Until recently I counted Middleweight of the second best division in the UFC. The organization’s centennial show and the circus that followed let MW slip and bumped HW above it in my book. That bump is partially based on what appears to be serious Fedor possibilities in the not too distant future. This is a stacked division still dominated by a world-beater, a world-beater that moves up to fight at 205 from time to time. While everyone might be a step behind Silva right now that step is not as big as some make it out to be.
Anderson Silva – Despite recent performances by Machida and, most notably, GSP Anderson Silva is still the second best fighter in the world in my book (behind Fedor). His chance to solidify this spot and heat up the debate again comes at UFC 101 against Forrest Griffin, likely the most daunting opponent Silva has met in the UFC. His title reign is starting to look more impressive as Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, and Nate Marquardt continue to have success. Silva got a lot of flack after his last two fights but has he really been challenged since holding the belt? The answer is no. I don’t fault him for those two fights and I don’t hold them against him. His skills are quite simply more advanced than the rest of the division right now but he has plenty of challenges ahead, including potential super fights and/or rematches with top tier talent. Even if Silva drops his next fight to the big LHW, he is still the king of the MWs and until someone gets the belt off his waist, that won’t change.
Dan Henderson – Dan Henderson proved a lot about the division when he dominated and KOed Michael Bisping. He showed that he is still one of the best and that Michael Bisping’s time is not now. It was also one of many fights that validates Anderson Silva’s current streak. Henderson is old school, tough as nails, will never be an easy fight. Personally, I think he is still one win away from a title shot. Does he deserve it? Yes. Unfortunately, I think another MW is going to be worthy of a rematch come late August. As I have mentioned elsewhere and will expand upon later, if Marquardt does beat Maia, a battle between Henderson and Nate makes a lot sense to me both to see who deserves the rematch most and to free up some time for a GSP/Silva super-fight. Henderson’s wrestling and stand-up will be too much for most of the division and a rematch with Silva would likely
Nate Marquardt – Nate Marquardt is one of my favorite MWs in the world, particularly since he gets such little attention. His success (even his “loss” to Leites) since his last title shot has gone a long way in validating Silva’s reign, as I continue to mention. However, his next fight could change the course of the Middleweight division. I suspect the UFC has him two wins away from a title shot, requiring him to face Henderson if he beats Maia. Marquardt is really an exceptional MW fighter. He is well rounded, big for the division, and can beat you in a multitude of ways. This is what I expect will be the difference between Marquardt and Maia. Marquardt’s size, experience, and multiple dimensions are going to create problems for the one dimensional submission wizard, like they have everyone in the division. Considering he comes from a camp known for its game planning and work ethic, I am becoming more and more convinced that Nate will take another step towards the title. Even if he doesn’t, he looks to be a mainstay in the division for a long time to come.
Demian Maia – Speaking of the wizard and dangerous fighters, don’t let my confidence in Nate the Great be confused with a disbelief in the abilities of Demian Maia. I believe Maia is ridiculously talented and truly a joy to watch. He and Dustin Hazelett are my favorite submission artists to watch, key word being “artists.” If Maia can get past Marquardt I will seriously consider him a threat to Mr. Silva because he will have to demonstrate his ability to succeed against a top level, well-rounded MW. The fact alone that he works with the likes of Wandi. shows true promise for him to develop a solid stand-up game that will yield significant results. Until then he is going to continue to take us all to submission school every time he gets in the cage. He is the chair of submissions and only teaches 800/900 level seminar courses so strap in and take notes folks, this is what BJJ looks like.
Yushin Okami – No one in the UFC deserves more sympathy than Okami, who has demonstrated time and time again that he belongs with the cream of the crop at MW. Most respectable rankings have him number two or three at 185 lbs. However, it seems like every time he gets injured (which is more than your average bear) the UFC handles it like a loss. Based on who he gets matched up with, he seems to move down the rankings. That said, I believe he could have beaten Rich Franklin. Losing that fight was his own fault, but it demonstrates the level of skill we are working with. Okami deserves a top level opponent that will put him right back in the hunt when he returns. It looks like he is going to get Chonan, which sort of works, but doesn’t lend itself to Okami getting the impressive win he needs. His stand up combined with his ability to control opponents on the ground make him a dangerous man to fight. Lets just hope he can get back in the mix before the division becomes too flooded.
