Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Middleweight
1. Israel Adesanya (20-0) [1]
If a lackluster showing against Yoel Romero at UFC 248 took some of the shine off Adesanya’s star, the City Kickboxing product restored all that was lost and then some with a dominant showing against the previously undefeated Paulo Costa at UFC 253. “The Last Stylebender” was rarely threatened as he befuddled his powerfully built opponent with crisp striking and precise movement, winning by technical knockout in the second stanza of their headlining encounter on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 26. Rather than a rematch with Robert Whittaker, Adesanya will turn his attention to two-division dominance with a showdown against reigning 205-pound king Jan Blachowicz at some point in 2021.2. Robert Whittaker (22-5) [2]
Whittaker proved he wasn’t ready to relinquish his No. 1 contender spot at UFC 254, as he earned a hard-fought victory over Jared Cannonier at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24. In approximately three months’ time, “The Reaper” has emerged victorious over eight rounds against dangerous contenders in Cannonier and Darren Till. Even though Whittaker has a second-round KO loss to Israel Adesanya on his resume, it’s going to be hard to deny the New Zealand-born Aussie another shot at 185-pound gold in the near future.3. Paulo Costa (13-1) [3]
When all was said and done, Costa may have thrown more taunts than strikes against Israel Adesanya in the UFC 253 main event. The end result was a baffling performance in which “Borrachinha” was completely outclassed en route to a second-round technical knockout debut in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 26. The good news is that the Brazilian is just 29 years old and should have plenty of time to work his way back to another title shot down the road.4. Yoel Romero (13-5) [4]
Romero didn’t necessarily deserve a middleweight title shot at UFC 248, and after a confounding performance against Israel Adesanya, it’s unlikely that “The Soldier of God” will receive another championship opportunity during his promotional tenure. The Olympic silver medalist was explosive in spurts, but those were overshadowed by much longer periods of inactivity as he was picked apart on the outside by the tactical Adesanya. With losses in four of his last five Octagon appearances, the soon to be 43-year-old may have reached a point in his career where his reputation exceeds the product he puts forth in the cage. Romero was forced to withdraw from a UFC on ESPN 15 co-main event clash against Uriah Hall on Aug. 22.5. Jared Cannonier (13-4) [5]
With the blessing of Israel Adesanya behind him, Cannonier had a chance to solidify himself as the middleweight division’s No. 1 contender at UFC 254. While “The Killa Gorilla” fought valiantly, he ultimately dropped a three-round verdict to ex-champ Robert Whittaker in the evening’s co-main event at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24. That setback snaps a three-bout winning streak for the former heavyweight and light heavyweight competitor, who now has some more work to do to get in position for a 185-pound title shot.6. Jack Hermansson (21-5) [6]
Hermansson claimed his latest victory in surprising fashion, as he submitted former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum with a heel hook just 78 seconds into their co-main event encounter at UFC Fight Night 172. It was a nice rebound performance for “The Joker,” who was coming off a TKO defeat to Jared Cannonier last September. Hermansson has won five of his last six promotional outings. The Sweden-based fighter will headline a UFC Fight Night event against Darren Till on Dec. 57. Darren Till (18-3-1) [7]
Till certainly had his moments against Robert Whittaker at UFC on ESPN 14, but he ultimately lost a narrow five-round verdict to the former middleweight champion. Till revealed in the aftermath that he likely injured his knee in the second round of the fight and could require surgery and a recovery period. Still, “The Gorilla” wasn’t discouraged by his effort against Whittaker and figures to be tough challenge for many opponents in the middleweight division. Till will get another marquee match at 185 pounds when he squares off against contender Jack Hermansson in the headliner of a UFC event on Dec. 5.8. Kelvin Gastelum (15-6) [8]
It wasn’t all that long ago that Gastelum went toe-to-toe with current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in Sherdog’s 2019 “Fight of the Year,” losing a competitive unanimous decision in an interim title bout at UFC 236. On the heels of a first-round submission defeat to Jack Hermansson at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 18, “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner finds himself on a three-bout skid and in danger of becoming an also-ran in the middleweight division.9. Ronaldo Souza (26-8) [9]
After an unsuccessful light heavyweight foray against Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 164, Souza was to make his return to 185 pounds against Uriah Hall at UFC 249. However, one day before the bout it was revealed that “Jacare” tested positive for the coronavirus, resulting in the cancellation of his proposed clash with Hall. The former Strikeforce champion has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances and will look to get back on track against Marvin Vettori at UFC 256.10. Rafael Lovato Jr. (10-0) [10]
Lovato Jr.’s tenacious grappling was just enough to give him the nod against Gegard Mousasi, as the Oklahoma City, Okla., resident claimed middleweight gold with a majority verdict over the UFC veteran in the Bellator London headliner in June 2019. A rematch seemed like a virtual certainty at one point, but Lovato Jr. has since revealed that a brain condition will prevent him from fighting for the foreseeable future. As a result, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist relinquished the Bellator middleweight belt.Other Contenders: Gegard Mousasi, Derek Brunson, Uriah Hall, Chris Weidman, Omari Akhmedov.
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