Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Middleweight
1. Dricus Du Plessis (22-2) UFC [1]
Despite an unorthodox style that often borders on ugly, Du Plessis continues to prove the doubters wrong. “Stillknocks” successfully defended his middleweight title for the first time at UFC 305, as he submitted Israel Adesanya with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round of their headlining encounter at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Du Plessis’ UFC winning streak now sits at eight, and future opponent options include Sean Strickland, the Robert Whittaker-Khamzat Chimaev winner and even Alex Pereira.2. Sean Strickland (29-6) | UFC [2]
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.3. Israel Adesanya (24-4) | UFC [3]
Adesanya didn’t lack for motivation heading into the UFC 305 headliner, and while he certainly had his moments against Dricus Du Plessis, he ultimately succumbed to a face crank in the fourth round of their middleweight championship fight at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. After the bout, “The Last Stylebender” emphatically stated that he isn’t going anywhere, but with losses in three of his last four Octagon appearances, the Nigerian-born Kiwi might have to face the reality that another title opportunity might be at least a few fights away — if it arrives at all.4. Robert Whittaker (26-7) | UFC [4]
After original foe Khamzat Chimaev dropped out of headlining their fight at UFC on ABC 6, Whittaker agreed to take a risky fight against Ikram Aliskerov on short notice. The former middleweight champion was unfazed by the change, as he knocked out his Dagestani foe 1:49 into the opening stanza. “Bobby Knuckles” has won back-to-back outings against Aliskerov and Paulo Costa since being finished by current title holder Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 298. Whittaker’s matchup with Chimaev has been rescheduled for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.5. Nassourdine Imavov (15-4, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
After a difficult opening stanza, Imavov took control down the stretch against Brendan Allen to capture a unanimous decision triump in the UFC Fight Night 243 headliner at Accor Arena in Paris. “The Sniper” is now 3-0 in 2024, with victories over Allen, Jared Cannonier and Roman Dolidze to his credit. While the MMA Factory standout called for a title shot in the aftermath of his latest triumph, he might still be one fight away from the opportunity to vie for UFC middleweight gold.6. Johnny Eblen (16-0) | Bellator [6]
Eblen relied on his wrestling at PFL “Battle of the Giants” as he used takedowns and control to grind out a unanimous decision triumph over Fabian Edwards in a rematch for the Bellator middleweight title. The American Top Team product had to weather a strong push from his British adversary in the final frame to keep his undefeated record intact. After a closer-than-expected win over Impa Kasaganay at PFL vs. Bellator in February, Eblen improves to 2-0 in 2024. With Bellator under PFL ownership, the next step for Eblen as 185-pound champion is currently unclear.7. Caio Borralho (17-1, 1 NC) | UFC [7]
Though he didn’t get the finish he believed would propel him to a title shot, Borralho nonetheless earned a signature victory at UFC on ESPN 52 when he outdueled former title challenger Jared Cannonier over five rounds at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 24. The Fighting Nerds representative put a stamp on his triumph in Round 5, when he dropped his opponent and threatened with an arm-triangle choke in the bout’s waning seconds. “The Natural” has won 14 fights in a row — including seven in UFC competition — setting the stage for another high-profile pairing in his next Octagon appearance.8. Jared Cannonier (17-8) | UFC [8]
Cannonier was plenty game against surging contender Caio Borralho, but “The Killa Gorilla” ultimately could not keep up with his opponent in a unanimous decision loss at UFC on ESPN 62. After winning four of five promotional appearances from 2021 to 2023, the 40-year-old Cannonier has seen his hopes of another championship opportunity dim on the heels of back-to-back defeats against Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov.9. Brendan Allen (24-6) | UFC [9]
Allen took Imavov down with ease and controlled the majority of the opening round from top position at UFC Fight Night 243, but it was all downhill from there for the Kill Cliff FC representative. “All In” appeared to fatigue badly over the final 10 minutes — as evidenced by his repeated failures on takedown attempts — and dropped a three-round verdict to his fellow middleweight contender in the evening’s co-main event at Accor Arena in Paris. Allen sees a seven-bout UFC winning streak snapped in defeat.10. Marvin Vettori (19-7-1) | UFC [1]
In his most recent fight, Vettori came out on the wrong side of the scorecards in a unanimous decision loss to Jared Cannonier in the UFC on ESPN 47 headliner in June 2023. The former middleweight title challenger has now lost three of his last five Octagon appearances. “The Italian Dream” withdrew from a proposed clash against Brendan Allen in April, but the two 185-pound contenders were seen brawling on a casino floor in Hollywood, Florida, following a PFL postseason event in August.Other Contenders:Roman Dolidze, Anthony Hernandez, Paulo Costa, Fabian Edwards, Jack Hermansson.
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