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 a major step towards a return to the Octagon, as he was cleared to spar for the first time since the injury.

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 (20-3, 1 NC)

Souza captured his third consecutive victory inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night “Machida vs. Mousasi” on Feb. 15, taking a unanimous verdict over massive Tristar Gym standout Francis Carmont. While “Jacare” was unable to finish Carmont, the Brazilian’s renowned grappling skills were nonetheless on display in yet another impressive triumph. Up next for Souza is a rematch with 2008 Dream middleweight grand prix foe Gegard Mousasi at a UFC Fight Night show in September.

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 still believes he has unfinished business with Vitor Belfort, who knocked out Rockhold in May 2013.

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 (35-4-2)

Mousasi earned his first UFC win at 185 pounds with a fast and decisive rear-naked choke on Mark Munoz in Berlin on May 31. The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion has won three of his four bouts under Zuffa employ, with the only defeat coming in a five-round decision with Lyoto Machida. “The Dreamcatcher” will look to get back into the middleweight title picture when he locks horns with Ronaldo Souza at a UFC Fight Night event on Sept. 5.

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.

10. Michael Bisping (24-6)

After nearly a year on the sidelines due to a detached retina, Bisping returned to the Octagon against Tim Kennedy at “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” Finale. The two middleweights engaged in a heated feud on social media leading up to the bout, but it was Kennedy who had the final word, grinding out a hard-fought unanimous verdict over the outspoken Brit. Bisping will return to the cage on Aug. 23, when he meets former Strikeforce champion Cung Le in a UFC Fight Night main event in China.

Other Contenders: C.B. Dollaway, Mamed Khalidov, Costas Philippou, Yoel Romero, Alexander Shlemenko.

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