UFC: 6 Fighters Poised to Make a Run in the Middleweight Division

The UFC middleweight top spot remained in Anderson Silva's hands for the past seven years, the throne held by the most dominant of champions. Chris Weidman changed that, and the weight class has been ushered into a new era.

Well, sort of. 

Following the loss to Weidman at UFC 162, longtime champion—and almost unanimously considered greatest of all time—Anderson Silva expressed no interest in a rematch against the new champion. Less than one week later, his tune has changed. This means the middleweight division will, at least for some time, remain focused on another Silva title fight. 

But the middleweight world continues to go 'round.

Several 185-pound fighters seek a shot at the middleweight title—well, once Silva's and Weidman's business is resolved. These fighters have shown strong promise lately with an equally threatening skill set. 

These fighters make the list of the five middleweights poised to make a run in the middleweight division. 

Note: The last five fights listed in each slide represent the last five contests at middleweight for each fighter.

Vitor Belfort

Last Five Middleweight Fights: 4-1

Breakdown:

Belfort is the obvious frontrunner on this list. Had Silva topped Weidman, the next title shot likely would've been his, as no other non-champion has been as dominant at middleweight lately.

However, Silva vs. Weidman II is expected to take place sometime this winter—December or February—meaning Belfort will have to fight again before a top contender slot opens up for next summer. 

Still, it's difficult to say he is poised to make a run, considering he's already made that run—he's 4-0 in his last four middleweight fights.

But the new timeline following the Silva loss has Belfort back in the pack for a title shot, instead of being the obvious pick for next top contender.

"The Phenom" will have to earn another big win before he gets a shot at 185-pound gold again. He should be able to accomplish that.

Next Fight: TBD

Belfort isn't scheduled for a fight at the moment, likely because he was next in line for a title shot. UFC 162 changed that, and the aging middleweight—he's 36 years of age—would probably be done a disservice if he sits out until next summer to fight the winner of the Silva-Weidman rematch. 

He and light heavyweight Gegard Mousasi have traded verbal and written jabs, so that's one option. But Belfort making the jump to 205 pounds seems an unlikely possibility, as does Mousasi's drop to 185. 

Then again, Belfort has defeated plenty of top-10 middleweights, and top-five guys Yushin Okami and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza seemed to be tied up in a future contest. And No. 7 contender Costa Philippou is expected to face No. 4 contender Michael Bisping. 

The only sensible matchup now appears to be one pitting Belfort against UFC 162 victor Mark Munoz. Give that fight the green light for this winter, and the UFC should find a legitimate contender. 

Yushin Okami

The UFC middleweight top spot remained in Anderson Silva's hands for the past seven years, the throne held by the most dominant of champions. Chris Weidman changed that, and the weight class has been ushered into a new era.

Well, sort of. 

Following the loss to Weidman at UFC 162, longtime champion—and almost unanimously considered greatest of all time—Anderson Silva expressed no interest in a rematch against the new champion. Less than one week later, his tune has changed. This means the middleweight division will, at least for some time, remain focused on another Silva title fight. 

But the middleweight world continues to go 'round.

Several 185-pound fighters seek a shot at the middleweight title—well, once Silva's and Weidman's business is resolved. These fighters have shown strong promise lately with an equally threatening skill set. 

These fighters make the list of the five middleweights poised to make a run in the middleweight division. 

Note: The last five fights listed in each slide represent the last five contests at middleweight for each fighter.

Mark Munoz

Last Five Fights: 4-1

Breakdown:

The Mark Munoz we saw at UFC on Fuel 4 was not a contender. Far from it. 

At UFC 162, however, "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" reintroduced himself as a top middleweight in the UFC. 

Munoz tore through Tim Boetsch en route to a unanimous decision win on the pay-per-view card last weekend, earning his fifth win in his last six outings. He looked like a different fighter. He looked like the kind of fighter we always thought he could be.

He looked like a legitimate contender. 

Now, Munoz is ranked in the No. 6 contender spot on the official rankings, and he probably could be a few spots higher. 

With his power wrestling style, he has the tools to get the fight to the ground and utilize his fierce ground-and-pound attack. The fight with Boetsch was cringe-worthy at times (remember those body shots?), and Munoz is back on track now that he's healthy again. 

Next Fight:

Just one week after Munoz rolled through top-10 middleweight Boetsch, I already can't wait to see him back in the cage. 

Unfortunately, he may not jump back in so quickly. Guys like Michael Bisping, Costa Philippou, Yushin Okami, and "Jacare" Souza—guys in the middle/upper tier of the top-10 are all tied up in bouts. 

However, now that Silva and Weidman are rematching this winter, a Munoz vs. Belfort contest would be intriguing, though we'd settle for Munoz vs. Luke Rockhold. 

Costa Philippou

Last Five Fights: 5-0

Breakdown:

Philippou isn't making the most noise at middleweight, but he's quietly turned a corner in his career, leaping into contention.

He's always been good, but not until his 15th professional fight did he earn a win over a top-10 middleweight in Tim Boetsch. And even though he's 5-0 in his past five, he was under-the-radar prior to his most recent knockout victory. 

Now, Philippou has earned a true test, if you consider Michael Bisping worthy of that title. 

I do, and a win for Philippou in that fight would launch him into the division's elite tier. 

Philippou's run up the middleweight division has not been as prominent or violent as, say, Vitor Belfort's. However, the 33-year-old contender is one win away from closing in on "The Phenom" and the rest of the division's top fighters. 

Next Fight:

Philippou has been tied to a fight against Michael Bisping this fall, and there really is no reason that fight shouldn't happen. 

It's a good matchup between the No. 7 and No. 4 middleweight, as well as an opportunity for Philippou to make a big leap as Bisping has—likely much to his chagrin—become something of a gatekeeper to the top ranks of the division.

On the other hand, "The Count" could regain his footing after his devastating loss to Belfort in yet another top contender's fight that slipped through his fingers.

But make no mistake, Philippou has much more to gain from this contest.

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

Last Five Fights: 4-1

Breakdown: 

Souza makes this list not based on accomplishment, but rather on pure talent. 

The Brazilian, appropriately nicknamed "Jacare"—the Portuguese word for Alligator—has an incredible grappling game to go with his ever-evolving striking abilities. 

Throughout his Strikeforce career, he managed to earn the middleweight title thanks to his jiu-jitsu base, but his striking remained fairly raw up. It's still not elite, but Jacare's standup has improved greatly, while his ground game appears to be as dangerous as it's ever been. He probably has the best jiu-jitsu in the entire division. 

However, when breaking down his biggest wins, names like Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Ed Herman and Chris Camozzi pop up. None of those guys are top middleweights and it's hard to call any of Souza's wins true quality victories. 

But the rankings have him in the No. 5 contender spot, and that's largely based on what he is capable of. For the same reason, he makes this list. 

Next Fight: 

Souza is expected to face Okami this fall in what will far-and-away be his toughest fight to date. 

Okami is an elite wrestler in the division, and Souza's best route to victory probably rests in keeping this fight on the feet. 

If he wins that contest, he's an immediate player for a top contender's spot. But he'll still need another big win to get there, in all likelihood. 

Chael Sonnen

Last Five Fights: 3-2

Breakdown: 

Most seem sick of Chael Sonnen entering the conversation as a title threat in any division, but what has the trash-talking fighter done besides defeat every middleweight not named Anderson Silva?

Currently, Sonnen is fighting at light heavyweight, while he's parlayed his fighting career into a nice commentary spot on UFC Tonight. This leads to at least a fair amount of uncertainty as to how eager he is to return to middleweight and rebuild himself as a top contender in the division.

He certainly could do it, as his wrestling has yielded him victories over the likes of Michael Bisping, Yushin Okami, and Brian Stann. And he's currently ranked as the No. 9 middleweight even though he hasn't fought at 185 pounds in over a year. 

He's likely the longest shot on this list, just because we don't know how committed he is to the rebuilding process. But if Sonnen dedicated himself to one last run at middleweight, the division's landscape would be restructured, and fast. 

We'll have more answers following his fight against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua this August.

Next Fight: 

Sonnen's next fight, a light heavyweight bout against Rua, won't tell us much about what he could yet accomplish at middleweight. After all, he's accomplished everything aside from earning the title.

As long as he isn't on the receiving end of a brutal knockout, Sonnen would probably be interested in the new middleweight ranks, as long as Silva doesn't regain the title.

If "The Spider" tops Weidman in the rematch, Sonnen likely wouldn't find another run toward the middleweight title an intriguing option, having lost to him twice. 

And who can say whether or not Sonnen will want a shot at Weidman in the future?

Even as the No. 9 middleweight, Sonnen could reemerge in the division as a legitimate threat. If he should decide to return next year, he would almost immediately find himself in a high-profile bout. A contest against Vitor Belfort—if the timeframe somehow worked, which it could—sounds perfect.