Middleweight
1. Robert Whittaker (19-4)
Sometimes it seems like if Whittaker did not have bad luck lately, he would have no luck at all. First, Whittaker was denied a historic showdown with Georges St. Pierre after winning a slice of the UFC middleweight title. He then settled for a title defense against former champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 in Perth, Australia. Just when we got used to that idea, “The Reaper” pulled out of the contest due to complications stemming from a staph infection in his stomach.2. Georges St. Pierre (26-2)
We all knew for one reason or another, even if St. Pierre defeated Michael Bisping at UFC 217 on Nov. 4, he would not be defending the middleweight title against interim champion Robert Whittaker. After just 31 days on the throne, St. Pierre vacated the UFC middleweight title on Dec. 7, citing a bout with colitis. If and when he returns -- and more operatively, against whom -- will remain a hot topic well into 2018.3. Luke Rockhold (16-3)
When Georges St. Pierre vacated the UFC middleweight title, his loss was Rockhold’s gain, as the former champ slid right into a UFC 221 title shot against Robert Whittaker. Things have become slightly more complicated and with slightly lower stakes. Rockhold is still set to headline in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 10, but he will now face Yoel Romero in an interim title affair instead.4. Yoel Romero (12-2)
Eight straight wins finally earned Romero a crack at UFC middleweight gold in July, but the Olympic silver medalist was thwarted by Robert Whittaker in their interim title bout at UFC 213. “The Soldier of God” now gets a do-over of sorts, as Romero will travel to Perth, Australia, to take on former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold in the UFC 221 headliner on Feb. 10; an interim trinket will be on the line in the absence of the Whittaker, who has been pushed to the sidelines by a staph infection.5. Ronaldo Souza (25-5)
Souza proved once again that he remains a force in the UFC’s middleweight division, even at 38 years old. Some five years after their first meeting under the Strikeforce banner, “Jacare” on Jan. 27 dispatched Derek Brunson with a head kick and punches 3:50 into the opening round of their main event encounter at UFC on Fox 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. With wins in three of his last four outings, the Brazilian is still a top-shelf contender at 185 pounds.6. Kelvin Gastelum (15-3)
The UFC tried on two occasions to line up Gastelum for a potential breakthrough clash with faded legend Anderson Silva, but twice it fell apart. Gastelum-Silva was scrapped at UFC 212 in June because Gastelum tested positive for cannabinoid metabolites and again at UFC Fight Night 122 on Nov. 25 after Silva was flagged for a potential USADA violation. Perhaps it was better for the Arizona native anyhow. Former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping stepped into Silva’s spot just three weeks after Georges St. Pierre choked him out cold and took his title. Unsurprisingly, Gastelum leveled “The Count” in half a round and took a jump forward in title contention.7. Michael Bisping (30-9)
Bisping has long been a company man for the UFC, and he has certainly never been afraid of a challenging bout. Those two tendencies combined for the worse at UFC Fight Night 122, as Bisping filled in for former opponent Anderson Silva against Kelvin Gastelum in Shanghai. Just three weeks after he was choked out by Georges St. Pierre and lost the 185-pound title at UFC 217, the Brit was squashed by Gastelum in 2:30. While “The Count” confirmed he will not be competing at UFC Fight Night 127 in London, he has since been called out by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.8. Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2)
While many tabbed Mousasi as a future two-division titlist in Bellator MMA, his promotional debut against former middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 185 nearly ended in disaster on Oct. 20, as he escaped with a broken orbital bone and razor-thin decision win. The ever-candid Mousasi has venom for his critics, stating publicly that he has “got a long one” and “they can all suck it.”9. Chris Weidman (14-3)
Weidman broke his nightmarish three-fight losing streak at UFC on Fox 25, overcoming a few scares from Kelvin Gastelum to prevail by third-round arm-triangle choke. Better for the Baldwin, New York, native, he got to do it in front of a Nassau Coliseum crowd in the UFC’s Long Island debut, making for a truly memorable moment in the cage.10. David Branch (21-4)
World Series of Fighting titles in two weight classes and an 11-fight winning streak did not help Branch in his first UFC headliner on Sept. 16 in Pittsburgh. Branch enjoyed a solid opening round against former UFC and Strikeforce 185-pound kingpin Luke Rockhold, but in the second frame, Rockhold hammered Branch from full mount, leading to a tapout to strikes. Branch was to return to action against Yoel Romero at UFC on Fox 28, but the latter was instead tabbed to face Rockhold for the interim middleweight crown at UFC 221 in Perth.Other Contenders: Derek Brunson, Thiago Santos, Anderson Silva, Brad Tavares, Elias Theodorou.
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