Middleweight
1. Robert Whittaker (19-4)
If the world -- or at least the UFC -- was just a little more of a meritocracy, then there would be no question that interim middleweight champion Whittaker would be next on deck for newly returned Georges St. Pierre, suddenly the UFC’s “real” 185-pound titleholder. Despite the UFC announcing its debut in Perth, Australia, with UFC 221 on Feb. 11 and that Whittaker would headline the card to unify the middleweight crown with the winner of GSP-Michael Bisping, those plans already seem to be eroding. While UFC President Dana White remains adamant that Whittaker is next for “Rush,” he is already talking about St. Pierre’s next bout coming back in Montreal. As a result, the MMA world remains largely skeptical that “The Reaper” will get his chance to square off with an all-time great.2. Georges St. Pierre (26-2)
St. Pierre hung up his gloves four years ago, exiting MMA as the best welterweight in history and perhaps the greatest fighter period. “Rush” returned to the sport and made history at UFC 217, choking Michael Bisping unconscious in a thrilling engagement to earn the UFC middleweight title and open up some thrilling possibilities, at least for another fight or two. If sanity prevails, GSP will unify the 185-pound title in the coming months against interim champion Robert Whittaker, but given St. Pierre’s superstar profile and the current state of the UFC’s matchmaking, what actually comes next remains anyone’s guess.3. Michael Bisping (30-8)
In case you wondering what it means to be a “company man” for your promoter, let Bisping’s recent actions be another vivid example. The MMA world had barely finished processing his dramatic UFC middleweight title loss to Georges St. Pierre on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden, wondering if and when “The Count” would fight again, when news broke that Anderson Silva had been flagged by USADA for a potential doping violation that knocked him out of the UFC Fight Night 122 headliner. Now, three weeks after losing his 185-pound title, Bisping will headline the UFC’s first card in mainland China when he faces Kelvin Gastelum on Nov. 25 in Shanghai.4. Luke Rockhold (16-3)
Rockhold spent 15 months on the shelf following his shocking UFC middleweight title loss to Michael Bisping in June 2016, largely due to a knee injury sustained late last year. In his Sept. 16 comeback bout against former two-division World Series of Fighting champion David Branch, it took him a round to get going. Rockhold took over in the second frame, smashing Branch and forcing him to tap to strikes. Rockhold has continued to call out Bisping but has also hinted that a bump up to 205 pounds could be in his future.5. Yoel Romero (12-2)
Romero’s 8-0 Octagon record made him long overdue for a rightful crack at UFC gold. However, when the Olympic silver medalist finally got his shot, it was not quite what he imagined. Instead of undisputed champ Michael Bisping in the cage, he faced fast-rising prospect Robert Whittaker for an interim strap at UFC 213, faded over the final 15 minutes and dropped a unanimous decision to “Bobby Knuckles.” The 40-year-old Cuban certainly remains one of the best 185-pounders in MMA, but his longevity in the sport and road to a second title shot are highly uncertain.6. Ronaldo Souza (24-5, 1 NC)
“Jacare” had been outspoken in recent months about how the UFC has conducted the middleweight division, from Michael Bisping’s championship win and “The Count” defending against an aged Dan Henderson to a returning Georges St. Pierre being granted a title shot. Unfortunately for Souza, after repeatedly stating his case for crack at UFC gold, he met red-hot contender Robert Whittaker at UFC on Fox 24 and was knocked out in the second round.7. Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2)
While many tabbed Mousasi as a future two-division titlist, his Bellator MMA 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.”8. 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.9. 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 had 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 him to tap to strikes. It was Branch’s first loss since dropping a unanimous decision to Anthony Johnson in May 2012.10. Anderson Silva (34-8, 1 NC)
The twilight of Silva’s career just gets more disappointing and surreal. Following his questionable decision win over Derek Brunson in February, “The Spider” was lined up to face Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro in June before Gastelum was pulled due to a positive test for cannabinoids. When the bout was remade as the UFC Fight Night 122 headliner on Nov. 25, Silva was then notified of a potential USADA violation and pulled from the main event, with Michael Bisping replacing him. Silva previously failed a pair of drug tests in the state of Nevada in January 2015 that were related to his UFC 183 main event with Nick Diaz.Other Contenders: Derek Brunson, Kelvin Gastelum, Daniel Kelly, Thiago Santos, Brad Tavares.
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