Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Middleweight

1. Chris Weidman (11-0)

Weidman cemented his spot atop the middleweight division with a second consecutive triumph over Anderson Silva in the UFC 168 main event. After nearly finishing “The Spider” in the opening frame, the Serra-Longo Fight Team standout checked a kick that resulted in a gruesomely fractured leg for Silva, ending the bout 1:16 into the second round. Originally expected to face Vitor Belfort, Weidman will instead meet former 205-pound champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 173.

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. Whether that includes an eventual return to the Octagon is currently unknown, although UFC President Dana White expects “The Spider” to fight before year’s end.

3. Vitor Belfort (24-10)

A trio of dazzling head-kick knockouts made Vitor Belfort an obvious choice for top middleweight contender. However, with the Nevada Athletic Commission’s newly instituted ban on testosterone replacement therapy, “The Phenom” withdrew from his scheduled May 24 meeting with champ Chris Weidman and announced he was willing to cease using TRT for another title shot.

4. Ronaldo Souza (20-3, 1 NC)

Souza captured his third consecutive victory inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 36, 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.

5. Lyoto Machida (21-4)

Machida continued to establish himself as a force at middleweight by taking a dominant decision victory over Gegard Mousasi in the UFC Fight Night 36 headliner. The former 205-pound king displayed his trademark movement while landing the more meaningful strikes throughout the contest. With Vitor Belfort out of his UFC 173 headliner against Chris Weidman, “The Dragon” will step in to challenge for 185-pound gold on May 24.

6. Yushin Okami (29-8)

Known for his grinding style, Okami was never able to get on track against Ronaldo Souza at UFC Fight Night 28. While Souza’s first-round stoppage of the former No. 1 contender was certainly surprising, few expected that it would prompt Okami’s release from the UFC. “Thunder” was not a free agent for long, however, as he inked a deal with the Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting shortly thereafter. Okami’s promotional debut will come at WSOF 9 against Bulgarian import Svetlozar Savov.

7. Michael Bisping (24-5)

After having his title hopes dashed by Vitor Belfort in January 2013, “The Count” got right back on track with a victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 159. In an unfortunate turn of events, a detached retina sidelined Bisping for the rest of the year. He has since been cleared to return to the Octagon and will face Tim Kennedy at “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” Finale on April 16.

8. Luke Rockhold (11-2)

After his promotional debut ended in a devastating knockout loss to Vitor Belfort, Rockhold earned his first UFC triumph in emphatic fashion. The former Strikeforce titlist wiped out Costas Philippou with a brutal liver kick 2:31 into the opening round of their UFC Fight Night 35 encounter, re-establishing himself as a person of interest in the division. Next, Rockhold will face Tim Boetsch at UFC 172.

9. Mark Munoz (13-4)

After a year away from the cage, Munoz made a triumphant return to action in July with a dominant victory over Tim Boetsch at UFC 162. That momentum was abruptly halted by divisional newcomer Lyoto Machida at UFC Fight Night 30, as “The Dragon” knocked out “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” with a devastating head kick a little more than three minutes into their matchup.

10. Mamed Khalidov (28-4-2)

In the last three years, Khalidov has added a slew of notable names to his resume: Matt Lindland, Melvin Manhoef, Kendall Grove and Jesse Taylor all have been submitted by the versatile Chechen. Rumors of negotiations with the UFC and Bellator surface intermittently, but for now, the 33-year-old continues to compete against former big-show fighters in his home promotion, KSW. Most recently, Khalidov submitted Ryuta Sakurai at KSW 25 on Dec. 7.

Other Contenders: Tim Boetsch, Francis Carmont, Tim Kennedy, Costas Philippou, Alexander Shlemenko.

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