Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Middleweight

1. Alex Pereira (9-2) | UFC [1]

Pereira has proven to be a quick study in MMA, as he became the ninth two-division champion in promotion history by virtue of a second-round stoppage of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 295 headliner. It only took “Poatan” seven UFC appearances to capture gold at 185 and 205 pounds after conquering two divisions in Glory Kickboxing, making him one of the most accomplished combat sport athletes in recent memory. In the aftermath of his latest triumph, the Brazilian encouraged longtime rival Israel Adesanya to move up to light heavyweight for an MMA trilogy.

2. Dricus Du Plessis (21-2) UFC [2]

Du Plessis made it nine consecutive triumphs in the UFC 297 headliner, as he outdueled Sean Strickland over five rounds to claim the middleweight crown in a closely-contested split decision victory. The South African struggled with his opponent’s precise jab early, but he was able to vary his attacks enough down the stretch to get the nod on the scorecards. A showdown with ex-champ Israel Adesanya — a rivalry that was building heat last year — looms as a potentially interesting clash further down the calendar in 2024.

3. Sean Strickland (28-6) | UFC [3]

Strickland certainly had his moments in the UFC 297 main event — particularly with his trademark jab — but it ultimately wasn’t enough to combat the varied offense of Dricus Du Plessis, who wrested the middleweight belt from the controversial American with a hard-fought split-decision triumph. Strickland, who had a three-bout winning streak snapped in defeat, doesn’t figure to fall to far from championship contention given the competitive nature of the fight.

4. Israel Adesanya (24-3) | UFC [4]

Adesanya authored one of the most perplexing performances by a champion in recent memory, falling to the lightly regarded Sean Strickland via unanimous decision in the UFC 293 headliner in Sydney. “The Last Stylebender” has now lost two of his last three outings at 185 pounds, and it could be some time before the Nigerian-born Kiwi returns to the Octagon.

5. Robert Whittaker (24-7) | UFC [5]

Whittaker entered UFC 290 as a heavy favorite against Dricus Du Plessis, but the former middleweight champion fell flat on fight night, losing to his South African foe via second-round technical knockout. That defeat all but rules out the possibility of a trilogy against rival Israel Adesanya. After being the clear No. 2 at 185 pounds for the past few years, “The Reaper” will have to prove he is not beginning the downside of his career in his next promotional appearance, which will come against former title challenger Paulo Costa at UFC 298.

6. Johnny Eblen (14-0) | Bellator [6]

Eblen continued to impress at Bellator 299, as he dropped Fabian Edwards and rendered his foe unconscious with forceful ground-and-pound in the third round of their championship clash at the 3Arena in Dublin on Sept. 23. After wresting the middleweight crown from Gegard Mousasi in June 2022, the American Top Team product has defended the belt with wins over Edwards and Anatoly Tokov, further strengthening his claim to the title of world’s best middleweight. Eblen will look to remain undefeated when he faces Impa Kasanganay at a PFL vs. Bellator event on Feb. 24.

7. Jared Cannonier (17-6) | UFC [7]

Even at 39 years old, Jared Cannonier still seems to be improving. The MMA Lab product poured on the volume against Marvin Vettori in the UFC on ESPN 47 headliner, winning a clear-cut unanimous decision and setting a middleweight record for significant strikes landed in the process. “The Killa Gorilla” has won four of his last five Octagon appearances dating back to 2021, with his lone defeat coming at the hands of Israel Adesanya in a 185-pound title bout.

8. Marvin Vettori (19-7-1) | UFC [8]

After nearly earning a finish in the opening stanza, Vettori was battered for the next four frames in a unanimous decision loss to Jared Cannonier in the UFC on ESPN 47 main event. “The Italian Dream” may have been too tough for his own good, as he absorbed a UFC middleweight record 241 significant strikes — including numerous heavy right hands from his opponent. Vettori has lost three of his last five outings and may be facing an uphill climb to get back into the middleweight title picture.

9. Paulo Costa (14-2) | UFC [9]

Costa returned to the win column for the first time since 2019 at UFC 278, as he captured a unanimous decision against former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the evening’s co-main event at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was an encouraging step forward for the Brazilian following back-to-back defeats and issues making weight in his previous Octagon appearance. However, ongoing contract issues with the promotion eventually led to Costa backing out of a proposed showdown against Robert Whittaker at UFC 284. After agreeing to terms on a new deal with the promotion, “Borrachinha” was slated to square off against Khamzat Chimaev in a high-profile pairing at UFC 294 but was forced to exit the contest after undergoing elbow surgery a few weeks prior to the card. Costa is expected to finally return to action against Whittaker at UFC 298.

10. Nassourdine Imavov (13-4, 1 NC) | UFC [NR]

Imavov started quickly, then held on for a sometimes ugly majority decision triumph over Roman Dolidze in the UFC 235 main event on Feb. 3 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While it is concerning that the Frenchman couldn’t put his fading opponent away after nearly scoring a stoppage in Round 1, Imavov gets a much-needed victory following a winless 2023 and immediately becomes a person of interest in the UFC’s middleweight division.

Other Contenders:Brendan Allen, Roman Dolidze, Fabian Edwards, Gegard Mousasi, Derek Brunson.

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