Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Middleweight

1. Chris Weidman (12-0)

Weidman’s first title defense since back-to-back bouts with Anderson Silva could hardly have gone better. In fighting a full 25 minutes with former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, the Serra-Longo Fight Team product showcased not only his potent striking and takedowns but also a gritty resolve, as he weathered a fifth-round surge from the challenger. Weidman will take on yet another Brazilian challenger when he faces Vitor Belfort at UFC 181 in December.

2. Anderson Silva (33-6)

Nobody wanted to see Anderson Silva’s night end the way it did at UFC 168, as the longtime pound-for-pound king suffered a broken left leg when Chris Weidman checked a kick during the second round of their headlining matchup. The Brazilian underwent emergency surgery following the bout and is expected to make a full recovery. “The Spider” recently took another major step towards a return to the Octagon, as he was booked for a showdown with Nick Diaz in January.

3. Vitor Belfort (24-10)

Belfort will get his shot at UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman -- only six months after it was originally scheduled. The surging “Phenom” withdrew from UFC 173 after the Nevada Athletic Commission instituted a ban on testosterone replacement therapy. Now finished with TRT, Belfort has been granted a provisional license by the NAC which will allow him to meet Weidman at UFC 181 in Las Vegas.

4. Ronaldo Souza (21-3, 1 NC)

Souza avenged his 2008 loss to Gegard Mousasi with a third-round guillotine choke submission on Sept. 5 at a UFC Fight Night event in Connecticut. Unbeaten through four UFC appearances and currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace is angling for a chance at the middleweight crown, though UFC President Dana White stated that Souza will likely fight again before a potential title shot.

5. Lyoto Machida (21-5)

By the time “The Dragon” got fired up in his July 5 title bout against Chris Weidman, it was already too late. Machida dropped three rounds to the UFC middleweight champ before turning up the heat in rounds four and five, ultimately falling short on the judges’ scorecards. It was the former light heavyweight titlist’s first defeat at 185 pounds, having previously taken out Gegard Mousasi and Mark Munoz.

6. Luke Rockhold (12-2)

Rockhold was the biggest betting favorite at UFC 172, and he did not disappoint. The American Kickboxing Academy product easily outgrappled Tim Boetsch before submitting his opponent with a kimura a little more than two minutes into the first round of their middleweight clash. The former Strikeforce champion will next face Michael Bisping at a UFC Fight Night offering on Nov. 8 in Australia.

7. Tim Kennedy (18-4)

Kennedy delivered the most impressive performance of his brief UFC tenure at “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” finale, as he neutralized perennial villain Michael Bisping for the better part of five rounds to capture a unanimous verdict in Canada. Unbeaten in three Octagon outings, Kennedy’s relentless wrestling and grappling skills make him a difficult matchup for most anyone in the division. He will take on another powerful wrestler, Yoel Romero, at UFC 178 in September.

8. Gegard Mousasi (35-5-2)

A lot can change in six years, and Mousasi found that out the hard way when he rematched Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza on Sept. 5. Souza, the man the Dutchman knocked out to win the 2008 Dream middleweight grand prix, rolled over “The Dreamcatcher” en route to a third-round submission, bringing Mousasi’s Octagon record to 2-2.

9. Yushin Okami (30-8)

Okami’s debut with the World Series of Fighting went about as one might expect. Matched with the relatively unknown Svetlozar Savov at WSOF 9, the former UFC title contender dominated his overmatched foe before finishing the contest with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. Okami will go for WSOF gold when he challenges champion David Branch on Oct. 24.

10. Michael Bisping (25-6)

Bisping used high-volume striking and inexhaustible cardio to batter Cung Le on Aug. 23 before finishing the former Strikeforce champ with a knee and follow-up punches in the fourth round. Still in search of his first UFC title shot after eight years with the organization, “The Count” has alternated wins and losses in his last six Octagon appearances. Bisping will challenge former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold on Nov. 8 in Australia.

Other Contenders: C.B. Dollaway, Mamed Khalidov, Thales Leites, Yoel Romero, Alexander Shlemenko.

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