Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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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 [5]

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. Marvin Vettori (19-6-1) | UFC [6]

A balanced standup attack and intelligent movement carried Vettori to a unanimous decision triumph against former training partner Roman Dolidze in main card matchup at UFC 286 in London. With the victory, “The Italian Dream” rebounds from a loss to Robert Whittaker in his lone appearance of 2022 and maintains his standing in the middleweight division. Since 2019, Vettori is 7-2 in UFC competition, with his only losses during that time coming to opponents who have held 185-pound gold: Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.

7. Paulo Costa (14-2) | UFC [7]

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. After agreeing to terms on a new deal with the promotion, “Borrachinha” is targeting a number of big matchups for the remainder of 2023.

8. Sean Strickland (26-5) | UFC [8]

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.

9. Roman Dolidze (12-2) | UFC [9]

Dolidze’s four-fight Octagon winning streak came to an end at UFC 286, as he dropped a unanimous verdict against former middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori in London on March 18. Dolidze was competitive throughout and often had his opponent on his heels, but Vettori was just a little more well-rounded in a bout that was contested almost exclusively on the feet. Considering the close nature of the defeat, the 34-year-old Georgian figures to be in line for another ranked foe in his next appearances.

10. Dricus Du Plessis (19-2) UFC [10]

Du Plessis rarely looks pretty in victory, but the South African has been undeniably effective thus far during his UFC tenure. That continued at UFC 285, where he rallied for a second-round stoppage victory over veteran gatekeeper Derek Brunson at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The former KSW champion has won seven straight fights — including five in a row in UFC competition.

Other Contenders: Gegard Mousasi, Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson, Chris Curtis, Brendan Allen.

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