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Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (33-4)

The world’s best fighter coasted through 2012, dismantling Chael Sonnen in their July rematch before doing the same to Stephan Bonnar in a last-minute October affair. Things will get more serious on July 6, when “The Spider” will face one of the youngest and hungriest challengers of his UFC reign, unbeaten wrestler Chris Weidman, in the main event of UFC 162.

2. Chris Weidman (9-0)

It has been, to borrow a phrase, a meteoric rise for Weidman inside the Octagon. Just two years and five bouts into his UFC career, the 9-0 New Yorker -- who underwent surgery for a torn labrum in late November -- has been granted the fight for which he was angling: a title shot against middleweight king Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July.

3. Chael Sonnen (27-13-1)

Sonnen fared about as well as most observers expected in his 205-pound title shot against Jon Jones, succumbing to a vicious flurry of elbows and punches toward the end of the first round of the UFC 159 headliner. What comes next for the brash wrestler from Oregon remains unclear, as the 36-year-old has come up short in three UFC title fights inside three years, despite holding solid wins over Michael Bisping and Brian Stann.

4. Vitor Belfort (22-10)

While bookmakers and fans alike had Belfort pegged as a slight favorite against Michael Bisping, few could have seen the ending of their Jan. 19 bout coming. The 35-year-old “Phenom” used a left high kick and follow-up punches to knock Bisping out of title contention. However, Belfort’s chances at a rematch with Anderson Silva will depend on the outcome of his next few fights, including a UFC on FX 8 encounter with former Strikeforce ruler Luke Rockhold on May 18.

5. Yushin Okami (29-7)

Japan’s top MMA export scored a major win in front of a partisan crowd on March 3, stifling the dangerous striking of Hector Lombard with two rounds of top control at UFC on Fuel TV 8 in Saitama, Japan. Okami withstood a third-round surge from the Cuban slugger and hung on to take a split decision.

6. Michael Bisping (24-5)

After having his title hopes dashed by Vitor Belfort in January, “The Count” got right back on track with a victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 159. The bout came to an unfortunate and early end when Bisping caught Belcher with an eye poke in round three, but by then, the Brit had outworked “The Talent” enough to earn a unanimous technical decision and keep his name among the middleweight elite.

7. Mark Munoz (12-3)

Munoz appeared to be on the brink of contention after four straight wins against Chris Leben, Demian Maia, C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson. The title talk came to a screeching halt in July, when the former Oklahoma State University wrestler was dealt a bloody knockout at the hands of unbeaten up-and-comer Chris Weidman. Munoz will have a chance to right the ship against another fallen title hopeful, Tim Boetsch, on July 6 at UFC 162.

8. Luke Rockhold (10-1)

Injuries have kept Rockhold on the shelf since he successfully defended his Strikeforce middleweight strap against Tim Kennedy on July 14. The American Kickboxing Academy representative will battle Vitor Belfort in his Octagon debut on May 18 in Brazil.

9. Brian Stann (12-6)

After a September decision loss to perennial top 10 middleweight Michael Bisping, Stann moved up to 205 pounds for a headlining match against Wanderlei Silva at UFC on Fuel TV 8. While the U.S. Marine likely gained fans for his part in a frantic slugfest, it was Silva who ultimately landed the home run shot and handed Stann just the second knockout loss of his career.

10. Costas Philippou (12-2, 1 NC)

Philippou formally announced his presence in the middleweight division with a TKO triumph over Tim Boetsch at UFC 155. The competition becomes even fiercer for the Serra-Longo Fight Team member in his next outing, as he takes on former Strikeforce 185-pound kingpin Ronaldo Souza at UFC on FX 8.

Other contenders:

Tim Boetsch, Hector Lombard, Jake Shields, Alexander Shlemenko, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

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