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. 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. After losing two of his last three fights in the Octagon, Rockhold’s next move looks to be up a division to light heavyweight. However, a recent injury has scrapped plans for a showdown with former 205-pound title challenger Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 227.4. Kelvin Gastelum (16-3)
Gastelum made a major statement in Rio de Janeiro by taking a hard-fought split decision over former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Souza on May 12. Gastelum survived having “Jacare” on his back in the opening frame, dropped his adversary in the second round and held on down the stretch to earn perhaps the most significant win of his career to date. The Kings MMA representative is now targeting the winner of the UFC 225 title clash between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero.5. Ronaldo Souza (25-6)
Souza was in prime position to establish himself as a No. 1 contender at UFC 224, but he was unable to get the job done against “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Kelvin Gastelum. “Jacare” started quickly but ran out of gas when he could not secure a submission in the first frame. As a result, Gastelum eked out a split decision triumph to hand the 38-year-old Brazilian his second defeat in three outings within the Las Vegas-based promotion.6. Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2)
Mousasi continued his recent run of excellence in the Bellator 200 headliner, as he rolled past Rafael Carvalho to claim the promotion’s middleweight crown with a first-round technical knockout victory. That makes seven consecutive wins for the Armenian-born Dutchman, who called out Bellator 170-pound king Rory MacDonald following his latest conquest.7. Georges St. Pierre (26-2)
We all knew for one reason or another that 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. It remains unclear if “Rush” will ever compete in the Octagon again, but UFC President Dana White recently revealed that his next proposed bout could come two weight classes below 185 pounds in a lightweight showdown with Nate Diaz at UFC 227.8. 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. A troublesome thumb injury that has required two surgeries will likely delay Weidman’s Octagon return until at least the fall.9. David Branch (21-4)
Faced with an opponent who had earned knockout victories in his last four appearances, Branch turned the tables on Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night 128. The former two-division World Series of Fighting champion dropped his Brazilian counterpart with an overhand right to the jaw and sealed the victory with hammerfists on the mat 2:30 into Round 1 for his second triumph in three Octagon appearances. Considering he was supposed to face Yoel Romero at UFC on Fox 28 in February, Branch will likely be in line for a highly ranked opponent in his next outing.10. Derek Brunson (18-6)
Momentum from back-to-back knockouts of Daniel Kelly and Lyoto Machida was of little use to Brunson in his rematch with former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Souza at UFC on Fox 27 in January. The 34-year-old North Carolinian lasted less than a round against “Jacare,” as a head kick and follow-up punches resulted in his demise 3:50 into the opening period. Brunson will try to get back on track when he faces the red-hot Antonio Carlos Jr. at UFC 227 on Aug. 4.Other Contenders: Antonio Carlos Jr., Paulo Henrique Costa, Thiago Santos, Brad Tavares, Elias Theodorou.
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