UFC’s Middleweight Division

In 2002, the reigning UFC middleweight champion Murillo Bustamante left the organization in the midst of a contract dispute, throwing the 185-lbs weight class into disarray. UFC did not crown a new champion until 2005, when Evan Tanner defeated David Terrell at UFC 51 for the vacant belt. Tanner then lost the belt to Rich Franklin in his very first defense; Franklin held on to the title for over a year before succumbing to the current 185-lbs and P4P king, Anderson Silva.

The three-year long title hiatus really hurt the UFC’s middleweight division: in contrast to 170-lbs and 205-lbs where they are the home for the overwhelming majority of the top fighters, at 185 UFC only holds 3 of the Top 5, 4 of the Top 10, and and 10 of the Top 20 fighters in the world, according to the latest Fightmatrix.com ranking. Here is an in-depth look at the top middleweights in the UFC:

The Champion: [#1] Anderson Silva

MMA Record: 22-4 (7-0 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated James Irvin by KO at UFC ‘Silva vs. Irvin’ (205-lbs bout)

Next bout: A title defense against Patrick Cote at UFC 90

After a disappointing run in Pride FC, with submission losses to Ryo Chonan and Daiju Takase, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva went on to win the Cage Rage middleweight title, then arrived in UFC, making his debut against Chris Leben in the main event of an Ultimate Fight Night.  Silva made short work of Leben, and received and immediate title shot, knocking out the champion Rich Franklin in under three minutes.  He has since reigned over the middleweight division with an iron fist, winning five more bouts – and stopping every opponent within two rounds.  After a brief foray into the lightheavyweight division, Silva will return to defend his middleweight crown against Patrick Cote at UFC 90 – a matchup that Silva is heavily favored to win, just like he would be against any other middleweight in today’s fight scene.

The Contenders:

[#4] Dan Henderson

MMA Record: 22-7 (2-2 UFC)

Last bout: Lost to Anderson Silva by submission (rear naked choke) at UFC 82

Next bout: Against Rousimar Palhares at UFC 88

A veteran who has been in the fight game for over a decade, and the winner of the UFC 17 tournament, Henderson is also the only man to simultaneously hold Pride FC’s 185-lbs and 205-lbs title belts.  It was only fitting that when he returned to the Octagon in 2007, his first two matches were both title unification bouts – first against 205 champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, then against the middleweight king Anderson Silva.  Henderson lost both those bouts, and will remain at 185 lbs and look to get back on the winning track with an upcoming bout against submission specialist Rousimar Palhares.

[#5] Rich Franklin

MMA Record: 23-3 (10-2 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Travis Lutter by TKO at UFC 83

Next bout: Against Matt Hammill at UFC 88 (205 lbs bout)

Throughout his MMA career, Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin alternated between the 185-lbs and 205-lbs weight classes, but it was at middleweight where he gained his fame, defeating Evan Tanner to become a champion and making two successful defenses before succumbing to the current champ Anderson Silva.  After winning his next two bouts, Franklin earned a rematch with the champ, but lost again – leaving him in an unenviable position as one of the top fighters in the division who will not be eligible for another title shot any time soon.  Though Franklin prefers to fight at 185, he will once again try his hand at the lightheavyweight division against the former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ contender Matt Hammill.

[#9] Yushin Okami

MMA Record: 21-4-1 (6-1 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Evan Tanner by KO at UFC 82

Next bout: Unknown

Yushin Okami has not received much fanfare in the UFC, despite dismantling his every opponent with the exception of Rich Franklin.  Okami has the distinction of being the last man to hold a victory over Anderson Silva (albeit a disqualification victory due to an illegal upkick that left Okami unconscious).   He was slated to rematch Silva for the title, but a hand injury spoiled Okami’s championship hopes, at least for the time being.

On The Fringe:

[#11] Thales Leites

MMA Record: 13-1 (4-1 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Nathan Marquardt by split decision at UFC 85

Next bout: Against Goran Reljic at UFC 90

After dropping a unanimous decision to Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut, Leites won his next three fights, none of which were televised.  His first televised bout was the UFC 85 fight with Nathan Marquardt; and though Leites walked away with the decision, his victory was marred by controversy as multiple fouls with point deductions cost Marquardt the bout.  Leites was slated to face Dean Lister at an upcoming Fight Night event, but the bout has been cancelled due to Lister’s injury.  Leites will now face Goran Rejlic, who made his UFC debut at 205 lbs, knocking out Wilson Gouveia.

[#12] Nathan Marquardt

MMA Record: 26-8-2 (5-2 UFC)

Last bout: Lost to Thales Leites by split decision at UFC 85

Next bout: Against Martin Kampmann at UFC 88

Former King of Pancrase, Marquardt earned a title shot after winning his first four UFC bouts, but was stopped in the first round by the champion Anderson Silva.  Nathan rebounded with a submission victory over Jeremy Horn, then lost a split decision to Leites when points were deducted from Marquardt for a knee to the head of a downed opponent, as well as strikes to the back of the head.  A win over Kampmann will move Marquardt one step closer to another title shot.

