Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (22-4-0)
While Yushin Okami was the preferred opponent for the next UFC middleweight title defense of the "Spider," a hand injury will keep Silva from getting revenge on the last man to beat him. However, Oct. 25 in Chicago, Silva will headline UFC 90 against surging contender Patrick Cote and look to further his brutal stranglehold on the 185-pound division.

2. Paulo Filho (16-0-0)
After suffering through depression, drug dependency and rehab, the Brazilian fireplug was ready to rematch Chael Sonnen on Sept. 10 with his WEC middleweight title on the line. The unfinished business between Filho and Sonnen will have to wait until Nov. 5, though, due to Hurricane Ike's postponement of the WEC card.

3. Rich Franklin (24-3-0, 1 NC)
Franklin was dominant in returning to light heavyweight against Matt Hamill in September. Now, the former UFC middleweight champ will look to take a leap into 205-pound contention when he meets Dan Henderson in a 205-pound headliner at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland.

4. Robbie Lawler (16-4-0, 1 NC)
Desperate for challengers, Lawler will defend his EliteXC middleweight crown against Joey Villasenor on Showtime on Nov. 8. Lawler and Villasenor met in October 2006, with Lawler knocking out the New Mexico native in 22 seconds with a flying knee.

5. Yushin Okami (22-4-0)
Come Oct. 25, Okami will be forced to watch Patrick Cote take his title shot against Anderson Silva. However, with his broken hand mended, Okami will have a chance to wrap up his title opportunity Dec. 27 when he takes on Dean Lister at UFC 92.

6. Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1)
In a year filled with breakout fighters, Gegard Mousasi may have gained the most of any. A sterling 6-0 on the year, the 23-year-old needed less than a combined four minutes to dispatch Melvin Manhoef and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and become Dream's middleweight ruler. The wins marked his arrival as one of the division's elite.

7. Nate Marquardt (27-8-2)
After point deductions led to a souring split decision loss to Thales Leites in June, the usually passive Marquardt vowed to fight more aggressively and finish his foes. Unlike most fighters who make such comments, Marquardt made good on his promise with a stirring 82-second destruction of the talented Martin Kampmann at UFC 88.

8. Dan Henderson (23-7-0)
Henderson announced his return to middleweight triumphantly in September with a well-appointed decision over a very tough Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares. Now, the former Pride 205-pound champ will make an unexpected return to 205 pounds to meet Rich Franklin in a high-stakes headliner in Dublin, Ireland, for UFC 93.

9. Frank Trigg (18-6-0)
Trigg quietly took an entertaining unanimous decision over tough Hawaiian Falaniko Vitale Oct. 3. However, the ever-outspoken Trigg is left with no clear dance partner for a future big bout.

10. Thales Leites (13-1-0)
The UFC's 185-pound division needs young talent to step up and out into the spotlight. The once-beaten Leites will have the chance to take another leap forward and make his case for a crack at his countryman Anderson Silva on Oct. 25 in Chicago, when he meets undefeated Croat Goran Reljic at UFC 90.