MMA Rankings > UFC Middleweight Rankings

UFC Middleweight Division Rankings

A review and ranking of the UFC's 185-pound Middleweight division - March 2010 Update

While its athletes may not pack as much concussive force and steady aggression as the light heavyweight class, the UFC’s middleweight division has come leaps and bounds in terms of world-class fighters in the last few years. With the champion currently ranked number 2 in the Pro Fighting Fans pound-for-pound rankings, this division is only going to get deeper with time. Also be sure to see our MMA Middleweight rankings as we take a look at the top 185 pound fighters in the UFC and other MMA organizations across the globe.

Chael Sonnen dominated Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 to emerge as the top contender in the UFC's Middleweight Division. However due to a cut sustained in that fight it will be Demian Maia facing Anderson Silva atop UFC 112 fight card.

1. Anderson Silva – (25-4; 10-0 UFC) – Silva keeps getting stronger and stronger maintaining his position as the best fighter on the planet not to mention the middleweight division. Silva has dismantled each and every opponent since transitioning to the UFC in 2006. His last fight was contested in the 205-pound division, although he plans on keeping active as a middleweight as well. After a title bout with Vitor Belfort was called off, Demian Maia will take his place and get his opportunity against “The Spider” atop the UFC 112 fight card in April.

2. Vitor Belfort – (19-8; 8-4 UFC) – Belfort’s return to the UFC has come at quite possibly the best time in his career. The former UFC light heavyweight champion moved to the middleweight division only three fights ago and has had great success so far. He defeated Terry Martin and Matt Lindland for Affliction and then Rich Franklin at UFC 103 last September. He had to pull out of his UFC 112 championship bout with Anderson Silva due to injury.

3. Demian Maia – (12-1; 6-1 UFC) – Maia looked to be unbeatable with his world-class jiu-jitsu until he got clipped with a Nate Marquardt punch at UFC 102 in August 2009. He did get back on track at UFC 109 in early February with a unanimous decision victory over Dan Miller. He earned his title shot at UFC 112 when Vitor Belfort pulled out with an injury.

4. Chael Sonnen – (25-10-1; 4-3) – Sonnen made his UFC debut in 2005 but went 1-2 and found himself fighting elsewhere. He landed on his feet in the WEC and finally back to the UFC where he lost his returning bout against Demian Maia. He has made an impression in the middleweight division with three consecutive victories defeating Dan Miller, Yushin Okami, and Nate Marquardt. His UFC 109 victory in February against Marquardt was his most impressive assuring him a shot at the title in the near future.

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5. Nate Marquardt – (29-9-2; 8-3 UFC) – Nate “The Great” has been a steady force in the middleweight division since 2005 after a long reign as the King of Pancrase. He defeated Martin Kampmann, Wilson Gouveia, and Demian Maia in succession before losing to Chael Sonnen at UFC 109 in February. He remains one of the best strikers in the division and is still considered a legitimate contender.

6. Wanderlei Silva – (33-10-1-1; 3-5 UFC) – The longtime PRIDE FC middleweight champion was brought over to the UFC in 2007 winning Fight of the Night honors in his battle with Chuck Liddell at UFC 79. Unfortunately, he lost that bout with “The Iceman” along with two others over the next year, leaving him believing a change was necessary. The change came soon as he dropped to the middleweight division where he defeated Michael Bisping via decision at UFC 110 in February. He is rumored to be fighting Yoshihiro Akiyama this summer.

7. Yoshihiro Akiyama – (13-1-2; 1-0 UFC) – “Sexyama” has built the reputation of a heel in his homeland of Japan, however has garnered positive attention after only one bout in America. After winning both of his bouts in the DREAM organization in 2008, he signed with the UFC in 2009 and won a split decision over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 in July. He had his proposed bout with Wanderlei Silva postponed, although rumors have the bout back on sometime in the summer of 2010.

8. Yushin Okami – (23-5; 7-2 UFC) – Okami has been part of the promotion since UFC 62 in 2006. He has always been solid winning his first four bouts inside the octagon before falling to Rich Franklin at UFC 72 in 2007. He recovered by winning three consecutive rising to the top once again, that is until Chael Sonnen defeated him via unanimous decision at UFC 104 in October. He will fight Lucio Linhares at a March Fight Night event.

9. Michael Bisping – (18-3; 8-3 UFC) – The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner found his place in the middleweight division after a brief stint with the light-heavies. He was victorious in his first three bouts as a 185-pound fighter, but, beginning with his UFC 100 KO loss against Dan Henderson, he dropped two of his next three. He lost a controversial decision at UFC 110 against Wanderlei Silva in February.

10. Patrick Cote – (13-5; 4-5 UFC) – Cote used The Ultimate Fighter 4 “Comeback” platform as a way to return to the organization. He lost his first three octagon bouts, but, after his runner-up finish at TUF 4, he went on a roll. He won five straight bouts to earn himself a title shot at Anderson Silva at UFC 90 in October 2008. A fairly even bout ended when Cote blew his knee out handing Silva the stoppage victory. His injury has kept him out of action for almost a year-and-a-half; he is scheduled to fight Alan Belcher on the UFC 113 fight card this May.

Look for Top Ten UFC Rankings to be up the first week of every month from here on out, exclusively on ProFighting-fans.com.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer

Published March 2010
Photo used with permission from the UFC

UFC Middleweight Division Rankings

A review and ranking of the UFC's 185-pound Middleweight division - March 2010 Update

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