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Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (33-4)

In a one-sided showcase of dominance, Silva destroyed Stephan Bonnar with a stylish showing at 205 pounds in front of his Brazilian faithful at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro. With that exhibition out of the way, “The Spider” can return to the Octagon in 2013 to defend his middleweight crown or perhaps focus his attention on a potential super fight with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

2. Chael Sonnen (27-12-1)

Sonnen nearly snuck his way into a UFC 151 title shot against light heavyweight king Jon Jones, but the champion balked at the fight on short notice. However, after Jones dispatched Vitor Belfort, the ever-talkative Sonnen managed to gab his way into a coaching spot on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 17 and a shot against “Bones” in April. Not bad for a guy who has not fought at 205 pounds in more than six years.

3. Chris Weidman (9-0)

Weidman and his crew believe Anderson Silva is ducking the unbeaten up-and-comer. If the former Hofstra wrestler can best suddenly hot veteran Tim Boetsch at UFC 155 in December, the Serra-Longo Fight Team product might end up with “The Spider” on his 2013 slate, regardless of how Silva feels about him.

4. Michael Bisping (23-4)

At UFC 152 in Toronto, Bisping was in the driver’s seat for most of his bout with Brian Stann, dictating the action en route to a unanimous decision. However, despite having 13 official UFC wins, “The Count” will still need at least one more bout to secure a date with Anderson Silva in the suddenly packed 185-pound division. He draws Vitor Belfort in the UFC on FX 7 main event in January.

5. Tim Boetsch (16-4)

Since dropping to 185 pounds, Boetsch is unbeaten through four fights. However, despite having notched wins over the likes of Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard, the real test for “The Barbarian” comes next, as Boetsch may be in line for a crack at Anderson Silva’s title next year if he can top the unbeaten Chris Weidman on Dec. 29.

6. Mark Munoz (12-3)

Munoz appeared 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 on July 11, however, when the former Oklahoma State University wrestler was dealt a bloody knockout at the hands of unbeaten up-and-comer Chris Weidman.

7. Vitor Belfort (21-10)

Despite getting battered and submitted at UFC 151, the opportunistic Belfort surprised many onlookers by locking up an armbar on Jon Jones. That good grace should equate to some fan excitement when Belfort returns to 185 pounds for his main event matchup with Michael Bisping on Jan. 19.

8. Yushin Okami (27-7)

Back in August 2006, Yushin Okami made a successful UFC debut by winning a unanimous decision over Alan Belcher. Fast forward more than six years later, and the Japanese standout will have to replicate his win to keep pace in the UFC middleweight division, as he rematches “The Talent” at UFC 155 on Dec. 29.

9. Luke Rockhold (10-1)

Rockhold’s third Strikeforce title defense was set for Nov. 3, but a wrist injury to the oft-injured American Kickboxing Academy product canceled his bout against the undefeated Lorenz Larkin. Their five-round affair has since been moved to Jan. 12 as part of the final Strikeforce event.

10. Brian Stann (12-5)

He never stopped fighting, but Stann was a step behind “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping in their UFC 152 clash in Toronto. The loss was just the second for the Silver Star recipient since dropping to 185 pounds in the UFC.

Other contenders:

Alan Belcher, Rousimar Palhares, Jake Shields, Alexander Shlemenko, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Continue Reading » MMA Welterweight Rankings