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

Right when the UFC’s middleweight division seemed to get a huge influx in talent, two of its top five fighters decided to make a move up to 205 lbs.

With Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort fleeing to heavier pastures, the middleweight division loses two of its premier veterans, and suddenly, the top five of the weight class is full of fresh faces.

With new contenders have started to dominate the upper class of the division, the bottom five gained two former title challengers of its own this month and has plenty of star power as well.

Disclaimer

These rankings are the combined efforts of some of Bleacher Report MMA's best writers as we continue to try and provide you with the best content on the web. For the latest MMA news and freshest MMA opinions, follow them on Twitter:

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Sean Smith    @SeanSmithMMA

Tim McTiernan    @TimMcTiernan

Vince Carey    @vcareymma

10. Jake Shields

Promotion: UFC

Record: 28-6-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Ed Herman at UFC 150

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: N/A

Jake Shields found himself on the outside looking in the last few months in regards to the B/R MMA rankings, as the writers decided to wait and see how he performed in his UFC middleweight debut before ranking him at 185 lbs.

While his performance against Ed Herman was far from inspiring, Shields did enough to earn the victory, and with two top fighters leaving the division, he was able to sneak into the top 10 at 185.

Shields will need a win over another ranked opponent if he expects to stay ranked for long, as the middleweight division is quickly growing more and more competitive.

9. Luke Rockhold

Promotion: Strikeforce 

Record: 10-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 10

It’s hard to get respect when you aren’t fighting inside the Octagon, but Luke Rockhold has managed to do that during his Strikeforce title reign.

Rockhold took the belt from Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in a closely-contested bout last year, and he’s followed up his championship win with consecutive title defenses against Keith Jardine and Tim Kennedy.

It appears that “Jacare” is next up for the champion, and if Rockhold can score a more convincing win in the rematch, it will help raise his standing in the division.

8. Yushin Okami

Promotion: UFC

Record: 27-7

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Buddy Roberts at UFC 150

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: N/A

After briefly getting knocked out of the top 10 following back-to-back losses to Anderson Silva and Tim Boetsch, Yushin Okami finds his way back into the rankings after beating down Buddy Roberts at UFC 150.

Okami holds victories over Silva and Mark Munoz, both of whom sit above him on this list, and he’s proven he can hang with the very best the division has to offer when given the opportunity.

The title fight loss to Silva is going to keep Okami out of the title scene for the near future, but a few more wins should be enough to get “Thunder” another crack at the belt.

7. Brian Stann

Promotion: UFC

Record: 12-4

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Alessio Sakara at UFC on Fuel 2

Next Fight: Michael Bisping at UFC 152

Previous Ranking: 8

It’s almost a bit unfortunate that the fight between Brian Stann and Michael Bisping is taking place on neutral ground in Toronto, because if this fight would have taken place in the US, Bisping may have been booed out of the building.

Stann’s past as a war hero has endeared him to a lot of fans, and it became clear he was becoming a huge crowd favorite when he was showered with “USA” chants following his Memorial Day knockout win in 2011.

After having is weaknesses exposed by Chael Sonnen at UFC 136, Stann is trying to work his way up the middleweight ladder, and there isn’t a better opponent to gain notoriety than Bisping.

6. Mark Munoz

Promotion: UFC

Record: 12-3

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Chris Weidman at UFC on Fuel 4

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 9

Being on the receiving end of one of the most brutally one-sided fights of the year probably isn’t how Mark Munoz envisioned his 2012, but he is going to have plenty of opportunities to prove he’s better than what he showed against Chris Weidman.

Munoz has a few extremely talented fighters on his resume, including Chris Leben and Demian Maia, and it appears that Hector Lombard has set his sights on “The Filipino Wrecking Machine."

A win over the former Bellator champion would do a lot for Munoz’s confidence and his stock in the division, and if he uses his wrestling to try and pound Lombard out, he has a shot at making it happen.

5. Alan Belcher

Promotion: UFC

Record: 18-6

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Rousimar Palhares at UFC on Fox 3

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 7

Following a huge victory over Rousimar Palhares at UFC on Fox 3, Alan Belcher is ready to take the next step into title contention.

The departures of Sonnen and Belfort have pushed Belcher into the top five of this list, but he has nowhere near the resume of someone looking to challenge Anderson Silva, and he needs a win or two against big name opponents before stepping into the spotlight.

After a bout with Vitor Belfort was cancelled, and with Michael Bisping already tied up at the moment, Belcher is likely looking at a return fight against Chris Weidman or Tim Boetsch, and a win over either of those men would help prove he’s a true contender.

4. Tim Boetsch

Promotion: UFC

Record: 16-4

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Hector Lombard at UFC 149

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 6

Tim Boetsch is the most surprising contender on the UFC roster.

After a lackluster run at light heavyweight concluded with a “Wonderbar” submission loss to Phil Davis, Boetsch dropped the weight to get down to 185 and instantly became a fighter to be feared in the division.

Boetsch scored the come from behind performance of the year when he knocked out Yushin Okami at UFC 144 and followed the biggest win of his career up with an even bigger victory over Hector Lombard at UFC 149.

As he heals up injuries sustained during the Lombard fight, Boetsch has seen the rest of the middleweight division start clamoring for title shots, and “The Barbarian” needs to get back in action if he wants to stay in title contention.

3. Michael Bisping

Promotion: UFC

Record: 22-4

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2

Next Fight: Brian Stann at UFC 152

Previous Ranking: 4

Even with two title fights on the card, Michael Bisping may have more to lose than anyone competing at UFC 152.

For years, Bisping has been scratching and clawing his way up the middleweight ladder, only to get knocked down a few rungs every title he found himself in a fight with serious title implications.

With a big-time fight against Brian Stann on the horizon, Bisping needs a win badly, and if he fails, it could knock him out of the title picture for good.

2. Chris Weidman

Promotion: UFC

Record: 9-0

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Mark Munoz at UFC on Fuel 4

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 3

After crushing Mark Munoz at UFC on Fuel 4 in July, Chris Weidman made it perfectly clear that he wants his shot at Anderson Silva.

With “The Spider” content to sit out the rest of the year, it probably makes more sense for Weidman to take another fight late in 2012 than to wait around for Silva, especially with the uncertainty regarding whether or not Silva will even accept a fight against him at the moment.

Weidman is the hottest prospect in MMA at the moment, and if he has a chance to build even more momentum against someone like Alan Belcher in December, he should take the risk.

1. Anderson Silva

Promotion: UFC

Record: 32-4

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Chael Sonnen at UFC 148

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 1

As badly as Chris Weidman wants a shot at Anderson Silva, “The Spider” has earned the right to decide whom he fights at this point.

A bout with Weidman seems inevitable, but if Silva wants to attempt to end any argument that he’s the best fighter on the planet and fight Georges St-Pierre, he’s likely going to get his shot.

It seems more likely than ever that we’ll get to see Silva-GSP, and if St-Pierre defeats Carlos Condit in November, I’d be a bit surprised if we didn’t see the fight happen on Super Bowl weekend.