Middleweight
1. Robert Whittaker (19-4)
Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion late last year when Georges St. Pierre vacated the 185-pound belt, but his official reign got off to a rough start: “The Reaper” was forced to withdraw from a scheduled defense against Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 due to complications from a staph infection in his stomach. The Australian is now on the road to a full recovery and will return to action in a rematch against Yoel Romero -- the man he defeated for interim gold at UFC 213 -- in the UFC 225 headliner.2. Yoel Romero (13-2)
When Romero goes all-in, it can be a sight to behold. Such was the case at UFC 221, where “The Soldier of God” earned a scary third-round knockout of Luke Rockhold following two competitive frames. Unfortunately for the 2000 Olympic silver medalist, he failed to make weight and was not eligible to win the interim middleweight crown. Nonetheless, the Cuban fighter earned himself a rematch against reigning champion Robert Whittaker in the UFC 225 main event on June 9.3. 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 well into 2018.4. Luke Rockhold (16-4)
Rockhold once looked capable of a lengthy reign as UFC middleweight champion. However, the California native is now on the outside of the title picture looking in after suffering a brutal third-round knockout loss to Yoel Romero in the UFC 221 headliner in Perth, Australia. The former Strikeforce titlist has lost two of his last three in the Octagon -- including the upset loss to Michael Bisping that cost him his belt at UFC 199 -- and could eventually be headed to 205 pounds as his weight cut becomes more difficult with age.5. Ronaldo Souza (25-5)
Souza proved once again that he remains a force in the UFC’s middleweight division, even at 38 years old. Some five years after their first meeting under the Strikeforce banner, “Jacare” on Jan. 27 dispatched Derek Brunson with a head kick and punches 3:50 into the opening round of their UFC on Fox 27 main event. That win, the third in four outings for the Brazilian, set up a potential title eliminator against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 224 on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro.6. Kelvin Gastelum (15-3)
After knocking out ex-champ Michael Bisping in half a round at UFC Fight Night 122 in Shanghai in November, Gastelum called for a shot at then-interim titleholder Robert Whittaker. While Gastelum has unofficially won four of five middleweight appearances -- a stoppage of Vitor Belfort at UFC Fight Night 106 was overturned due to a positive marijuana test -- it appears that he will need one more win to get his title opportunity. That chance will come against Ronaldo Souza at UFC 224 on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro.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. After missing the chance to compete in London at UFC Fight Night 127 in March, “The Count” has targeted UFC Fight Night 130 in Liverpool, England, on May 27 for his potential swan song.8. Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2)
A razor-thin decision victory against Alexander Shlemenko in his Bellator MMA debut gave Mousasi a sixth consecutive victory since 2016. While the Armenian-born Dutchman may have been fortunate to emerge with his winning streak intact, his recent resume has earned him a shot at reigning 185-pound king Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 200 on May 25 in London.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. A troublesome thumb injury that has required two surgeries will likely delay Weidman’s Octagon return until the fall.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 enjoyed 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. After missing out on a Feb. 24 booking against Yoel Romero when the latter was instead tabbed to face Rockhold for the interim middleweight crown at UFC 221, Branch will return to action opposite Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night 128 on April 21 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.Other Contenders: Derek Brunson, Thiago Santos, Anderson Silva, Brad Tavares, Elias Theodorou.
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