Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Middleweight
1. Alex Pereira (7-1) | UFC [1]
Pereira maintained his combat sports mastery over Israel Adesanya in the UFC 281 headliner, rallying for a scintillating fifth-round technical knockout victory at Madison Square Garden. It’s an improbable rise to the top of the middleweight division for “Poatan,” who becomes champion in just his fourth UFC appearance. As deadly as his striking appears to be, Pereira’s lack of wrestling acumen means that he’ll have plenty of challengers lining up to take his title. First, though, will be a rematch with Adesanya at UFC 287 — the fourth combat sports meeting overall between the two rivals.2. Israel Adesanya (23-2) | UFC [2]
Adesanya appeared to be on his way to a decision victory against Alex Pereira in the UFC 281 headliner, but the Brazilian put the pressure on in Round 5, swarming with power punches en route to a technical knockout victory. Not only does “The Last Stylebender” fall to 0-3 against Pereira in combat sports — including a pair of losses in kickboxing — but he also suffers his first middleweight defeat as a professional mixed martial artist. His dominance over the rest of the division paid off, as Adesanya will receive an immediate rematch against Pereira at UFC 287.3. Robert Whittaker (24-6) | UFC [3]
While Israel Adesanya may have his number, Whittaker still remains a step above the rest of the UFC’s middleweight division. “The Reaper” proved that once again in the UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event, as he cruised to a clear-cut unanimous verdict over former title challenger Marvin Vettori at Accor Arena in Paris. The ex-champ has teased an eventual move to 205 pounds, but considering how successful he remains at middleweight against opponents not named Adesanya, that transition might not come to fruition just yet. In the meantime, a proposed clash against Paulo Costa at UFC 284 failed to materialize due to contract issues for his opponent.4. Jared Cannonier (16-6) | UFC [4]
After coming up short in his bid for middleweight gold against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276, Cannonier rebounded with a split-decision triumph against Sean Strickland in the UFC Fight Night 216 headliner. In a matchup where neither fighter made a definitive statement, Cannonier’s leg kicks, body work and occasional flurries of power punches were enough to earn the nod from two of three cageside judges. While “The Killa Gorilla” will undoubtedly take the victory, it wasn’t the type of performance that will significantly boost his status in the middleweight division.5. Johnny Eblen (13-0) | Bellator [8]
Eblen authored a complete performance — including a massive suplex in Round 5 — in his first middleweight title defense, taking a five-round verdict over Anatoly Tokov in the Bellator 290 co-main event. After a solid run as a prospect, the American Top Team product has made a leap in his last three outings with impressive victories over Tokov, Gegard Mousasi and John Salter. In the midst of his prime at 31 years old, Eblen has the look of a someone who could have a lengthy reign in Bellator at 185 pounds.6. Paulo Costa (14-2) | UFC [5]
Costa returned to the win column for the first time since 2019 at UFC 278, as he captured a unanimous decision against former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the evening’s co-main event at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was an encouraging step forward for the Brazilian following back-to-back defeats and issues making weight in his previous Octagon appearance. However, ongoing contract issues with the promotion eventually led to Costa backing out of a proposed showdown against Robert Whittaker at UFC 284.7. Marvin Vettori (18-6-1) | UFC [6]
Even with a strong Italian contingent in Paris cheering him on, Vettori looked outclassed against Robert Whittaker in the UFC Fight Night 209 co-headliner, losing a clear-cut unanimous decision on Sept. 3. “The Italian Dream” has lost two of his last three in UFC competition, but there’s no shame in falling to the likes of Whittaker and Israel Adesanya. Vettori will next square off against surging contender Roman Dolidze at UFC 286.8. Derek Brunson (23-8) | UFC [7]
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 encounter. On the brink of a possible title shot, Brunson instead had a five-bout winning streak snapped. An injury forced Brunson to withdraw from a clash against Jack Hermansson at UFC Orlando in December, so he’ll make his return instead against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 285.9. Sean Strickland (26-5) | UFC [9]
Strickland proved himself to be a company man by stepping in on less than a week’s notice to face Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Fight Night 217 main event, and even better for him, he earned a unanimous decision victory to snap a two-bout losing streak. That triumph came at 205 pounds, so it won’t factor too much into his standing in the middleweight division. However, it’s never a bad idea to endear yourself to UFC brass, which Strickland did by helping salvage the promotion’s first card of 2023 — something that could pay off in the future.10. Roman Dolidze (12-1) | UFC [10]
Dolidze made the most of a short-notice opportunity at UFC on ESPN 42, as he trapped Jack Hermansson in a calf slicer position before hammering away with ground-and-pound from back mount for a second-round technical knockout victory in Orlando, Fla. The creative finish was the Georgian’s fourth straight win in UFC competition — and third consecutive victory inside the distance. With a signature triumph under his belt, Dolidze has suddenly established himself as a person to watch at 185 pounds, and he’ll look to continue his ascent against Marvin Vettori at UFC 286.Other Contenders: Gegard Mousasi, Jack Hermansson, Chris Curtis, Andre Muniz, Nassourdine Imavov.
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