Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Middleweight

1. Israel Adesanya (21-1) [1]

After failing in his bid to become a two-division champion this past March, Adesanya showed the world that he still reigns supreme at middleweight, as he cruised to a five-round verdict over Marvin Vettori in the UFC 263 headliner at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 12. It was a much more decisive triumph than their first meeting, when “The Last Stylebender” captured a split verdict over his Italian rival at UFC on Fox 29 in April 2018. With 10 consecutive middleweight triumphs under his belt, the City Kickboxing stalwart now turns his attention to a rematch with ex-champ Robert Whittaker.

2. Robert Whittaker (23-5) [2]

Whittaker was firing on all cylinders in a unanimous decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on ESPN 22, giving him three straight victories since he relinquished the middleweight belt to Israel Adesanya in October 2019. Dating back to June 2014, Whittaker has won 12 of 13 UFC appearances, an impressive stretch of consistency by any measure. A rematch with Adesanya appears to be imminent.

3. Paulo Costa (13-1) [3]

When all was said and done, Costa may have thrown more taunts than strikes against Israel Adesanya in the UFC 253 main event. The end result was a baffling performance in which “Borrachinha” was completely outclassed en route to a second-round technical knockout debut in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 26. The Brazilian contender was supposed to square off against ex-champ Robert Whittaker in a headlining bout on April 17, but Costa pulled out of the fight due to illness. More recently, Costa backed out of a proposed headlining clash against Jared Cannonier on Aug. 21, citing dissatisfaction with his pay. With that issue seemingly resolved, Costa is slated for a headlining date against Marvin Vettori on Oct. 23.

4. Yoel Romero (13-5) [4]

Romero didn’t necessarily deserve a middleweight title shot at UFC 248, and he offered a confounding performance in a unanimous decision defeat against Israel Adesanya. He was then forced to withdraw from a UFC on ESPN 15 co-main event clash against Uriah Hall on Aug. 22. A little more than three months later, “The Soldier of God” was released by the UFC with three fights remaining on his contract, but Romero quickly found a new home with Bellator MMA, where he will compete at light heavyweight. After his promotional debut was delayed due to issues with pre-fight medicals, Romero will meet Phil Davis in a 205-pound bout on Sept. 18.

5. Marvin Vettori (17-5-1) [5]

Outside of the occasional takedown, Vettori had few answers for Israel Adesanya in their middleweight championship clash at UFC 263. “The Italian Dream” was befuddled by his opponent’s crafty movement, and he absorbed a variety of punching combinations and kicks to the legs and head en route to a unanimous decision defeat at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 12. The setback snaps a five-bout winning streak for Vettori and makes him 0-2 against the reigning 185-pound king. Vettori will next face fellow former title challenger Paulo Costa on Oct. 23.

6. Jared Cannonier (14-5) [6]

After a loss to Robert Whittaker this past October potentially cost him a middleweight title shot, Cannonier bounced back in his return, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph over Kelvin Gastelum in the UFC on ESPN 29 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 21. Cannonier has been victorious in four of his five appearances since moving up to 185 pounds and remains a relevant contender — though he might need another victory to solidify a title shot.

7. Jack Hermansson (22-6) [7]

After a bumpy opening stanza, Hermansson relied on takedowns and grappling to capture a hard-fought unanimous decision victory against Edmen Shahbazyan in a featured middleweight contest at UFC Fight Night 188 on May 22. That performance allowed “The Joker” to rebound from a five-round decision defeat to Marvin Vettori in the UFC Fight Night 188 main event and keeps him in the thick of things at 185 pounds.

8. Gegard Mousasi (48-7-2) [8]

Mousasi shook off a slow start against John Salter to impose his will down the stretch in the Bellator 264 headliner, winning via third-round technical knockout at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Oct. 13. “The Dreamcatcher” has won 11 of 12 professional fights in Bellator and the UFC dating back to 2016, with his lone defeat coming at the hands of the now-retired Rafael Lovato Jr. in June 2019. Up next, the California-based promotion is targeting a title defense for Mousasi against Austin Vanderford.

9. Darren Till (18-3-1) [9]

Till certainly had his moments against Robert Whittaker at UFC on ESPN 14, but he ultimately lost a narrow five-round verdict to the former middleweight champion. Till was supposed to receive another marquee match at 185 pounds against contender Jack Hermansson, but injury forced him to withdraw from the Dec. 5 UFC main event. Till was next book to face Marvin Vettori in the headliner of UFC on ABC 2, but a broken collarbone suffered in training ended those plans. “The Gorilla” will get another headlining opportunity against Derek Brunson Sept. 4.

10. Derek Brunson (22-7) [10]

For the second consecutive fight, Brunson derailed the hype train of a highly-touted prospect in the middleweight division. After handing Edmen Shahbazyan his first career defeat last August, Brunson used his wrestling to grind out a five-round verdict against Kevin Holland in the UFC on ESPN 21 headliner on March 20. Brunson has won four consecutive fights at 185 pounds and will next lock horns with Darren Till on Sept. 4

Other Contenders: Kevin Holland, Sean Strickland, Brendan Allen, Uriah Hall, Kelvin Gastelum.

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