Middleweight
1. Alex Pereira (10-2) | UFC [1]
Alex Pereira left no doubt regarding the true identity of the light heavyweight champion with his first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 headliner. Once he found his opening, “Poatan” wasted little time, dropping his foe with a left hook and sealing his victory with follow-up ground strikes 3:14 into the opening stanza. By besting Hill, who had to vacate the title due to injury in 2023, Pereira avenged mentor Glover Teixeira and continued to raise his profile as one of the promotion’s biggest stars. The Brazilian’s rankings eligibility at middleweight will expire on October 8, 2024.2. Dricus Du Plessis (21-2) UFC [2]
Du Plessis made it nine consecutive triumphs in the UFC 297 headliner, as he outdueled Sean Strickland over five rounds to claim the middleweight crown in a closely-contested split decision victory. The South African struggled with his opponent’s precise jab early, but he was able to vary his attacks enough down the stretch to get the nod on the scorecards. A showdown with ex-champ Israel Adesanya — a rivalry that was building heat last year — looms as a potentially interesting clash further down the calendar in 2024.3. Sean Strickland (29-6) | UFC [3]
Strickland put forth a vintage performance in the UFC 302 co-main event, keeping Paulo Costa at bay with straight punches, front kicks and constant forward movement en route to a five-round, split-decision triumph at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 1. One bout removed from relinquishing the middleweight strap to Dricus Du Plessis in a closely-contested defeat at UFC 297, the Xtreme Couture product is sitting pretty to potentially receive another title shot in his next promotional outing.4. Israel Adesanya (24-3) | UFC [4]
Adesanya authored one of the most perplexing performances by a champion in recent memory, falling to the lightly regarded Sean Strickland via unanimous decision in the UFC 293 headliner in Sydney. “The Last Stylebender” has now lost two of his last three outings at 185 pounds, and it could be some time before the Nigerian-born Kiwi returns to the Octagon.5. Robert Whittaker (25-7) | UFC [5]
After a surprising loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290, Whittaker showed he still has plenty left in the tank by outpointing former title challenger Paulo Costa in the UFC 298 co-main event. “The Reaper” shook off being wobbled by his opponent in Round 1 and rallied to pull away thanks to superior volume and striking over the bout’s final 10 minutes. While Whittaker is no longer the consensus No. 2 in the division as he was when Israel Adesanya reigned, he’s still clearly one of the top talents at 185 pounds. He’ll next look to slow the momentum of Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC Saudi Arabia headliner on June 22.6. Nassourdine Imavov (14-4, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
While the stoppage itself was controversial, Imavov nonetheless added a significant notch to his belt with a fourth-round technical knockout victory against Jared Cannonier in the UFC on ESPN 57 headliner at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 8. With back-to-back triumphs over Cannonier and Roman Dolidze, the Frenchman remains a key figure in the middleweight division. However, his call for a rematch against Sean Strickland is likely to go unheeded.7. Johnny Eblen (15-0) | Bellator [6]
Eblen got a tougher-than-expected test at PFL vs. Bellator, where he was dropped and hurt in the second stanza before holding on for a split-decision triumph over 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay on Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While his struggles put a damper on Eblen’s “Best Middleweight in the World” campaign, it was nonetheless encouraging that the American Top Team product was able to persevere through adversity to remain undefeated.8. Jared Cannonier (17-7) | UFC [7]
Cannonier started well enough against Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC on ESPN 57 headliner, but it went downhill once a right hand from his French opponent put him on wobbly legs in the fourth round. Though the ensuing sequence led to a controversial stoppage by referee Jason Herzog, there’s no denying that Cannonier’s body language was not ideal at that point in time. While a victory would have gotten “The Killa Gorilla” closer to a middleweight title shot, the 40-year-old MMA Lab representative might not see that opportunity again before his career comes to a close.9. Marvin Vettori (19-7-1) | UFC [8]
After nearly earning a finish in the opening stanza, Vettori was battered for the next four frames in a unanimous decision loss to Jared Cannonier in the UFC on ESPN 47 main event. “The Italian Dream” may have been too tough for his own good, as he absorbed a UFC middleweight record 241 significant strikes — including numerous heavy right hands from his opponent. Vettori was forced to withdraw from a proposed matchup with Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night 240 due to injury.10. Brendan Allen (24-5) | UFC [10]
After original opponent Marvin Vettori withdrew from the event due to injury, Allen outdueled Chris Curtis over five rounds to capture a split-decision triumph in the UFC Fight Night 240 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 6. In extending his promotional winning streak to seven — six at 185 pounds — “All In” avenged a previous a December 2021 loss to Curtis, the last man to defeat him in the Octagon.Other Contenders:Roman Dolidze, Paulo Costa, Fabian Edwards, Gegard Mousasi, Jack Hermansson.
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