No division is more obviously dominated than the 185 lbs division in MMA. Fedor may have sit atop the big boys but Anderson Silva has been more active against the top crop of talent in his division and dominant when moving up in weight. The most interesting thing about the middleweight division has been the development of fighters outside the UFC over the last few years, despite Zuffa and company scooping a number of those fighters up. No matter how you cut it, this division is crowded and might represent the most difficult division to sort out after its king is addressed.
- Anderson Silva – Was there ever really a question about who would be atop this list? Few athletes have ever dominated their field like Silva has dominated mixed martial artists that weigh in at 185 pounds. He has torn through some of the best MMA fighters in the world in his last 10 fights in the UFC and he has lost only one round. After putting away Forrest Griffin, its hard to imagine who can give him trouble.
- Vitor Belfort – This is where I start to differ from many MMA fans and analysts. Vitor is only three fights into his return but they have been three relatively big fights, particularly his last two. It is also important to note that he has finished two top competitors this year, one of which went down in just 37 seconds. Also, the top three other contenders in the UFC are also riding three fight win streaks and one could easily argue that Vitor’s is the most impressive. I am not sure what that means for his chances against the likes of Anderson Silva, but I for one think that qualifies him as the number one contender.
- Dan Henderson – Henderson edges Marquardt on my list not because I think he is a better fighter but because his wins are of a higher quality as of late. Henderson showed the world that he was still a few steps ahead of Michael Bisping and that he is ready for a rematch. I, for one, think Henderson vs Marquardt is a must at this point. Henderson is a long time great and should be near the top of this list for some time.
- Nate Marquardt – The Nate Marquardt we have seen as of late was not the same fighter we say against Anderson Silva. He is more confidant, more capable, and much more explosive. He suffers so much from a few rules violations that broke up a solid win streak but he is back on track to a title shot.
- Jorge Santiago – Santiago is riding a nine fight wining streak but don’t be fooled by the fact that he is not in the UFC, his resume is legit. I think he is getting forgotten about by a few too many fighter lists. Santiago has given us no reason to think he could not compete in the biggest organization in MMA and no reason to believe he should not be ranked among their best.
- Demian Maia – This guy is nothing short of a wizard when it comes to submissions. His skill on the ground is second to none but he got brought back down to earth when he fought a bigger, stronger, more well rounded Marquardt. The result was being turned into a lawn dart that landed him at number 7 on my list.
- Yoshihiro Akiyama – I tend to think he won’t last long in this division while under Zuffa contract. He is a bit small and had all he could handle with Belcher. The guys ahead of him on this list are a good bit ahead of him in my book.
- Michael Bisping – Bisping was made to look a bit foolish by Dan Henderson but to be perfectly honest there is no shame in that. Henderson is a bad bad dude. I think Bisping has a chance to develop into quite the fighter but he needs time to grow. Dennis Kang is a much more reasonable test than Henderson was.
- Jake Shields– It is hard to rank a fighter when they shift from one division to the other. Shields is making a move up, which makes it even harder but he has a nack for proving his doubters wrong. He will have the chance to be the Strikeforce MW champion and to do it on one of the biggest non-UFC cards of the year, a feet that could move up the ranks a bit.
- Chael Sonnan – Sonnan gets another huge win over a hot UFC fighter. He is one of the most underrated fighters in the world right now and could make it a long day for just about anyone. Okami was at one time considered the number two MW in the world but Sonnan put his stamp on the division by eliminating him from contention and making the matchmaking of Zuffa brass look good.
A quick note: I will go on record right now saying that if/when Goran Reljic returns to the UFC he is going to be a MAJOR contender in this division. I have not been excited for a return like I am his in quite sometime.
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