The Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division has more or less been defined by the rule and exploits of one man: Anderson Silva. “The Spider” held the 185-pound championship for nearly 2,500 days and along the way put together a highlight reel of almost unimaginable quality, his reign marked by decisive wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia, Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen. Spectacular knockouts became commonplace.

The latest chapter in the history of the middleweight crown will be written when 2000 Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero meets Luke Rockhold for the interim belt in the UFC 221 main event this Saturday in Perth Australia. With undisputed champion Robert Whittaker sidelined by knee surgery and a subsequent staph infection, the title will splinter for the second time in less than a year.

Ahead of the Romero-Rockhold showdown, the latest installment in the Sherdog Top 10 series series focuses on the best knockouts in UFC middleweight title fights.

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OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Evan Tanner vs. David Terrell (UFC 51), Murilo Bustamante vs. Dave Menne (UFC 35), Rich Franklin vs. Evan Tanner (UFC 53), Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami (UFC 134), Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC 187)

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