Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Middleweight
1. Dricus Du Plessis (22-2) UFC [1]
Despite an unorthodox style that often borders on ugly, Du Plessis continues to prove the doubters wrong. “Stillknocks” successfully defended his middleweight title for the first time at UFC 305, as he submitted Israel Adesanya with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round of their headlining encounter at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Du Plessis’ UFC winning streak now sits at eight, and future opponent options include Sean Strickland, the Robert Whittaker-Khamzat Chimaev winner and even Alex Pereira.2. Khamzat Chimaev (14-0) | UFC [2]
After a year of inactivity, Chimaev offered a friendly reminder of the devastation he can bring to the Octagon with a dominant first-round finish of Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event. “Borz” grounded his opponent, took his back and then secured a face crank so powerful that Whittaker had no choice but to tap in a matter of seconds. By vanquishing a former middleweight title holder in impressive fashion, Chimaev puts himself on the short list of top contenders at 185 pounds — perhaps even rising to the No. 1 contender’s spot ahead of Sean Strickland.3. Sean Strickland (29-6) | UFC [3]
Strickland put forth a vintage performance in the UFC 302 co-main event, keeping Paulo Costa at bay with straight punches, front kicks and constant forward movement en route to a five-round, split-decision triumph at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 1. One bout removed from relinquishing the middleweight strap to Dricus Du Plessis in a closely-contested defeat at UFC 297, the Xtreme Couture product is sitting pretty to potentially receive another title shot in his next promotional outing.4. Israel Adesanya (24-4) | UFC [4]
Adesanya didn’t lack for motivation heading into the UFC 305 headliner, and while he certainly had his moments against Dricus Du Plessis, he ultimately succumbed to a face crank in the fourth round of their middleweight championship fight at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. After the bout, “The Last Stylebender” emphatically stated that he isn’t going anywhere, but with losses in three of his last four Octagon appearances, the Nigerian-born Kiwi might have to face the reality that another title opportunity might be at least a few fights away — if it arrives at all.5. Robert Whittaker (26-8) | UFC [5]
Whittaker was expected to be the most difficult middleweight test to date for Khamzat Chimaev at 185 pounds, but the former title holder was grounded, controlled and ultimately submitted by a face-crank 3:34 into the opening stanza of their UFC 308 co-main event clash at Eithad Arena in Abu Dhabi. “The Reaper” entered the matchup on the heels of back-to-back triumphs over Ikram Aliskerov and Paulo Costa, but after suffering his first submission defeat since 2011 remains on the outskirts of middleweight title contention.6. Nassourdine Imavov (15-4, 1 NC) | UFC [6]
After a difficult opening stanza, Imavov took control down the stretch against Brendan Allen to capture a unanimous decision triump in the UFC Fight Night 243 headliner at Accor Arena in Paris. “The Sniper” is now 3-0 in 2024, with victories over Allen, Jared Cannonier and Roman Dolidze to his credit. While the MMA Factory standout called for a title shot in the aftermath of his latest triumph, he might still be one fight away from the opportunity to vie for UFC middleweight gold.7. Johnny Eblen (16-0) | Bellator [7]
Eblen relied on his wrestling at PFL “Battle of the Giants” as he used takedowns and control to grind out a unanimous decision triumph over Fabian Edwards in a rematch for the Bellator middleweight title. The American Top Team product had to weather a strong push from his British adversary in the final frame to keep his undefeated record intact. After a closer-than-expected win over Impa Kasaganay at PFL vs. Bellator in February, Eblen improves to 2-0 in 2024. With Bellator under PFL ownership, the next step for Eblen as 185-pound champion is currently unclear.8. Caio Borralho (17-1, 1 NC) | UFC [8]
Though he didn’t get the finish he believed would propel him to a title shot, Borralho nonetheless earned a signature victory at UFC on ESPN 52 when he outdueled former title challenger Jared Cannonier over five rounds at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 24. The Fighting Nerds representative put a stamp on his triumph in Round 5, when he dropped his opponent and threatened with an arm-triangle choke in the bout’s waning seconds. “The Natural” has won 14 fights in a row — including seven in UFC competition — setting the stage for another high-profile pairing in his next Octagon appearance.9. Jared Cannonier (17-8) | UFC [9]
Cannonier was plenty game against surging contender Caio Borralho, but “The Killa Gorilla” ultimately could not keep up with his opponent in a unanimous decision loss at UFC on ESPN 62. After winning four of five promotional appearances from 2021 to 2023, the 40-year-old Cannonier has seen his hopes of another championship opportunity dim on the heels of back-to-back defeats against Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov.10. Brendan Allen (24-6) | UFC [10]
Allen took Imavov down with ease and controlled the majority of the opening round from top position at UFC Fight Night 243, but it was all downhill from there for the Kill Cliff FC representative. “All In” appeared to fatigue badly over the final 10 minutes — as evidenced by his repeated failures on takedown attempts — and dropped a three-round verdict to his fellow middleweight contender in the evening’s co-main event at Accor Arena in Paris. Allen sees a seven-bout UFC winning streak snapped in defeat. He’ll look to get back on track in a rematch against Anthony Hernandez — “Fluffy” won the first meeting under the LFA banner — on Feb. 22.Other Contenders: Marvin Vettori, Roman Dolidze, Anthony Hernandez, Paulo Costa, Fabian Edwards.
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