Middleweight
1. Robert Whittaker (19-4)
To absolutely no one’s surprise, in the wake of Georges St. Pierre’s throttling of Michael Bisping at UFC 217, Whittaker is not going to get the blockbuster bout he was promised with GSP. “The Reaper,” now healed from knee surgery, will get to headline UFC 221 in his Australian backyard as promised, however. With St. Pierre having vacated his slice of the title, the native Kiwi puts the undisputed middleweight crown on the line against former champion Luke Rockhold on Feb. 11 in Perth, Australia.2. Georges St. Pierre (26-2)
We all knew for one reason or another, even if St. Pierre defeated Michael Bisping at UFC 217 on Nov. 4, he would not be defending the middleweight title against interim champion Robert Whittaker. After just 31 days on the throne, St. Pierre vacated the UFC middleweight title on Dec. 7, citing a bout with colitis. If and when he returns -- and more operatively, against whom -- will remain a hot topic into 2018.3. Luke Rockhold (16-3)
Rockhold has fought just once in the 18 months since he was shocked by Michael Bisping and lost the UFC middleweight title. Nonetheless, the 185-pound cookie has crumbled favorably for the Santa Cruz, California, native. With Georges St. Pierre vacating his piece of the middleweight championship, Rockhold has snuck into a title shot against Robert Whittaker on Feb. 11, when UFC 221 takes place in Perth, Australia.4. 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. His next assignment will come against former two-division World Series of Fighting champion David Branch at UFC on Fox 28 in February.5. Ronaldo Souza (24-5, 1 NC)
Back inside the Strikeforce cage in August 2012, “Jacare” pummeled a young Derek Brunson, knocking out the Jackson-Wink MMA rep in just 41 seconds. Five and a half years later, the two middleweight notables will meet again in the UFC on Fox 27 headliner, set for Jan. 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, Souza will attempt to rebound from his technical knockout loss to Robert Whittaker in April.6. Kelvin Gastelum (15-3, 1 NC)
The UFC tried on two occasions to line up Gastelum for a potential breakthrough clash with faded legend Anderson Silva, but twice it fell apart. Gastelum-Silva was scrapped at UFC 212 in June because Gastelum tested positive for cannabinoid metabolites and again at UFC Fight Night 122 on Nov. 25 after Silva was flagged for a potential USADA violation. Perhaps it was better for the Arizona native anyhow. Former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping stepped into Silva’s spot just three weeks after Georges St. Pierre choked him out cold and took his title. Unsurprisingly, Gastelum leveled “The Count” in half a round and took a jump forward in title contention.7. Michael Bisping (30-9)
Bisping has long been a company man for the UFC, and he has certainly never been afraid of a challenging bout. Those two tendencies combined for the worse at UFC Fight Night 122, as Bisping filled in for former opponent Anderson Silva against Kelvin Gastelum in Shanghai. Just three weeks after he was choked out by Georges St. Pierre and lost the 185-pound title at UFC 217, the Brit was squashed by Gastelum in 2:30. “The Count” is now angling for his retirement bout to headline UFC Fight Night 127 on March 17 in London.8. Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2)
While many tabbed Mousasi as a future two-division titlist in Bellator MMA, his promotional 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.”9. 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.10. 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 to a tapout to strikes. It was Branch’s first loss since dropping a unanimous decision to Anthony Johnson in May 2012. He will look to get back on track at UFC on Fox 28, where he confronts Yoel Romero on Feb. 24 in Orlando, Florida.Other Contenders: Derek Brunson, Thiago Santos, Anderson Silva, Brad Tavares, Elias Theodorou.
Continue Reading » Welterweight