was enough to cripple Brown to the body early in this fight, but “The Immortal” was able to battle back by technically brawling in and out of the clinch.
About a minute of Matt Brown beating the hell out of Erick Silva in the clinch. pic.twitter.com/G5wSXo2O8H
— The Honest Jones Fan🦆 (@SmackdownLayer) September 20, 2022
To Silva’s credit, he was able to hang tough and keep Brown honest with body shots throughout the first ten minutes of action.
However, it was ultimately Brown’s skill and insane will that won the day in front of a roaring hometown Ohio crowd.
No. 3: Vicente Luque vs. Bryan Barberena at UFC on ESPN 1 (Feb. 17, 2019)
Earning the number three spot is the spectacular back-and-forth battle that took place between Vicente Luque[/auotag] and [autotag]Bryan Barberena.
Despite coming in a 4-1 underdog, Barberena put on an arguable career-best performance in defeat.
February 17, 2019
Absolute War Vs Bryan Barberena.
Luque secures the finish before the buzzer. pic.twitter.com/6uPEFWVra6
— Ocelot MMA (@Ocelot_MMA) August 2, 2022
Aside from being up on the scorecards heading into the final frame, Barberena was able to become the first person to dop Luque in the UFC.
Luque, however, was able to return the favor by becoming the first person to knock Barberena out.
No. 2: Carlos Condit vs. Hiromitsu Muira at WEC 35 (Aug. 8, 2008)
Although Carlos Condit vs. Hiromitsu Muira is one of my all-time favorite WEC fights, it’ll have to settle for the number two slot here.
A fighter who became appointment viewing before he hit the UFC, Condit made his name in promotions like Rumble on the Rock and the WEC.
But despite being heavily favored to defend his title opposite Muira, the Japanese fighter gave “The Natural Born Killer” all he could handle.
One of my favorites, Carlos Condit, makes his return at #UFCFightIsland4
Win or lose, I’m grateful for all the battles he’s given us.His Hiromitsu Miura fight at WEC 35 (among other) makes my top 5 welterweight war list (via @MMAjunkie) for good reason: https://t.co/vISiQbDBDJ pic.twitter.com/nmtaH41EEp
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 3, 2020
Back in this era of mid-00s MMA, my favorite stylistic matchups were “boxing/judo” vs.”muay Thai/jiu-jitsu” – and this matchup perfectly illustrates why.
From insane grappling scrambles to high-risk clinch entanglements, this fight has it all.
No. 1: Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 (July 11, 2015)
Coming to the surprise of no one, Robbie Lawler’s rematch with Rory MacDonald notches the number one spot.
As contrarian as I tend to be, it’s quite difficult to knock this selection off any list that it qualifies for.
An instant classic that went down on one of the most memorable cards of all time, this back-and-forth battle produces a steady burn that unfolds into an undeniable war.
Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald went to war 5 years ago today at UFC 189 pic.twitter.com/ZCLwr5EjRM
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 11, 2020
Although other title fights at 170 pounds are more than appropriate for this list, Lawler-MacDonald 2 gets this spot – as well as HOF distinction –for a reason, folks.
*Honorable mentions: Robbie Lawler vs. Johny Hendricks 1 at UFC 171, Karo Parisyan vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 6, Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, Yancy Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira at UFC 218, Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 195
For a deeper dive into topics like this, feel free to check out Dan Tom’s podcast,The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.
