MMA Rankings > UFC Middleweight Rankings
UFC Middleweight Division Rankings
A review and ranking of the UFC's 185-pound Middleweight division - July 2009 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 year and a half. With the champion currently ranked number 3 in the Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound rankings, this division is only going to get deeper with time.
> Check out all of our MMA rankings including our pound for pound rankings online provided by ProFighting-fans.com and buy UFC apparel & clothing!
 |
Dan Henderson, pictured above at UFC 88, will face Michael Bisping at UFC 100 as both look to become contenders for Anderson Silva's Middleweight belt. |
1. Anderson Silva – He is currently considered one of the top three pound for pound fighters in the world today, and he has stolen the UFC record for most consecutive victories inside the Octagon with nine straight following his April 2009 Unanimous Decision nod over fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. While his last two performances have earned him a substantial amount of criticism from fans and pundits alike, “The Spider” seems poised to reign as the UFC 185 pound Champion for as long as he wants to.
2. Nate Marquardt – While “The Great” lost to current champion Anderson Silva in the first round of their July 2007 encounter at UFC 73, he has shown enough drive and in-cage improvement to warrant another shot at UFC gold if he emerges from an August tussle with Brazilian grappling ace Demian Maia with a W. Many hardcore fans would give Nate much more than a puncher’s chance if another top contender’s spot opens up.
3. Yushin Okami – With a 7-1 record inside the UFC’s middleweight division dating back to 2006, Okami has been the victim of training injuries more than once during his impressive run, at least one of which shelved him from a shot at current champion Silva last October. He may not be extremely fast or even technical, but Okami’s tenacious pace and indomitable strength will give anyone in his division fits for years to come.
4. Demian Maia – Jui-jitsu ace Maia has not defeated a true top contender thus far in his undefeated career, but all five of his UFC victories have come inside the distance by way of submission, a feet that is difficult to say the least. An upcoming August bout with former top contender Nathan Marquardt should be enough to get Maia a shot at the middleweight belt sometime in 2010 should the timing be right.
5. Dan Henderson – While he is technically only 1-1 in recent trips to the middleweight division, Henderson’s previous record and strength of opposition keep him highly relevant in the UFC’s middleweight title picture. Coming off of a January victory over former Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin, Henderson could get the rematch with Silva he has been pining for with a victory over British standout and rising middleweight contender Michael Bisping next week. 6. Thales Leites – Seeing Leites ranked so highly in the 185lb weight class may disagree with some fans, but his Split Decision victory over highly ranked Nate Marquardt last year still stands despite the actual nature of the fight. Coming off of a boring Unanimous Decision loss to current middleweight champ Anderson Silva in April, it is unlikely that Leites will be getting another shot at the title any time soon. 7. Yoshihiro Akiyama – Akiyama has not competed yet inside the UFC, but since he is under contract with Zuffa LLC. he is relevant in these rankings. With notable victories over top middleweights Dennis Kang and Melvin Manhoef dotting his 12-1 record, Akiyama will look to make an immediate impact in the UFC’s middleweight ranks with a victory over the red-hot Alan Belcher at UFC 100 next week. |
8. Chael Sonnen – While Sonnen was riding high in the middleweight rankings following his WEC defeat of former champion and undefeated Paulo Filho, he soon saw his stock drop with a first round submission loss to Demian Maia in February only to jump back up with a May defeat of rising contender Dan Miller at UFC 98. The somewhat surprising and mostly one-sided victory has earned Sonnen a shot at another notable middleweight in Wilson Gouveia later this summer.
9. Michael Bisping – Some fans may be surprised to see the pride of the U.K. ranked so low prior to his UFC 100 bout with Dan Henderson, but the fact remains that Bisping has yet to face any notable opposition at middleweight other than Chris Leben, a durable but one-dimensional slugger. Should he pull off the upset of the former Pride champion next week, it seems a foregone conclusion that he will be matched up with Anderson Silva sometime in the fall overseas.
10. Patrick Cote – Cote has not seen action since an October 2008 TKO loss to Anderson Silva after he suffered an ACL tear in the third round of their main event tilt at UFC 90. Nonetheless, Cote was the first fighter in the UFC to take Silva out of the second round, and he did it after dispatching a handful of notable middleweight opposition.
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 Steven T. Kelliher
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer
Published July 2009
Photo used with permission from the UFC
More UFC Rankings from ProFighting-fans.com:
- UFC Heavyweight rankings
- UFC Light Heavyweight rankings
- UFC Welterweight rankings
- UFC Lightweight rankings