Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Middleweight

1. Michael Bisping (29-7)

Bisping at UFC 199 authored a twist in his career, which seems only fitting for a man currently filming his first Hollywood role. Finally fighting for gold after 26 Octagon appearances, “The Count” cashed in on a short-notice opportunity and clobbered Luke Rockhold in the opening round, winning the UFC middleweight belt and avenging a 2014 defeat in the process. Bisping and Rockhold continued their verbal sparring after the bout, and while their business is most certainly unfinished, the new champ will also have to look out for the likes of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero.

2. Luke Rockhold (15-3)

Rockhold thought he would have a walk in the park in his UFC 199 rematch with Michael Bisping, a man he ran over just 19 months ago on his way to the UFC middleweight title. Instead, the American Kickboxing Academy rep came out on the wrong end of an “Upset of the Year” candidate when he was punched cold by “The Count” inside four minutes. The table is set for a rubber match between the two, though Rockhold may need to first fight for his No. 1 contender’s spot in the crowded upper echelon at 185 pounds.

3. Chris Weidman (13-1)

Preparing for his slated UFC 199 middleweight title rematch with Luke Rockhold, Weidman suffered a neck injury that required surgery. In his stead, Michael Bisping stepped into the title fight and made improbable history, knocking out Rockhold in the first round and taking the UFC middleweight crown. After healing from surgery, Weidman will inevitably be right back in the 185-pound title mix, even if he will be returning to a surprisingly different division than the one he ruled just six months ago.

4. Yoel Romero (11-1)

Romero’s fearsome power was on full display at UFC 194, as the Cuban wrestler nearly polished off Ronaldo Souza in the opening round. In the end, Romero was forced to withstand a “Jacare” comeback in order to earn a split decision. The “Soldier of God” was notified by the USADA of a potential anti-doping violation one month after the bout. Romero recently appealed and negotiated a six-month suspension.

5. Ronaldo Souza (23-4, 1 NC)

He was a healthy favorite heading into his UFC 198 bout with Vitor Belfort in Curitiba, Brazil, and “Jacare” looked every part that alpha dog. He took down Belfort, smashed his face bloody and then assumed full mount to pound “The Phenom” to the finish. Despite his razor-thin UFC 194 loss to Yoel Romero, it is not crazy to imagine the former Strikeforce middleweight champion challenging for the UFC gold in the near future.

6. Lyoto Machida (22-7)

Machida sought to implement his distance striking against Yoel Romero on June 27 but was taken down and knocked out cold by the wrestler’s elbows in round three. The defeat marked Machida’s first back-to-back losses since 2010 and brought his record in the UFC middleweight division to 3-3. “The Dragon” was set to rematch Dan Henderson on April 16, but the bout was canceled after Machida’s pre-fight admission that he had unknowingly used a banned substance.

7. Derek Brunson (15-3)

A winner of six of his last seven bouts, including three straight knockout finished, Derek Brunson was due for a step up in competition when he was slated to take on perennial divisional standout Gegard Mousasi at UFC 200. Instead, recurring vision issues forced Brunson out of the contest and Thiago “Marreta” Santos has stepped into his place for the big fight opportunity.

8. Vitor Belfort (25-12)

A nearly two-decade veteran of the cage, Belfort looked every bit of 39 years old at UFC 198. “The Phenom” was battered and bloodied on the ground by Ronaldo Souza, eventually succumbing to strikes in under five minutes. Belfort’s testosterone-fueled successes of 2013 seem like eons ago now.

9. David Branch (18-3)

World Series of Fighting’s two-division champion made a dominant defense of his 185-pound title on April 2 with a five-round rout of Clifford Starks. Since exiting the UFC in 2011, Branch has won 10 of his 11 outings, including his current eight-fight winning streak in the WSOF cage.

10. Robert Whittaker (16-4)

Whittaker outworked Rafael Natal on the feet for three rounds to claim a unanimous decision at UFC 197, boxing with constant pressure even as the veteran attacked his legs with harsh kicks. After five straight wins against dangerous opponents like Uriah Hall and Brad Tavares, the young Australian is rapidly rising to meet the lofty expectations placed upon him when he won “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” as a 21-year old in 2012.

Other Contenders: Uriah Hall, Thales Leites, Gegard Mousasi, Rafael Natal, Mamed Khalidov.

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