August 20, 2022.
You already know the story — UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards.

We were all familiar with Usman by then. Dominant. Relentless. A machine that made his opponents suffer — just ask Covington, Masvidal, Burns, Woodley, or Dos Anjos. And against Edwards? Looked like business as usual. The Nigerian Nightmare bullied him from the start… all the way to almost the end.

I was chillin’ Sunday morning, watching the card like any other — until round 3, when I zoned out and started scrolling Instagram. The fight was going exactly as we expected.
While I went to the kitchen and made myself a drink — and BOOM. The commentators screamed from the TV, “NO WAY!!!”

“What the hell?” I ran to the screen.
Usman was lying flat, like his soul just left the body. Edwards was sprinting, celebrating like a madman.
“Holy shit! Did Edwards just knock the f out of Usman?” That made everyone’s jaw drop — mine included.

I missed the moment. Had to watch the replay. And what I saw? A picture-perfect head kick. A “Headshot. Dead”. The guy once known for having zero highlights just landed the greatest highlight in UFC history.

But that moment was bigger than a knockout. It marked the end of the Nigerian Nightmare era.
And with the current losses streak of these old gens? I saw the beginning of the downfall.

💔 Welterweight Wipeout: The Old Guard Crumbles

What happened after that historical head kick?
After Kamaru Usman was sent to the ghost club — A rematch, of course. And we got it — Leon brought the vibe to London on March 18, 2023.
Everyone thought Usman would fix his mistake and take the belt back, right? Nope. Edwards showed the world he’s got the mental game on lock and defended his title like a champ.
But don’t forget — before all that, Usman successfully defended the title five times, just behind the GOAT GSP. With dominant wrestling and seriously leveled-up boxing, Usman was (and still is) one of the greatest welterweight champs we’ve seen. Personally? I think he’s just one step below GSP.
And what happened next with him? Well, we’ll see. He recently took an L against Khamzat Chimaev, but still proved he could survive three gritty rounds with the Wolf. Next up: June 2025, where he’s set to face another savage — Joaquin Buckley.
But let’s be real — it’s gonna be tough for him to climb back to the throne, with age and time working against him.

Leon Edwards, after finally claiming the belt and becoming the new champ, faced Usman again in the trilogy — and walked out with another W.
Next? He defended the title against yet another wrestler, Colby Covington. And yeah, still looked pretty chill doing it. Read Colby like a book. Wasn’t a dominant beatdown, but Leon showed he could deal with elite wrestlers without breaking a sweat.
Then came Belal Muhammad… or wait, am I saying the name right? Can’t remember the name 😅 Either way — Leon did absolutely nothing threaten in that fight, and guess what? Wait, don’t even need to guess. He lost the belt. Boring fight. Boring fighters. Zero sauce. But hey, credit where it’s due — Belal got it done.
Fast forward — Leon’s next challenge? Sean Brady. A 12-fight win streak suddenly spirals into a 2-fight skid. Sean wraps him up in a guillotine… tap. Game over.

Colby Covington — Usman’s ex. Faced him twice. Lost twice. Then tried his luck with Edwards — still an L. Faced Joaquin Buckley next? Left with a red face and even redder ego.
To be fair, Colby used to rack up big wins and bigger mouth. He beat names like Woodley, Masvidal, Lawler, and Dos Anjos. His prime was solid — pressure, cardio, volume — but let’s be real: NEVER touched gold. Now at 37, the clock’s ticking. How much longer can he hang with the new blood?

Gilbert Burns — heavy hands and a BJJ black belt to match. Our dude’s got credentials. He once stood across from Usman for the belt, even rocked him early, but couldn’t seal the deal.
Still, Burns had his run. Took out legit names like Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, Stephen Thompson, and Jorge Masvidal. That’s a solid hit list.
But lately? It’s been rough. Losses to Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady… and just last week, got TKO’d in the first round by fresh blood Michael Morales. Brutal.
No doubt Burns had a great ride, but looking at his recent slump and comparing it to Colby’s fall — they are on the same page. And it’s safe to say the old guard’s sliding fast.

