B/R Rankings for January: The Top 10 Middleweights in MMA

Will 2012 be the year where the rest of the middleweight division is finally able to climb out of the enormous shadow that Anderson Silva has cast over it?

For the first time in a quite a while there are guys that seem to provide a legitimate threat to “The Spider” and his middleweight title, and with Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping all looking to earn a crack at Silva in the near future, it’s about to get interesting again.

There wasn’t much movement in the rankings this month, but with half of the list fighting in the next 30 days, next month’s rankings will likely look entirely different.

January looks like it could be a pivotal month for the middleweight division.

These rankings are the combined effort of some of Bleacher Report MMA's best writers, as we continue to try to provide you with the best content on the web.

10. Chris Leben

Previous Ranking: NR

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 22-8

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 138

Next Scheduled Fight: N/A

Leben enters the rankings on the heels of his UFC 138 loss to Mark Munoz, where he proved he could still take an unbelievable amount of punishment and gave Munoz a good fight before the fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds.

Unfortunately, “The Crippler” tested positive for a banned substance after the fight and has since been suspended by the UFC for a year.

It will be November of 2012 before we see Leben fight again, and one can only hope he is able to compete at the level he was before the suspension.

9. Hector Lombard

Previous Ranking: 9

Promotion: Bellator

MMA Record: 31-2-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Trevor Prangley at Bellator 58

Next Scheduled Fight: N/A

Widely considered one of the best fighters not fighting under the Zuffa banner, Hector Lombard will likely be stuck near the bottom half of the rankings until he fights UFC level competition.

The current Bellator 185-lb champion has not lost since late 2006 when he was defeated in a PRIDE bout against Gegard Mousasi and he has since 24-0-1 in various organizations.

His next bout will likely be against Alexander Shlemenko, who just earned a second shot at Lombard and the Bellator middleweight crown.

8. Michael Bisping

Previous Ranking: 7

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 22-3

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Jason Miller at TUF 14 Finale

Next Scheduled Fight: Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2

After watching him talk trash to fan favorite Jason “Mayhem” Miller on The Ultimate Fighter 14, a vast majority of fans wanted to see Michael Bisping get his head kicked in during the fight between the two coaches last month.

Bisping disappointed a lot of people when he came out and dominated Miller, winning via third round TKO and healthy enough to take a fight in just under two months time.

A win over Demian Maia will give Bisping his biggest resume boost to date and it will be hard to deny the Brit a title opportunity in the near future.

7. Demian Maia

Previous Ranking: 8

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 15-3

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Jorge Santiago at UFC 136

Next Scheduled Fight: Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2 

The best pure BJJ fighter in the division, Demian Maia has been adding some striking skills to his repertoire and his improved stand up game has made him a potential title challenger once again.

While his striking is still a work in progress, anything that resembles a stand up game will only help him in his quest to get the fight to the mat.

If he is able to take out Michael Bisping later this month, it will be his biggest win since he took out Chael Sonnen, and he’ll be much closer to getting another shot at the middleweight belt.

6. Brian Stann

Previous Ranking: 6

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 11-4

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 136

Next Scheduled Fight: N/A 

Brian Stann was on the cusp of title contention heading into his bout with Chael Sonnen at UFC 136, but Sonnen quickly showed the world that Stann had no answer for his takedowns and top control.

The loss was a huge setback in Stann’s quest to win a UFC title, but it showed him the areas where he needs to improve and he will likely benefit from the loss.

All of the other top middleweights are currently locked in to fights, so it may be a few months into 2012 until we see if Stann has improved since his loss.

5. Vitor Belfort

Previous Ranking: 5

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 20-9

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133

Next Scheduled Fight: Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 

One of the most talented and frustrating fighters in MMA history, Vitor Belfort has the stand up skills that made fans wonder if he could hang with Anderson Silva on the feet.

Belfort got blindsided by Silva’s front kick at UFC 126 and didn’t have time to get off any significant offense, and he needs a few more wins to get another shot.

Belfort is set to fight Anthony Johnson in his home country of Brazil in a few weeks, and after that he will be a coach opposite Wanderlei Silva on the inaugural season of TUF Brazil.

4. Mark Munoz

Previous Ranking: 4

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 12-2

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Chris Leben at UFC 138

Next Scheduled Fight: Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2 

Since dropping down to the middleweight division, Mark Munoz has been nearly unstoppable, winning seven of his eight fights at 185-lbs.

Currently on a four fight win streak with wins over Demian Maia and Chris Leben in that span, Munoz is quickly climbing the middleweight ladder and is nearing a shot at Anderson Silva.

If Munoz is able to defeat Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2, he will earn a chance at UFC gold for the first time.

3. Yushin Okami

Previous Ranking: 3

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 26-6

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 134

Next Scheduled Fight: Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 

One of only four men with a victory over Anderson Silva, Okami looked to turn his disqualification win into a more legitimate one this past August at UFC 134.

However, Silva looked his best in their rematch and easily dispatched “Thunder” in front of his fellow Brazilian countrymen.

It took five years for Okami to earn his first shot at UFC gold, and he will have to get back to the top far more quickly if he wants another shot at “The Spider”.

2. Chael Sonnen

Previous Ranking: 2

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 27-11-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Brian Stann at UFC 136

Next Scheduled Fight: Mark Munoz at UFC on FOX 2 

He has talked about nothing but his near victory over Anderson Silva since they last fought at UFC 117, where Chael Sonnen was only a few minutes away from taking home the middleweight title.

Since that night, Sonnen has been suspended, had legal charges filed against him, and had a title shot with Silva slip through his fingers, but still he continues to call out the champion.

If he is able to best Mark Munoz later this month, he will finally be able to prove himself as the real champion as he will get his long awaited rematch with Silva.

1. Anderson Silva

Previous Ranking: 1

Promotion: UFC

MMA Record: 31-4

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Yushin Okami at UFC 134

Next Scheduled Fight: N/A 

The pound for pound best fighter in the world has been atop the middleweight rankings for over half a decade and it’s going to take a monumental effort for anyone to topple him from the top of these rankings.

Silva has already defeated five men on this list and has shown no signs of wear over the years, making him just as intimidating now as he was when he first won the title.

Silva is currently nursing an injury, but he should be back in mid 2012 against the winner of Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen.