November has been an odd month for middleweights.The UFC's middleweight division is basically taking the month off, with the undisputed No. 1 middleweight in the world, UFC champion Anderson Silva, nursing an elbow injury and hinting that he doesn't think any of the UFC's other top middleweights are worthy opponents.
Meanwhile, two big middleweight fights happened in other promotions, but they didn't quite go according to plan: Jake Shields beat Jason "Mayhem" Miller to win the Strikeforce middleweight title in a fight that left the crowd booing, while Mamed Khalidov shocked Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago.
And the guy who's probably the best middleweight after Silva -- Dan Henderson -- doesn't have a contract at the moment and isn't sure if he'll be fighting for the UFC or Strikeforce in 2010. So my list of the Top 10 middleweights in MMA shows a division in flux.
Top 10 Middleweights in MMA
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Jake Shields
6. Demian Maia
7. Chael Sonnen
8. Yoshihiro Akiyama
9. Yushin Okami
10. Mamed Khalidov
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
How the hell can you leave Robbie Lawler, and Nick Diaz out of these rankings?
You put Khalidov in the top 10 because of 1 upset win over Jorge Santiago, and I'd be willing to bet you had Akiyama no where near a top 10 before he was in the UFC. Now a win over Alan Belcher puts you at #7. Those rankings need a lot of work.
i agree
People who have been coming to this site know that I've been singing the praises of Mamed Khalidov for over a year now and even considered putting him in my top 10 P4P a few times. He's the real deal and deserves to be much much much higher than 10.
first off these rankings are so far off. here is what it should be
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Jake Shields
6. Chael Sonnen
7. Nick Diaz
8. Cung Le
9. Robbie Lawler
10. Okami? Only because I think he beats any other 185lb in the ufc or strikeforce
i think hendo and vitor have a good shot at beating silva, and if you saw how wanderlei is dropping weight he may well be a middle weight soon.
For some reason, I don't like Hendo's chances against Silva. I know he'll give a tougher fight than before, but I just don't know. I like Vitor's chances much better.
i know what you mean 13, to watch hendos footwork is like watching someone carry a heavy sack over thier shoulder... trouble is in hendos case it is his sack. you just cant count this guy out ever. if he connects, its lights out. with his movement aside, he has outstanding timing and range. one of silvas best qualties is his footwork, hendo can neturalize that, vitor too. thats going to take a lot out of silvas game.
I won't count Henderson out at all. I agree his wrestling could put a hurting on Silva if he gets a chance to use it effectively. Hendo and Vitor have fire in their hands, but we haven't really seen Anderson get rocked either. Not that I'm saying he can't get ko'd.
Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the history of mankind. Better than anyone I have seen. He can actually fight unlike fat dudes who claim to be the best but when you touch them they bleed. But, Dana needs to let him fight Roy Jones.
roy jones has a big enough fight ahead against bernard hopkins. you don't like fedor because you're racist against russians. and you are the biggest loser in the history of mankind.
ride off into the sunset exp. alone.
I think that's a pretty good list. Shields is a bit overrated, though.
Shields is a bit overrated for 185, but regardless he is the champ at strikeforce and i dont think mayhem is anything to sneeze at. I want to see wanderlei fight at 185 first b4 i toss him in the top 10.
I think shields should let the 185lb belt at strikeforce go and come fight GSP and the other elite welterweights in the ufc
TAKE CHAEL F'IN SONNEN OFF THAT LIST AND PUT GEGARD MOUSASI ON IT!!!
if shields gets on, so does gegard.
Mousasi is currently at 205. thats why he isnt on the list.
Gegard is at 205, if you want to start a 205 list I will gladly put Gegard towards the top of that list. Gegard, Shields, Diaz, Le, Antonio Silva, Fedor, Overeem, Melendez and Thompson need to head over to the UFC.
he fights at both.
No, Mousasi is done at 185.
Mousasi was originally supposed to fight Vitor at the Affliction Trilogy event, but couldn't make 185 anymore.
My top 10 P4P MW's
1. Silva
2. Mousasi
3. Belfort
4. Khalidov
5. Henderson
6. Diaz
7. Lawler
8. Fihlo
9. Marquardt
10. Shields