Jorge Masvidal — the myth, the flying knee. 5-second KO of Ben Askren went straight into history. The dogfight with Nate Diaz and the birth of the BMF title. That stretch alone made his legacy.
After that? Back-to-back losses to Usman (including a brutal KO), a wrestling clinic from Colby, and then a tough loss to Gilbert Burns.
Eventually, Jorge did what most OGs do when the chin starts fading and the losses streak stack up — he called it. Hung up the gloves and stepped away from MMA. No shame in that. The guy went from backyard brawls to Madison Square Garden. That’s a full story.

And last but not least — Belal Muhammad. Known in some circles as Khabib’s favorite training dummy. No joke, this man built a rep for his bOOring fight style: takedown, hold, rinse, repeat. Basically, human melatonin. But like it or not, he brought the grind to Leon Edwards and actually walked out with the welterweight gold.
Crazy, right? The same guy who showed up a thousand times in Mojahed Fudailat’s multiverse repeating “Dana Please!” finally got what he wanted.
First title defense? He got Canelo Hands — and to be fair, it brought out the best in him. For once, fans gave him some props. BUT… trying to stand and bang with a sniper like Jack Della Maddalena? Yeah, not the best move. And the belt left him — and left some cracks on his face too.
What’s next for Belal? Hard to say. He’s 36, the division’s getting younger and scarier, and that window for greatness might be closing fast. Solid career, but the clock’s ticking.

💥 The Rise of the New Generation

Whenever we talk about a new wave, there’s one thing we gotta consider: performance. Let’s split the welterweight division into two clear squads — The Downfall and The Rising.
The downfall? You’ve seen it yourselves — the OGs with stacked resumes, now stuck in losing streaks and fading momentum. Guys like Edwards, Covington, Burns — used to be top dogs, no doubt. But they’ve crossed into the twilight zone of their careers.

Enter the new bloods:
Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, Michael Morales, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry.
This next-gen is built different — hungry, explosive, and ready to take over the whole damn division.

Let’s start with Jack Della Maddalena — Still undefeated in the UFC. Fight bonus collector. Always in a dogfight. He made a statement with that wild war against Gilbert Burns, earning himself top-contender respect. When Shavkat Rakhmonov pulled out due to injury, Jack stepped in like a true savage, squared up against Belal Muhammad, and straight-up outstruck the champ to snatch the gold. New king has arrived.

Now on to Sean Brady — This guy’s game is pressure and submissions, and he’s been strangling his way up the rankings. His latest win?
Tapping out former champ Leon Edwards with a filthy guillotine. That’s it — the first man to ever finish Leon. Got one loss on his record (to Belal), but other than that? Man’s on fire. He’s quietly climbing while everyone’s watching the chaos above him. Whatever’s next for Brady, one thing’s clear — he is the wave of the division.

Shavkat Rakhmonov — The finishing machine. This guy ends people. Submissions, TKOs, whatever — but scorecards? Never heard about. He made history as the first guy to ever submit Wonderboy Thompson. Pure dominance, no fluff. He was lined up to challenge Belal Muhammad for the title, but Belal pulled out with an injury. Instead?
Shavkat stepped in with another undefeated savage — Ian Machado Garry. And guess what? He handed Ian his first loss and gave him a churro to go with it. Yeah, it was a tough scrap for both, but in the end, the Nomad stood tall — still undefeated, still terrifying.

Ian Machado Garry — Conor 2.0… except for the mouth (for now). He’s been working his way up the ranks, picking off names one by one. Most recently? He outclassed MVP — yeah, that Michael “Venom” Page. The guy known for highlight-reel knockouts and flexing dance moves.
Then he shared the Octagon with Shavkat. That right there? Big respect moment. Even in defeat, Ian proved he belongs with the elites. And don’t forget — he also handled business against one of the Nerds Gang, Carlos Prates, in a performance that had fans doing double takes.
Is he overhyped? Maybe. Is he the real deal? Possibly. But one thing’s for sure — he’s charging full speed into the spotlight, and the new wave is surfing right behind him.

