First-round knockouts of Rich Franklin (Pictures) and Nathan Marquardt (Pictures). Capturing the UFC middleweight crown. Just one loss in two and half years (via DQ no less). Anderson Silva easily deserves the top spot at 185 pounds. His next challenge comes Oct. 20 against Franklin in the former champion's hometown.
2. Paulo Filho (Pictures) (15-0-0)
The undefeated Brazilian ranks in this high due to his unblemished record and the way he's won the majority of his fights. A dominant grappler, Filho showed off some powerful strikes in stopping Canadian Joe Doerksen (Pictures) on Aug. 5 to capture the vacant WEC title. Jason Miller or Joe Riggs (Pictures) could be Filho's next opponent, though neither match the level of opposition he would have found in the UFC, EliteXC or K-1 HERO'S.
3. Dan Henderson (Pictures) (22-5-0)
He's only had five fights at the weight but Dan Henderson (Pictures)'s 2006 run to win the PRIDE 183-pound title is enough to place him in the top three. Ask most fighters who ranks No. 1 in the division, and Henderson's name comes up quite often. Yet it's his lack of a win over a Top 10 fighter (though he has defeated quality opposition) that prevents him from making the top two.
4. Rich Franklin (Pictures) (22-2-0, 1 NC)
A well rounded, hard working, smart fighter, Franklin was forced to regroup after losing his UFC belt to Anderson Silva last October. Coming back from the brutal KO, "Ace" forced Jason MacDonald (Pictures) to quit after two rounds and recently won on points against the ranked Yushin Okami (Pictures). Franklin faces Silva again, this time in the former champ's hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio on Oct. 20.
5. Matt Lindland (Pictures) (20-5-0)
Lindland has been a rogue fighter since the UFC tore up his contract in Aug. 2005. A bad loss to David Terrell (Pictures) kept "The Law" out of the UFC title picture before he was discarded, and outside the UFC Lindland has shown improved overall skills. The problem for Lindland is that he hasn't faced a ranked middleweight in quite some time, and instead has gone off to fight at 205 and heavyweight (where he was armbarred by Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) in less than three minutes). He needs a chance to fight top-tier opposition if he's going to be ranked any higher.
6. Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) (25-7-2)
Marquardt found himself overwhelmed by UFC champion Anderson Silva in July. Though many thought Marquardt provided a bad style match for Silva, his chin failed to hold up against the champion's strikes. Marquardt is a highly skilled, deeply experienced fighter who has held respected titles such as Japan's King of Pancrase. Four wins in five UFC fights made fans hip to his talents, but a somewhat methodical fighting style and muted demeanor have kept his star dim to this point.
7. Denis Kang (Pictures) (27-8-1)
Kang is a gifted athlete with fast hands and a well-rounded game. He began to gain notoriety during the PRIDE 183-pound tournament in 2006, and made it to the finals before losing by split decision to Kazuo Misaki (Pictures). Currently a free agent, Kang is being pursued by the major organizations. He appears to have all the tools to make it into the top three, but he's lacking a win over a top-ranked foe to propel him there.
8. Yushin Okami (Pictures) (20-4-0)
Okami is arguably the best Japanese fighter to participate on the cage-fighting circuit. The lanky middleweight is coming off a decision loss to Rich Franklin (Pictures) in June, a bout he appeared close to winning by submission in the third round. With a 4-1 in the UFC and a solid overall ledger, Okami, just 26, is a fighter that could climb the list.
9. Robbie Lawler (Pictures) (14-4-0)
The hard-punching Lawler's win over Trigg puts him in the ninth spot, this despite his submission loss to Jason Miller in Sept. '06. Lawler has won six of seven fights starting in 2005 against the likes of Trigg, Joey Villasenor (Pictures) and Falaniko Vitale (Pictures) twice. The quiet Iowan is slated put his ICON belt on the line against EliteXC champ Murilo Rua (Pictures) Sept. 15 in Honolulu.
10. Frank Trigg (Pictures) (15-6-0)
After losing to Carlos Condit (Pictures) in the spring of 2006, "Twinkle Toes" took a hiatus from MMA before bulking up 15 pounds to join the middleweight division. Most thought the young Jason Miller would trounce Trigg, but the powerful wrestler pounded out "Mayhem" out in the second round. A decision win over Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) secured a Top 10 ranking despite falling to Robbie Lawler (Pictures) in four rounds last March, which cost him the ICON belt he won versus Miller.