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Middleweight
1. Israel Adesanya (22-1) [1]
He took a far different route to get there, but Adesanya is nonetheless 2-0 against Robert Whittaker after defeating his rival via unanimous decision in the UFC 271 headliner at the Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 19. With four title defenses and 11 consecutive triumphs overall at 185 pounds under his belt, “The Last Stylebender” will look ahead to his next challenge in the division. That will likely come against newly anointed No. 1 contender Jared Cannonier, and Adesanya has already targeted the UFC’s June pay-per-view event for his next Octagon appearance.2. Robert Whittaker (23-6) [2]
After relinquishing the middleweight crown via second-round KO at UFC 243, Whittaker adopted a much more measured approach in his rematch against Israel Adesanya in the UFC 271 headliner. While he was more competitive, “The Reaper” still dropped a unanimous verdict to Adesanya at the Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 12. Whittaker sees a three-fight winning streak come to an end in defeat and could find the road another title shot difficult as long as Adesanya remains champ. Up next, Whittaker will square off against fellow former title challenger Marvin Vettori at UFC 275.3. Jared Cannonier (15-5) [3]
Cannonier staked his claim to the No. 1 contender’s spot in emphatic fashion at UFC 271, as he bludgeoned Derek Brunson with elbows from top position for a second-round knockout victory at the Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 12. “The Killa Gorilla” has won five of his last six in UFC competition, with other notable triumphs against the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, Jack Hermansson and Anderson Silva. A date with reigning champ Israel Adesanya should be next.4. Paulo Costa (13-2) [4]
Costa was unable to make weight for his UFC Fight Night 196 headlining bout against Marvin Vettori, and even with the matchup moved to 205 pounds, “Borrachinha” still dropped a five-round verdict to his Italian rival at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After the defeat, UFC president Dana White said that Costa’s future in the promotion will remain at light heavyweight. As it stands, the powerfully-built Brazilian hasn’t won a fight at 185 pounds since a decision over Yoel Romero at UFC 241 in August 2019.5. Marvin Vettori (18-5-1) [5]
Despite his opponent’s admission that he wouldn’t be making weight just a few days prior to the UFC Fight Night 196 main event, Vettori nonetheless agreed to face Paulo Costa a weight class above at 205 pounds. The gamble paid off, as “The Italian Dream” scored a five-round verdict over his fellow former title challenger and had Dana White sing his praises at the event’s post-fight press conference. Vettori has won six of his last seven Octagon appearances, with his lone defeat coming to Israel Adesanya in a title tilt at UFC 253. Vettori is expected to lock horns with ex-champ Robert Whittaker at UFC 275.6. Derek Brunson (23-8) [6]
Brunson’s game plan worked well for a round against Jared Cannonier, but when he failed to secure a finish late in the period, things went downhill in a hurry for the North Carolina native at UFC 271. Unable to implement his wrestling, a fatigued Brunson succumbed to a series of vicious ground-and-pound elbows from Cannonier in the second round of their Feb. 12. On the brink of a possible title shot, Brunson instead has a five-bout winning streak snapped..7. Sean Strickland (25-3) [7]
It wasn’t an overly thrilling performance, but Strickland’s crisp boxing was more than enough to carry him to a split-decision triumph over Jack Hermansson in the UFC Fight Night 200 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 5. Though Strickland’s pre-fight quotes might have been more interesting than the action in the cage, it was nonetheless the sixth consecutive triumph for Strickland, who is gradually rising up the ladder in the 185-pound division. Up next for “Tarzan” is a showdown with former two-division Glory champion Alex Pereira at UFC 277.8. Gegard Mousasi (49-7-2) [8]
Mousasi laid waste to Austin Vanderford in the Bellator 275 headliner, rocking his previously undefeated foe on the feet before sprawling on a desperation shot and ending the contest with a barrage of blows on the canvas for a TKO victory at the 1:25 mark of Round 1. The 36-year-old “Dreamcatcher” shows no signs of slowing down with victories in 12 of his last 13 professional outings, including stoppages of Vanderford and John Salter in his last two 185-pound title defenses. Next, Mousasi is expected to defend his crown against undefeated prospect Johnny Eblen in June.9. Jack Hermansson (22-7) [9]
Hermansson hung tough for five rounds, but he was unable to implement his grappling in a split-decision loss against Sean Strickland in the UFC Fight Night 200 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 5. Though Hermansson earned the nod from one judge’s scorecard, it was not an especially competitive bout for “The Joker,” who has now come up short in two of his last three main event bouts inside the Octagon.10. Darren Till (18-4-1) [10]
After a successful middleweight debut against Kelvin Gastelum, Till has faltered in back-to-back losses against Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson. The Liverpool native has lost four of his last five Octagon appearances dating back to a submission defeat to Tyron Woodley in a welterweight title bout at UFC 228. Despite the promotion’s best efforts to put him in a prominent position — six of his last seven fights have been main events — the 28-year-old Till has not delivered on much of his considerable hype.Other Contenders: Kevin Holland, Chris Curtis, Brendan Allen, Uriah Hall, Andre Muniz.
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