And last, we’ve got a new shark swimming into the welterweight waters — Islam Makhachev. The former lightweight king finally vacated his belt after four dominant title defenses, clearing out almost everyone at 155. What’s next? A shot at champ-champ status. That’s right — Islam’s next in line to face Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight strap. There’s nothing left to prove at lightweight, so now he’s chasing legacy.
Lightweight Islam was already a problem. Welterweight Islam? We don’t know for sure (yet)… But with that smothering grappling, championship experience, and calm under fire — he might bring us the promising in this division too.

🌊 Predictions: The Future of 170, Matchmaking

With Jack Della Maddalena now holding the welterweight crown, the landscape just shifted big time. And who’s coming for that champ-champ status? Islam Makhachev, of course. Exciting? Hell yeah.
The good news? We’re about to witness one of the most 🔥 matchups in the game.
The bad news? While those two are prepping for war, the rest of the division might get stuck in wait mode.
And let’s be honest — no one wants to just sit on the sidelines.
Which means… fresh matchups are inevitable.

So, what’s next?
Kamaru Usman is gearing up for a return. And his next dance partner? Joaquin Buckley — the guy forever meme into UFC history for that ninja flip kick KO. Usman proved he could still hang with monsters when he fought Khamzat — even though that was nearly two years ago. That layoff could be a problem. Meanwhile, Buckley’s momentum is surging after dismantling Colby Covington.
This could get real spicy.

My predictions — Matchups That Make Sense Right Now 🤔

Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena
💥 Title Fight — Late 2025. Islam’s chasing double champ legacy. Jack’s defending his throne. Styles clash, stakes high — potential Fight Of The Year incoming.

Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Both pulled out from this fight before, twice. Shavkat faced Garry instead, Belal lost to Jack instead. It’s time to run this.
If Belal wins, he’s still not guaranteed another title shot (Unless he bring the real fire with Shavkat in this match). But if Shavkat wins? That’s a straight ticket to gold.

Michael Morales vs. Sean Brady
🔥 Two rising stars — Morales just put away Gilbert Burns, Brady took out former champ Leon Edwards. Winner gets a fast track to the title. Undefeated striker vs. BJJ powerhouse — this one’s a high-stakes chess match wrapped in violence.
If Shavkat wins next? They’re up next in line. But if Belal pulls off the W? The winner of this one might be fighting for gold immediately.

Leon Edwards vs. Ian Machado Garry
The British Battle. Leon gets a chance to prove he’s still elite. Garry gets a shot to break into the top 5 and silence the “overhyped” whispers. Big stakes, big crowd, maybe even O2 Arena?

Gilbert Burns vs. Colby Covington
This fight should’ve happened in 2019 — would’ve been fireworks. Now? It’s a swan song bout for both. UFC can still squeeze a few more paydays here, and fans will tune in for the names.

🧠 Final Thoughts — Respect the Past, Fear the Future

The welterweight division? It’s shifting. The old guard paved the way with blood, grit, and wars we’ll replay for years. From the calculated pressure of Covington to the kill-or-be-killed style of Burns, they gave us eras worth remembering.

But time? Time’s undefeated. And it’s catching up.

Now, the new wave is rolling in — younger, hungrier, sharper. They’re not waiting their turn. They’re taking spots, one brutal finish at a time. Jack Della Maddalena, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, Michael Morales, Ian Garry… this isn’t hype. This is hostile takeover energy.

The matchups are wild. The stakes are higher than ever. And the future? It’s not built on safe decisions or padded records — it’s built on scrambles, submissions, and savage pressure.

We salute the legends. But the new blood isn’t here to show respect. They’re here to run through what’s left and plant the flag.

Liked the breakdown?
Drop your take in the comments — who’s the future king of 170? 👑
Share this with your fight crew, and let’s see who’s riding the new wave 🌊
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This era’s just getting started. Don’t blink. 🥋💥

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