Michael Bisping – Michael Bisping hit his wall in a big big way at UFC 100. He was completely outmatched by Henderson who seemed a little quicker, a lot stronger, and just overall better. There is nothing to be ashamed of in that loss though. Dan Henderson is a world class fighter and Michael Bisping’s professional MMA career is still young. I expect it is quite likely that Bisping will still headline the next UFC show in the UK (at least co-main event). His start got brightest right before the lights got knocked out, but there is nothing permanent about that. The Count is a technically sound striker who is still developing. Now its time for the UFC to turn back on the careful booking for their UK poster-boy to maximize their cash flow and let him develop his skill set effectively.
Thales Leites – Deer in the Headlights Leites had nothing to offer Anderson Silva but that doesn’t mean he is a bad fighter. He has a win over Marquardt, even if many people don’t give him much credit for it. In the least it showed us how tough the kid is. However, we then shortly learned he was not ready for the main event and he had a lot to learn. I hope he comes back better than before. This division has so much talent that it will act as a double-edged sword of sorts. In one regard it is going to make it difficult for him to climb the ladder again. On the other hand it will allow him ample opportunity and quality opponents to erase the title fight from people’s memory.
Yoshihiro Akiyama – I don’t care what Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg say, Akiyama won the fight against Belcher. He didn’t look good doing it, but he won it. Akiyama has big fight experience, a solid chin, and a somewhat unique skill set. His size is going to be a serious issue against guys like Henderson, Wandi, Anderson, and Marquardt. I sort of expect him to get thrown to the wolves soon. I doubt he will meet a marketable fighter like W. Silva or Bisping but he could find himself fighting a big talented figher like the loser of Marquardt and Maia. Akiyama is going to be vital if Dana White is serious about returning to Japan though so don’t expect him to go anywhere anytime soon.
Wanderlei Silva – Its been a while since we have seen Wandi get a win and even longer since we have seen a full blown win streak, but I don’t expect Wandi to go anywhere anytime soon. It doesn’t take much for people to believe he is back and it doesn’t matter in the end anyway. We all still want to see Wandi fight. I think a solid argument can be made that Wandi beat Rich Franklin, but I am not against the decision rendered. I would love to see him return against Michael Bisping but am not banking on that fight happening. I am not sure we can hope for Wandi to get much better at this point. He is what he is, an aggressive striker that can rip you apart quick but will give you chances to get your licks in. That is why he has been through the blood baths and slugfests he has. Silva has earned the right to fight and I would love to see him return to the top. A Silva vs Silva title fight would be HUGE, but I am not holding my breath. For me, it is a treat to see him in the cage so I won’t complain where he is at on the card, as long as I get to see it.
Patrick Cote – I have never really believed in Cote as a title contender. I didn’t think his win streak really should have bought him a title shot but it was the right time and the right place. Cote will return and he will return close to the title. He needs to come back with more than just heart and a big punch. A return bout against anyone above him here (and a few that won’t make this list) seems like bad match-up to me. Heck, I think the judges got the Almieda fight wrong… but that is just me. Cote did seem to handle the spot light better than Leites did, so in that regard he gets some points. I sort of expect Cote to fall back to the middle of the pack upon his return.
The Rest – This division is so stacked that I feel like a few people deserve a quick mention before I sign off on it. Denis Kang has a lot of making up to do and I am starting to question weather he will get it done. Richardo Almieda and Kendall Grove are going to have a pretty important fight that will implicate the middle of the division pretty heavily, both guys have questionable loses on their record but tons of potential. I believe in Goran Reljic and have since his UFC debut. I hope he returns soon and hope he gets a quality opponent. I pick him to be a future contender if not champion. One day either Drew McFedries or Wilson Goveia will get their shit together and live up to their potential. There is just something about both these guys that tells me we haven’t seen what they can really bring to the table. Rousimar Palhares is a scary dude, like a little ball of potential. Dan Miller looks destined to be a party ruiner for his UFC career. I love watching him fight but I am not sure I see him reaching the top of the division. Rosholt vs Leban will tell us a lot about where each of these guys are both physically and mentally in the division so despite the fact I am not sure it deserves a main card spot, I am excited about it. One of them is going to come out of that fight in bad shape professionally. Finally, rest in peace Evan Tanner, one of my favorite fighters ever. Everyone should take some notes on his career. He was a true and rare complete role-model in MMA and he will be missed.
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