The Rankings: The Middleweights: Jan 2, 2017

The Rankings are just that – The MMA Manifesto’s rankings of the best fighters in mixed martial arts today.  Check back every Monday and Friday for our rankings of a different weight class.  Next up: The Middleweight Rankings.  

Voting Panel: Jeff Fox, Ryan MacDonald, Ricky Leone, and Daniel Vreeland.

*stipulations: 1) any fighter currently suspended or 2) inactive for at least 12 months (without an upcoming fight scheduled) are excluded from the rankings

(click on fighter’s name for detailed scouting report)

1) (Previous ranking: 1) Michael Bisping – UFC Middleweight Champion – 39 points (out of 40)

            Record: 30-7
            Last Five Fights: 5-0
            Record vs Top 10: 2-3 (W-Bisping, W-Silva, L-Rockhold, L-Kennedy, L-Belfort)
            Next Fight: TBA

Who’s next to challenge The Count for his crown?  Yoel Romero, it’s assumed.

2) (2) Luke Rockhold – UFC  – 35 points
            Record: 15-3
            Last Five Fights: 4-1
            Record vs Top 10: 4-2 (L-Bisping, W-Weidman, W-Machida, W-Bisping, L-Belfort, W-Souza)
            Next Fight: TBA

Well that was a quick reign at the top.

3) (3) Yoel Romero – UFC – 34 points
           Record: 12-1
           Last Five Fights: 5-0
           Record vs Top 10: 3-0 (W-Weidman, W-Souza, W-Machida)
           Next Fight: TBA

The Soldier of God is looking unstoppable.

4) (tied) (4) Chris Weidman – UFC  – 25 points
                       Record: 13-2
                       Last Five Fights: 3-2
                       Record vs Top 10: 4-2 (L-Romero, L-Rockhold, W-Belfort, W-Machida, W-Silva, W-Silva)
                       Next Fight: TBA

Are Weidman’s days among the elite already over?

4) (tied) (4) Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza – UFC – 25 points
                       Record: 23-4, 1 NC 
                       Last Five Fights: 4-1
                       Record vs Top 10: 2-3 (W-Belfort, L-Romero, W-Mousasi, L-Rockhold, L-Mousasi)
                       Next Fight: TBA

It’s looking like Jacare is never going to get a UFC title shot.

6) (6) Gegard Mousasi – UFC – 20 points

Record: 41-6-2
Last Five Fights: 4-1
Record vs Top 10: 2-2 (W-Belfort, L-Souza, L-Machida, W-Souza)
Next Fight: TBA

Gegard is surging.

7) (8) Robert Whittaker – UFC – 13 points
            Record: 17-4
            Last Five Fights: 5-0
            Record vs Top 10: 0-0
            Next Fight: TBA

The young New Zealander keeps on rolling.

8) (7) Anderson Silva – UFC – 12 points
            Record: 33-8, 1 NC
            Last Five Fights: 0-4, 1 NC
            Record vs Top 10: 1-3 (L-Bisping, L-Weidman, L-Weidman, W-Belfort, )
            Next Fight: TBA

The Spider stepped in to “save” UFC 200, but picked up another L in the process.

9) (9) Vitor Belfort – UFC – 9 points 
            Record: 25-13
            Last Five Fights: 2-3
            Record vs Top 10: 2-4 (L-Mousasi, L-Belfort, L-Weidman, L-Silva, W-Rockhold, W-Bisping)
            Next Fight: vs #10 Kelvin Gastelum – UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs Gastelum – Mar 11th

Vitor appears to be on his last legs.

10) (NR) Kelvin Gastelum – UFC – 5 points
                Record: 13-2
                Last Five Fights: 3-2
                Record vs Top 10: 0-0
                Next Fight: vs #9 – Vitor Belfort – UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs Gastelum – Mar 11th

Gastelum is sticking around at middleweight for at least one more fight.

Dropped off: (10) Derek Brunson

Bubbling under: Derek Brunson, David Branch, Mamed Khalidov, Krzysztof Jotko

Rankings:

Heavyweights
Light Heavyweights
Welterweights
Lightweights
Featherweights
Bantamweights
Flyweights
Women’s Bantamweights
Women’s Strawweights
Pound for Pound
Non-UFC

Check back on Friday for our Welterweight rankings