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UFC Middleweight Division Rankings

A review and ranking of the UFC's 185-pound Middleweight division - January 2012 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 1 in the Pro Fighting Fans pound-for-pound rankings, this division has continued to get deeper with Mark Munoz, Brian Stann, Chris Weidman emerging as contenders. 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. It appears that Sonnen will get his shot at Anderson Silva atop UFC 117 fight card.

1. Anderson Silva – (31-4; 14-0 UFC) – Anderson “The Spider” Silva has been atop the UFC’s Middleweight division since winning the title in 2006 after a victory over Rich Franklin. Since, he has gone on a 14-fight win streak with recent wins over Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami. Silva has been on the shelf for several months with a shoulder injury and looks to be out until the summer of 2012. His next opponent lies in the winner of Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen.

2. Chael Sonnen – (27-11-1; 4-2 UFC) After losing late in the fifth round to Anderson Silva in a title bout in 2010, Sonnen faced many charges outside of the cage. Legal action stemming from a federal money laundering charge, as well as having his fight license taken away in California caused Sonnen to miss over a year fighting. He rebounded with a win over Brian Stann to become the number one contender, but with Silva’s injury, Sonnen took up a fight with Mark Munoz to stay busy. That fight, to decide the number one contender, will take place at UFC on FX 2 in January.

3. Yushin Okami – (26-6; 10-3 UFC) – Okami rattled off three wins in a row before receiving a title shot against Middleweight king Anderson Silva. Okami showed some impressive striking, before being caught by a hook that sent him to the mat. Silva finished Okami in the second round. Okami is next set to face Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 in his native Japan.

4. Michael Bisping– (22-3; 12-3 UFC) – “The Count” is currently riding a four fight win streak, with his latest victory over Jason Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale. Before Miller, Bisping was able to grind out decision victories over Dan Miller, and Yoshihiro Akiyama before knocking Jorge Rivera unconscious at UFC 127. Bisping has looked quite impressive in all of his victories, even completely demolishing Miller on the feet en route to a TKO victory. Bisping’s next test will come against Demian Maia at UFC on FX 2.

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5. Mark Munõz – (12-2; 7-2 UFC) – With Anderson Silva being sidelined for an unknown amount of time, Mark Munõz finds himself squaring off against Chael Sonnen to decide the number one contender. After wins over C.B. Dollaway, Demian Maia and a stunning knockout of Chris Leben, all in 2011, Munõz’s stock keeps improving. With a win over Sonnen, he will be first in line to challenge Silva for the title.

6. Brian Stann – (11-4; 5-3 UFC) – The former United States Marine standout, “The All-American” Brian Stann went on a tear in the UFC after dropping from light heavyweight to middleweight in 2010. He was given a number one contender bout after defeating Chris Leben by TKO as well as former Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago, again by TKO. He next faced Chael Sonnen, but was suffocated under Sonnen’s superior wrestling, and eventually tapped due to an arm triangle choke in the second round. He is next expected to face Italian striker Alessio Sakara on April 14th.

7. Demian Maia – (15-3; 9-3 UFC) – Former title challenger, Demian Maia is coming off of a win over former Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago. He showed impressive striking in that fight as well as the previous one with Mark Munoz. Maia faces off against Michael Bisping for the right to be second in line to challenge for Silva’s title.

8. Chris Weidman – (7-0; 3-0 UFC) – A rising prospect within the middleweight division, Weidman has used his stellar ground game to stifle and suffocate opponents. With an undefeated 7-0 record, including wins over Alessio Sakara, and Tom Lawlor, Weidman has begun to make a name for himself. His last two outings have ended in a victorious submission, and he looks to be developing his young striking game.

9. Vitor Belfort – (20-9; 9-5 UFC) – After being knocked out by Anderson Silva in stunning fashion at UFC 126, “The Phenom” came back with a quick knockout of his own against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Belfort showed some good footwork against Silva before the knockout, and his standup looks promising going forward against Anthony Johnson at UFC 142. He is also scheduled to face off against Wanderlei Silva after they both serve as coaches on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.

10. Rousimar Palhares – (13-3; 6-2 UFC) – Palhares is a relatively unknown fighter in the UFC’s middleweight division. He hasn’t fought very many well-known opponents, but he has looked impressive lately. After a loss to Nate Marquardt, he submitted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dave Branch before winning a decision over Dan Miller in August of 2011. Palhares is next scheduled to face grappler Mike Massenzio at UFC 142 in his native Brazil.

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 Steve Cassidy
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer

Published April 2010
Photo used with permission from the UFC

UFC Middleweight Division Rankings

A review and ranking of the UFC's 185-pound Middleweight division - January 2012 Update

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