POLL: Who Will Be UFC Welterweight Champion At The End Of 2015?

It’s no secret that the UFC welterweight division is one of, if not the, most stacked divisions in all of MMA. With a veritable murderer’s row throughout the Top 10 rankings, the 170-pound arena is full of new and exciting possibilities with each passing fight.

And a lot of that is obviously due to formerly dominant champion Georges St. Pierre’s absence from the Octagon. He may return, but for now (and perhaps even if he does), many feel that the belt will be up for grabs in the near future.

The only thing holding that back is champion Johny Hendricks’ recovery from surgery for a torn ligament suffered in his narrow defeat of Robbie Lawler at March 15’s UFC 171 from Dallas, Texas.

“Ruthless” beat gritty challenger Matt Brown in a war at UFC on FOX 12, earning the right to rematch “Bigg Rigg” for the belt. But that fight won’t go down until late 2014 or early 2015, so it’s clear that either Hendricks or possibly Lawler will be the champ at the end of this year.

After that, however, it could be anyone’s game.

Notorious fan favorite bad boy Nick Diaz recently re-signed with the UFC and will fight Anderson Silva in the main event of January 31, 2015’s UFC 183. If he can somehow get past “The Spider,” he would instantly vault himself into title contention.

A long list of dangerous contenders will all be vying for the belt in 2015. Which one will rise to the top and end the year at the top of the mountain?

Photo: Kyle Terada for USA TODAY Sports