Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Middleweight

1. Robert Whittaker (19-4)

If the world -- or at least the UFC -- was just a little more of a meritocracy, then there would be no question that interim middleweight champion Whittaker would be next on deck for newly returned Georges St. Pierre, suddenly the UFC’s “real” 185-pound titleholder. Despite the UFC announcing its debut in Perth, Australia, with UFC 221 on Feb. 11 and that Whittaker would headline the card to unify the middleweight crown with the winner of GSP-Michael Bisping, those plans already seem to be eroding. While UFC President Dana White remains adamant that Whittaker is next for “Rush,” he is already talking about St. Pierre’s next bout coming back in Montreal. As a result, the MMA world remains largely skeptical that “The Reaper” will get his chance to square off with an all-time great.

2. Georges St. Pierre (26-2)

St. Pierre hung up his gloves four years ago, exiting MMA as the best welterweight in history and perhaps the greatest fighter period. “Rush” returned to the sport and made history at UFC 217, choking Michael Bisping unconscious in a thrilling engagement to earn the UFC middleweight title and open up some thrilling possibilities, at least for another fight or two. If sanity prevails, GSP will unify the 185-pound title in the coming months against interim champion Robert Whittaker, but given St. Pierre’s superstar profile and the current state of the UFC’s matchmaking, what actually comes next remains anyone’s guess.

3. Luke Rockhold (16-3)

Rockhold spent 15 months on the shelf following his shocking UFC middleweight title loss to Michael Bisping in June 2016, largely due to a knee injury sustained late last year. In his Sept. 16 comeback bout against former two-division World Series of Fighting champion David Branch, it took him a round to get going. Rockhold took over in the second frame, smashing Branch and forcing him to tap to strikes. Rockhold has continued to call out Bisping but has also hinted that a bump up to 205 pounds could be in his future.

4. Yoel Romero (12-2)

Romero’s 8-0 Octagon record made him long overdue for a rightful crack at UFC gold. However, when the Olympic silver medalist finally got his shot, it was not quite what he imagined. Instead of undisputed champ Michael Bisping in the cage, he faced fast-rising prospect Robert Whittaker for an interim strap at UFC 213, faded over the final 15 minutes and dropped a unanimous decision to “Bobby Knuckles.” The 40-year-old Cuban certainly remains one of the best 185-pounders in MMA, but his longevity in the sport and road to a second title shot are highly uncertain.

5. Ronaldo Souza (24-5, 1 NC)

Back inside the Strikeforce cage in August 2012, “Jacare” Souza pummeled a young Derek Brunson, knocking out the Jackson-Wink MMA rep in just 41 seconds. Five and a half years later, the two middleweight notables will meet again in the UFC on Fox 27 headliner, set for Jan. 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

6. Kelvin Gastelum (15-3, 1 NC)

The UFC tried on two occasions to line up Gastelum for a potential breakthrough clash with faded legend Anderson Silva, but twice it fell apart. Gastelum-Silva was scrapped at UFC 212 in June because Gastelum tested positive for cannabinoid metabolites and again at UFC Fight Night 122 on Nov. 25 after Silva was flagged for a potential USADA violation. Perhaps it was better for the Arizona native anyhow. Former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping stepped into Silva’s spot just three weeks after Georges St. Pierre choked him out cold and took his title. Unsurprisingly, Gastelum leveled “The Count” in half a round and took a jump forward in title contention.

7. Michael Bisping (30-9)

Bisping has long been a company man for the UFC, and he hass certainly never been afraid of a challenging bout. Those two tendencies combined for the worse at UFC Fight Night 122, as Bisping filled in for former opponent Anderson Silva against Kelvin Gastelum in Shanghai. Just three weeks after he was choked out by Georges St. Pierre and lost the 185-pound title at UFC 217, the Brit was squashed by Gastelum in 2:30. “The Count” is now angling his retirement bout to headline UFC Fight Night 127 on March 17 in London.

8. Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2)

While many tabbed Mousasi as a future two-division titlist, his Bellator MMA debut against former middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 185 nearly ended in disaster on Oct. 20, as he escaped with a broken orbital bone and razor-thin decision win. The ever-candid Mousasi has venom for his critics, stating publicly that he has “got a long one” and “they can all suck it.”

9. Chris Weidman (14-3)

Weidman broke his nightmarish three-fight losing streak at UFC on Fox 25, overcoming a few scares from Kelvin Gastelum to prevail by third-round arm-triangle choke. Better for the Baldwin, New York, native, he got to do it in front of a Nassau Coliseum crowd in the UFC’s Long Island debut, making for a truly memorable moment in the cage.

10. David Branch (21-4)

World Series of Fighting titles in two weight classes and an 11-fight winning streak did not help Branch in his first UFC headliner on Sept. 16 in Pittsburgh. Branch had a solid opening round against former UFC and Strikeforce 185-pound kingpin Luke Rockhold, but in the second frame, Rockhold hammered Branch from full mount, leading him to tap to strikes. It was Branch’s first loss since dropping a unanimous decision to Anthony Johnson in May 2012.

Other Contenders: Derek Brunson, Thiago Santos, Anderson Silva, Brad Tavares, Elias Theodorou.

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