Silva vs. Sonnen 2: How Does It Shape the Rest of the Middleweight Picture?

For the last few months, all I've been hearing is talk about the second installment of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen.

Don't get me wrong, I've been invested into all the hype ever since Sonnen almost became the first man to defeated Silva in the UFC. But all this talk left me wondering: When these two finish their business, and where does that leave other top-tier middleweights?

Who should be next in line for a shot at the belt? You could make the case that Mark Munoz, who was on the verge of one before hurting himself in training, could get it. He would have to go through rising undefeated fighter Chris Weidman, though. What if Weidman wins their bout? Is he a fight or two away from a title shot?

How about Vitor Belfort after his hand heals? Could a rejuvenated Alan Belcher make a case very soon? What about Michael Bisping, who, in my books, won his fight against Sonnen? I believe he's still a top-five middleweight in the UFC.

There's Hector Lombard to consider as well. The former Bellator middleweight champion has been an absolute beast inside the cage. But he has to get through comeback kid Tim Boetsch at UFC 149.

There's no clear-cut fighter who seems to be the consensus No. 1 contender. There are simply too many fighters to consider assuming they win their next fights.

Lombard, Bisping, Stann, Munoz, Weidman, Belfort, Belcher, Boetsch. How do you decide which of them gets the next shot at middleweight gold?

One good thing about all this confusion is that Joe Silva could match up some great fighters for fan-friendly and relevant fights. Now we just need to play the waiting game.

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