Silva vs Bonnar: Power Ranking Anderson Silva's Next 5 Possible Opponents

UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva put on another brilliant performance in his UFC 153 win Saturday night, adding Stephan Bonnar to his long list of Octagon victims.

After this impromptu trip to light-heavyweight, Silva stated after the bout that he's intending to stay at home in the middleweight division, meaning another title defense may be up next for the champ.

However, there is another option for MMA's pound-for-pound king as welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre has been thrown around as Silva's next possible challenge.

Let's take a look at how "the Spider's" next five possible challengers stack up.

5. Alan Belcher

Alan Belcher has quietly become a force in the UFC' s middleweight division, currently riding a four-fight win streak with all four victories coming via knockout or submission.

Belcher recently took out submission ace Rousimar Palhares at UFC on FOX 3, weathering the early ground attack before finishing the Brazilian via TKO.

Now set to face former No. 1 contender Yushin Okami at UFC 155, a win in this rematch could catapult Belcher to the top of the division.

4. Tim Boetsch

Another unlikely contender who has emerged over the past year is middleweight Tim Boetsch.

"The Barbarian" has become a legitimate threat in the division with back-to-back impressive wins over top-ranked foes Hector Lombard and Yushin Okami. Boetsch has actually posted a pretty solid record over the past few years, going 8-1 in his last nine fights with his sole defeat in the timespan coming in a light-heavyweight contest against Phil Davis.

He will have a huge test in Chris Weidman when the pair square off at UFC 155, but a convincing win over the surging middleweight prospect could earn Boetsch a crack at the champ.

3. Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman has been very vocal about wanting to face Silva as the young middleweight prospect believes he's got the skills to dethrone the champ.

The undefeated New York native has had a quick rise to the top, taking out Mark Munoz and Demian Maia in his last two outings. The former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler has shown he's a well-rounded threat that isn't afraid stand and bang.

If beating Boetsch at UFC 155 doesn't earn Weidman a crack at Silva, I don't know what will.

2. Michael Bisping

It's amazing how loudmouth British middleweight Michael Bisping has gone so long without getting a chance to fight for a title.

The former TUF winner has only lost to former UFC and Pride champions, with the sole exception of a close decision loss to Chael Sonnen back in January, and has gone 5-1 in his last six fights.

Recently defeating Brian Stann at UFC 152, Bisping is at the head of the pack in the middleweight division and deserves a crack at the champ.  With his penchant for trash talking, it would make for a very entertaining title fight with SIlva.

1. Georges St-Pierre

But most interesting and possibly toughest fight left out there for Anderson Silva is a date with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.

Fans have been calling for this bout for years and it may finally become a reality, especially if the Canadian can put away interim champ Carlos Condit next month at UFC 154.

Both Silva and St-Pierre have expressed interest in this possible fight, entertaining the notion of a catchweight battle at 180 lbs.

If this fight does happen, expect it to be one of the biggest events in MMA history.

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