A Wealth Of Possibilities: Who Will Be UFC Welterweight Champion At The End Of 2014?

The UFC welterweight division received its biggest shakeup ever when longtime champion Georges St. Pierre vacated the belt last Friday in order to spend some time away from the sport.

The news left a huge void in the 170-pound arena despite the announcement that Johny Hendricks would soon face rising contender Robbie Lawler for the belt at UFC 171. But at the same time, it was a sort of relief for a talented division that GSP had ruled with an iron fist.

Welterweight is now a division full of exciting possibilities, and it remains one of the most stacked divisions in mixed martial arts. There a number of worthy challengers that could end up with the belt wrapped around their waist. Let’s take a look at the best candidates.

Johny Hendricks

Hendricks is the man who many feel should already own the welterweight crown. He took St. Pierre to the limit in their controversial five round affair at UFC 167. While it was initially thought that Hendricks would get an immediate rematch with St. Pierre, he’ll instead fight “Ruthless” to decide the rightful owner of the vacant title.

“Bigg Rigg” has some of the best wrestling in the division, but he’s been doing most of his damage with his thunderous fists. Hendricks’ knockouts over Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann will be etched into UFC highlight reels for years to come.

But it hasn’t been a flawless run towards the top. Despite unloading on GSP for five rounds, he couldn’t finish the job, just like he couldn’t put away Carlos Condit, the next man on this list.

Still, Hendricks is a freight train who appears to have at least improved his cardio. There’s no doubt that Hendricks is the frontrunner to rule welterweight next year, but questions about his ability to outlast top opposition may make picking him just outside of a slam-dunk prediction.

Carlos Condit

Condit may sit with a relatively unimpressive 1-2 record in his last three fights but numbers can be deceiving. Although he was thoroughly dominated by GSP’s smothering top game at UFC 154, Condit did nearly finish St. Pierre with a vicious third round headkick.

He also lost a close bout with Hendricks at UFC 158 where, despite being taken down an alarming 12 times, he was able to get back up effectively and finish strong. “The Natural Born Killer” was gaining momentum towards the end of the bout and many feel that victory would have definitely been his had it been a full five round match.

Condit got back on track with a technical knockout win over Martin Kampmann in August, and the consensus was that he was the man to face Hendricks for the belt. He’ll have to earn that shot, however, as he faces a very dangerous Tyron Woodley at UFC 171.

Condit is one of the most technical and dangerous strikers in the division, and you can’t argue with his toughness or incredibly high finishing rate. The major flaw in his game is his takedown defense, so he needs to shore that up if wants to hold onto the belt.

Robbie Lawler

Lawler is the definition of a dark horse contender. Just last year Lawler was stagnant in Strikeforce, able to put on some exciting bouts but not really getting anywhere in a failing promotion.

Then came his UFC 157 bout with former title challenger Josh Koscheck.

Lawler exploded back onto the UFC scene with a first round knockout over the hated “Kos,” announcing his presence in a big way. Lawler followed that up by knocking out Bobby Voelker with a headkick. His biggest UFC win to date came when he outpointed highly-ranked contender Rory MacDonald at UFC 167, earning him his title shot against Hendricks.

Lawler’s strength has always been his thunderous striking power. He can absolutely knock out any man he faces at 170 pounds, and he appears reinvented at welterweight. He’s going to be a beast in 2014, but questions remain about his takedown and submission defense. If he can avoid being slammed to the mat and/or submitted by the top-level grapplers on this list, Lawler can get his hands on the belt.

Tyron Woodley

Woodley proved he is a force to be reckoned with by destroying Koscheck at UFC 167. The win was huge because it gave him momentum; otherwise Woodley has been a bit inconsistent as of late.

Ultimate grinder Jake Shields outworked him at UFC 161 after he knocked out Jay Hieron in a mere 36 seconds in his Octagon debut. Before that, Woodley was last seen eating a vicious combo from Nate Marquardt in a failed bid for the Strikeforce welterweight crown.

Those are the only two losses of his career, and “T-Wood” looks like he’s just hitting his stride. He’s a massive welterweight who has some scary knockout power to go with his NCAA Division I wrestling pedigree. After campaigning hardcore for a bout with Condit at UFC 171, Woodley finally got his wish.

“The Natural Born Killer” is the perfect test to gauge whether or not Woodley is truly ready to fight for the championship. If the unranked Woodley can get past Condit, it’s going to be hard to deny him. The only concern about Woodley is that he may be smothered by elite grapplers who are able to stifle his striking power.

Hector Lombard

Lombard recently made his way down to welterweight after experiencing mixed results at middleweight once coming over to the UFC. His divisional debut was a successful one as he put Marquardt away in impressive fashion. “Lightning” is still getting used to the weight cut but if can successfully make 170 pounds, then look out.

Lombard’s knockout power could be otherworldly in this lower weight class and that makes him a threat to any opponent unlucky enough to face him.

He may not use them all that much, but Lombard also has black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo, making him a dangerous foe on the ground as well. Next year will be a make-or-break moment for the aging Lombard. If he can put together a string of big name wins, he could be fighting for the title sooner than later.

Jake Shields

The number seven-ranked Shields makes this list because of his wins over Woodley and Maia this year. His fights may not be the most exciting or aesthetically pleasing, but you can’t argue with his results as of late. His mix of wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills is a handful for anyone to deal with in the cage. Even world champion mat wizard Maia found no answer for Shields’ dominant ground game at UFC Fight Night 29.

Because his fights aren’t all that action-packed, fans won’t be clamoring to see him fight for the belt again anytime soon. Shields needs to prove that he can get a finish under his belt before he has the chance to obtain more gold.

If he can pull that off, he could be an under-the-radar contender by the end of 2014.

Matt Brown

Brown could have been a lot higher on this list, or off it completely, depending on the outcome of his scheduled UFC on Fox 9 bout against Condit. Unfortunately he had to withdraw with two herniated discs in his back that may or may not require surgery.

If “The immortal” can survive with just rehab, he’ll obviously have a much better chance to stake his claim towards a title shot. Brown is on an impressive six-fight win streak after knocking out Mike Pyle at UFC Fight Night 26. He has the heart and determination of a lion, but he won’t be a legitimate challenger until his health issues are cleared up.

So there you have it folks. Welterweight quickly became one of the most wide-open and exciting divisions when GSP left. He was a legendary fighter who will go down as one of the best MMA fighters ever, but the truth remains that he had a stranglehold on the division.

Sometimes change is necessary to see what the future will truly hold, and in this case it’s a shining crop of unbelievable fighting talent. 2014 is shaping up to be the best year the UFC has ever seen. Who will rule at 170 pounds when it is all said and done?

Outer Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports