Walterweight’s most iconic moments in History.

The welterweight division in MMA and boxing has always been one of the most exciting and memorable divisions in combat sports. The welterweight division is regarded for its fast, strong and skillful warriors who have created legends, memorable fights and moments in the combat sports. For years, the division has provided some of the most exciting title fights and bitter rivalries in the sport.

 In this article, we will look at some of the greatest moments in welterweight history and how the division has developed through the great performances, classic clashes, and thrilling bouts. We will focus on the most important events in boxing and MMA since the welterweight division affects both of them.

 1. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Durán I & II (1980) – The “No Más” Fight

 Some of the greatest welterweight fights of all time can be credited to Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán, two fighters who are polar opposites in terms of fighting techniques and attitude. Their first fight which was dubbed “The Brawl in Montreal” occurred on the 20th of June in the year 1980. Durán, the Mexican pound for pound king, who is famous for his pressure and rough fighting, outpointed Leonard to win the WBC Welterweight title by unanimous decision. This was to become a high point for Duran and a low point for Leonard who was touted as the golden boy of boxing.

 The second fight that took place on November 25, 1980, is considered as one of the most notorious fights in the history of boxing. Leonard, fighting in a much more elusive and counterpunching manner, managed to anger Durán with his speed and mobility. In the eighth round, Durán made one of the most unexplainable moves of his career by turning his back towards Leonard and saying “No más” which means no more and this meant that he was through with the fight. The “No Más” fight became one of the most legendary fights in the history of boxing and welterweight division, and it also became the symbol of Leonard’s comeback.

 2. Georges St-Pierre’s Reign in UFC Welterweight Division (2006-2013)

 Of course, when talking about the welterweight division and its most memorable moments, it is impossible not to mention Georges St-Pierre, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. The period between 2006 and 2013 can be considered as the GSP’s domination of the UFC welterweight division due to his technical excellence, discipline and overwhelming victory. These were some of the attributes that saw him outwrestle wrestlers, outstrike strikers and submit grapplers thus making him almost unbeatable in the division.

 Probably one of the most memorable moments in St-Pierre’s career is his rematch with Matt Serra at UFC 83 in 2008. In their first fight, Serra had stunned the world by stopping GSP and taking the welterweight title in what was one of the biggest shocks in UFC history. In the rematch, GSP took apart Serra and won by TKO in the second round to become the champion again. After that GSP would go on to defend his title nine times in a row against some of the toughest opponents including BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Nick Diaz.

 GSP was a very technical fighter, very athletic and very intelligent in the cage which made him one of the most popular fighters in the UFC and one of the greatest champions in the history of the company. His decision to retire in 2013 after a controversial win over Nick Diaz and a victory over Robbie Lawler in the last fight of his career at middleweight in 2017, will be remembered in the welterweight division.

 3. Oscar De La Hoya Vs Félix Trinidad (1999) – The Fight of the Millennium.

 Oscar De La Hoya and Félix “Tito” Trinidad were the best fighters in the welterweight division when they met on September 18, 1999 in what was called the “Fight of the Millennium”. Both fighters were entering the ring with their undefeated records and the fans were eager to see who will be the best of the two.

 De La Hoya who is known for his speed, boxing skills and his handsome looks was more technically sound than Trinidad who was a feared puncher with knockout power in both hands. The fight was a more tactical one with De La Hoya outboxing Trinidad in the early rounds using his jab and footwork to keep out of Trinidad’s reach. But in the last few rounds of the fight, De La Hoya for some reason decided to lay back and not throw as many punches as he should have, thinking that he had taken enough of a lead on the judges’ scorecards.

 When De La Hoya backed up Trinidad capitalized on this and dominated the later rounds of the fight. In a split decision that raised many eyebrows, Trinidad was declared the winner over De La Hoya, thus handing the latter his first defeat in professional boxing. It is still considered as one of the most contentious decisions in the history of boxing with many people thinking that De La Hoya should have emerged the winner. However, it further reinforced Trinidad as the welterweight champion and went down in the annals of the division’s history.

 4. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52, 2005) – The Ultimate Comeback

 The welterweight division has perhaps one of the most memorable fights that happened in UFC 52 in 2005, where Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg faced each other for the second time after their fight in 2003. In the first fight Hughes had submitted Trigg with a rear-naked choke to defend his welterweight title. The rematch, however, came up with one of the most dramatic and memorable moments in the history of UFC.

 In the first round, Trigg hit Hughes with an illegal knee to the groin and capitalized on the fact that the referee did not see it to proceed to pummel his opponent. Trigg looked like he was going to finish off Hughes with strikes but Hughes was able to stay alive and take Trigg down. In the most inspiring and powerful manner, Hughes lifted up Trigg, took him to the other side of the octagon and threw him down on the floor. After that, Hughes took Trigg down and moved to his back and locked in a rear-naked choke that made Trigg to tap out.

 Hughes’ comeback is still considered as one of the greatest victories in the history of UFC and is a perfect example of the spirit of MMA. It also guaranteed Hughes’ place in UFC history as one of the best ever welterweight champions.

5. Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao (2015) – The Fight of the Century.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao was a fight that had been demanded by boxing fans for years and when the fight was finally scheduled to take place on 2nd May, 2015 it was touted to be the ‘Fight of the Century’. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao were considered as two of

Before the fight both the fighters were in their prime and at the peak of their form. Mayweather, who was also unbeaten, and famous for his defense and boxing knowledge in the ring, was already a great defensive fighter. Pacquiao, a southpaw with explosive speed and power, had won world titles in eight different weight divisions, a record that will remain unbeaten in boxing history.

The fight itself, however, did not meet the expectations that were set at the astronomical level. Mayweather’s defensive style and his way of keeping Pacquiao’s punches ineffective was a source of controversy between the two fighters as well as between the fans. Pacquiao had his shining moments but Mayweather outboxed him and was in control of the fight thus winning by unanimous decision.

Despite the fact that the fight was not very active, it is considered one of the greatest fights in welterweight division’s history because of its cultural and financial significance. The bout broke all the pay-per-view records with viewership crossing over 4. This is a report of 6 million buys and over $400 million in revenue. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is still considered as the greatest fight in the welterweight division of modern boxing even if the fight failed to produce the kind of excitement that people expected.

6. Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (Strikeforce, 2011) – A One-Round War.

Nick Diaz is one of the most charismatic fighters in MMA who is famous for his pressure, chin, and exciting fights. In 2011 while still in Strikeforce, Diaz made his welterweight title defense against the British knockout artist Paul Daley in what can only be described as one of the most insane one round fights in the history of mixed martial arts.

This happened on the 9th of April in the year 2011 and from the beginning of the fight it was a real war. Daley, who is known for his knock out power, caught Diaz at the beginning of the round and knocked him off his feet and across the cage. But Diaz, who is known for his quick turnaround, began to unleash his trademark volume striking and put Daley on the fence and started landing shots one after another.

In the last seconds of the round, Diaz knocked Daley down with a combination of punches and the referee stopped the fight with only a few seconds left in the round. It was a classic and proved that Diaz is indeed a warrior who can perform well in the heat of the battle and pressure. It also helped to enhance Diaz’s standing as one of the most entertaining fighters in the welterweight category.

7. Tyron Woodley Vs Robbie Lawler (UFC 201, 2016) – The Changing of the Guard

Robbie Lawler is one of the best and most entertaining UFC Welterweight Champions of all time. Lawler, who is a known warrior with a penchant for violent wars, had successfully defended the title in two back-to-back wars with Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit. But his title reign was brought to an abrupt end at UFC 201 on July 30, 2016 when he faced Tyron Woodley.

Woodley, a knockout artist and a wrestler, was entering the fight as the less favored fighter, but he did not take long to prove himself. In the first round Woodley delivered a stunning knockout blow with a right hand which rendered Lawler unconscious and thus won the UFC Welterweight Championship. It was one of the most convincing title victories in UFC history and this victory allowed Woodley to become the champion.

Woodley would go on to retain his title on several occasions, which made him one of the great welterweight fighters in the history of the UFC. The Lawler knockout is one of the most memorable moments in the division’s history as it marked the shift of the welterweight division from one generation to the other.

Conclusion

The welterweight division has produced some of the greatest moments in the history of combat sports whether it is boxing or MMA. From the classic fights of Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran to the current domination of Georges St-Pierre in the UFC, the division has been a source of some of the greatest fights in the history of the sport. Whether it’s the chess match of fighters like Mayweather and St-Pierre or the barnburners of fighters like Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler, the welterweight division remains one of the most captivating and historic divisions in combat sports.

When analyzing the history of the welterweight division, it is possible to see that these moments have not only influenced the fighters’ careers but also the development of combat sports in general. As the welterweight division moves forward to the next generation of fighters, the division will produce more moments that will be historical.