[#16] Michael Bisping

MMA Record: 16-1 (6-1 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Jason Day by TKO at UFC 85

Next bout: Against Chris Leben at UFC 89

The winner of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Season 3 lightheavyweight bracket, Bisping moved down to 185 lbs after losing a close decision to Rashad Evans, shortly after defeating Matt Hammill in another close decision that most fans felt was undeserved.  Bisping looked very impressive as a middleweight, forcing Charles McCarthy to call an end to his career as a professional fighter and dismantling another promising up-and-comer in Jason Day.  He will next take on ‘The Crippler’ Chris Leben; a victory will prove that Bisping is the real deal and a serious contender at 185 lbs.

[#17] Patrick Cote 

MMA Record: 13-4 (4-4 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Ricardo Almeida by split decision at UFC 86

Next bout: A title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 90

Patrick ‘The Predator’ Cote began his UFC career as a lightheavyweight, stepping in to fight Tito Ortiz on short notice at UFC 50.  After losing in his debut, Cote dropped down to 185 lbs, but still lost his next three UFC bouts before finally reversing his fortune and winning four fights in a row.  His recent victory over Almeida earned Cote the promise of a title shot, which happened sooner than anyone expected when the top contender Yushin Okami was forced to the sidelines with an injury.  Though it’s a very long shot, Cote now has an opportunity to shock the world should he somehow pull of a victory against Anderson Silva.

[#18] Chris Leben

MMA Record: 18-4 (8-3 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Alessio Sakara by TKO at UFC 82

Next bout: Against Michael Bisping at UFC 89

Chris Leben was first introduced to the UFC fans as a controversial contestant on the first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.  After winning five straight fights in the Octagon, Leben had the misfortune of being the first UFC victim of Anderson Silva – whom Leben promised to “send back to Japan, where the competition is easier” prior to suffering a brutal knockout.  Leben utilized his iron chin and heavy hands to win his two most recent bouts by knockout, and was slated to face Michael Bisping at UFC 85, but the bout was postponed due to Leben having to serve a brief stint in jail for a probation violation.  The fight with Bisping is now back on at UFC 89, and is certain to be a slugfest.

[#19] Martin Kampmann

MMA Record: 13-1 (4-0 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Jorge Rivera by submission (guillotine choke) at UFC 85

Next bout: Against Nathan Marquardt at UFC 88

Undefeated in the UFC, Kampmann would have had his title shot already if not for recurrent injuries that have been plaguing him for the past couple of years.  After a 15-month layoff, Kampmann made a successful return to the Octagon defeating the veteran Rivera, and is slated to face Nathan Marquardt in his next bout.  A victory will almost certainly put Martin in line for the title shot that has been eluding him so far.

Other Notables:

[#21] Demian Maia

MMA Record: 7-0 (2-0 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Ed Herman by submission (triangle choke) at UFC 83

Next bout: Against Jason MacDonald at UFC 87

Undefeated BJJ expert Demian Maia made a splash in the UFC, submitting Ryan Jensen and Ed Herman in his first two bouts.  He will look to extend his winning streak when he faces Jason MacDonald on the undercard of UFC 87.

[#22] Jason MacDonald

MMA Record: 20-9 (4-2 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Joe Doerksen by TKO at UFC 83

Next bout: Against Demian Maia at UFC 87

Jason MacDonald became known as ‘TUF Killer’ when he choked out Ed Herman and Chris Leben in his first two UFC bouts.  Since then, he’s gone 2-2, losing to Rich Franklin and Yushin Okami and defeating Rory Singer and most recently Joe Doerksen.  He will have to hand Demian Maia his first loss to remain a relevant contender in the division.

[#26] Dean Lister 

MMA Record: 11-5 (4-1 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Jeremy Horn by submission (guillotine choke) at TUF 7 Finale

Next bout: Against Thales Leites (rumored, date unknown)

Pride FC and King of the Cage veteran Dean Lister holds a respectable 4-1 record in the UFC, his only loss a decision to Nathan Marquardt.  His scheduled bout with Thales Leites has been postponed due to an injury; should he defeat Leites, Lister will be on the short list of contenders for the middleweight belt.

[#30] Andrew McFedries

MMA Record: 7-3 (3-2 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Marvin Eastman by TKO at TUF 7 Finale

Next bout: Against Mike Massenzio at UFC Fight Night 15

Miletich-trained McFedries has enough power in his hands to give any opponent a bad night, but so far has not been able to put together consecutive wins in UFC.  He will look to change his luck in his upcoming bout with the UFC newcomer Mike Massenzio.

[#32] Rousimar Palhares

MMA Record: 8-1 (1-0 UFC)

Last bout: Defeated Ivan Salaverry by submission (armbar) at UFC 84

Next bout: Against Dan Henderson at UFC 88

Palhares made a very impressive UFC debut, completely dominating Ivan Salaverry on the ground.  This earned him a high-profile bout with Dan Henderson; should he come out victorious, a title shot can’t be far away for Rousimar.

[#36] Ricardo Almeida

MMA Record: 9-3 (2-3 UFC)

Last bout: Lost to Patrick Cote by split decision at UFC 86

Next bout: Unknown

When UFC, Pride, and Pancrase veteran Almeida made a successful return to the Octagon in 2008, he was quickly placed into a top-contender bout with Patrick Cote.  Almeida was not able to impose his will on Cote, losing a close split decision that led Cote to a title shot.  It’s not know when his next UFC bout will be.