UFC 134: Anderson Silva and the 10 Most Entertaining MWs in MMA

When the UFC goes to Rio de Janeiro for UFC 134, it will not only be bringing the pound-for-pound king of MMA, but one of the most exciting and dynamic fighters in the world in Anderson "The Spider" Silva.

Nobody knows what to expect from the UFC Middleweight Champion, but they do know he is capable of ending his fight with Yushin Okami with one shot. Last time out, he knocked out Vitor Belfort with the first ever front-kick to the face in the UFC.

It's these types of exciting moments that UFC fans tune into the fights for, and they know what to expect when the following fighters fight.

These are the 10 most exciting middleweights to watch in MMA right now.

Notable Mention: Cung Le

Cung Le doesn't fight often, but when he does, fans usually pay attention.

This Sanshou kickboxer is one of the more diverse stand-up fighters in the sport, and he has put his arsenal of kicks on display in every one of his fights, winning six out of the seven by knockout. He won his last fight versus Scott Smith with a brutal spinning back-kick to the solar plexus.

Rumors have been on and off about whether or not the 39-year-old will fight in the UFC in his career. If he can somehow make it into the UFC and remain active, he could become a very intriguing contender in the middleweight division.

No. 10: Alan Belcher

UFC middleweight contender Alan Belcher currently holds the record along with Chris Lytle for most bonus money won in a single year. His three fights versus Yoshihiro Akiyama, Wilson Gouveia and Denis Kang earned him $205,000 in 2009.

Those are the first of a current four-fight bonus streak he is on. His most "recent" fight came in May, 2010, where he submitted Patrick Cote. He was awarded the submission of the night bonus for that fight.

He finally returns to action at UFC Fight Night 25 to face Jason MacDonald.

No. 9: Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Jason "Mayhem" Miller is an interesting personality inside and outside the cage, and as such, he is always entertaining to watch fight.

Before Miller fights Michael Bisping in December, fans will get a chance to see the best of the two fighters' trash talk and pre-fight antics in the Ultimate Fighter Season 14.

It is one of the most anticipated shows for the reason being that Miller is on it opposite one of the more controversial and hot-headed fighters in the UFC.

No. 8: Hector Lombard

Current Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard is riding a 24-fight win streak as it stands with 17 of those wins coming by knockout or submission.

He recently knocked out UFC veteran Falaniko Vitale in May and is scheduled to face Jesse Taylor in September.

His devastating knockout power and aggressive fighting style always make for fun fights, and they are ones that will make him a top fighter if he ever makes it to the UFC.

Outside of the many fighters not currently in the premier organization, Lombard is one that fans want to see the most.

No. 7: Brian Stann

Brian Stann is one of the leading candidates for fighter of the year in 2011, and he faces his biggest test yet when he goes up against Chael Sonnen at UFC 136.

Part of what makes the former Marine so fun to watch is his willingness to engage in an opponent's strength and go toe-to-toe even when the odds might be stacked against him.

In his fight with Chris Leben, many didn't expect him to walk through "The Crippler" like he did, putting the brawler down and out in the first round.

He followed up on that win with a TKO victory over Jorge Santiago at UFC 130.

No. 6: Vitor Belfort

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort recently defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama by knockout in the first round of their bout from UFC 133. It won him a knockout of the night bonus.

His last victory before that was a knockout of Rich Franklin at UFC 103. It also earned him knockout of the night.

With lightning-fast hands and superior technical skills in the stand-up department, Belfort makes a tough challenge for anyone in the UFC's middleweight division. Nobody is safe trading punches with the Brazilian, and 14 of his 29 opponents found out the hard way—losing by knockout.

No. 5: Melvin Manhoef

Strikeforce middleweight Melvin Manhoef is not the best MMA fighter, but he is surely one of its best muay-thai fighters.

23 of his 24 victories have come by knockout, and all nine of his losses have come by knockout or submission so it's safe to say he doesn't like going the distance either way. Only nine of his 34 matches have gone past the first round.

He is currently trying to break a three-fight losing streak against some of Strikeforce's best middleweight fighters.

No. 4: Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva isn't the fighter he used to be, but he still fights like he is. It doesn't always work out for him, and his last fight proved it. He lost by TKO in the first 30 seconds against Chris Leben at UFC 132.

Questions about his chin are brought up, and it's one of the things that will hold him back from putting on the all-out wars he had early in his career.

Still, fans of MMA always love to watch him fight because they know what they are going to get from the man called "The Axe Murderer," and that's a memorable fight no matter what happens.

No. 3: Chael Sonnen

As a wrestler, Chael Sonnen fights the way many fans wish most wrestling-oriented fighters would approach their opponents.

He is always active whether the fight is fought standing or on the ground and is always taking advantage of the spots he is in. His plans are to keep a high pace and beat up his opponent no matter where the fight goes.

In his title challenge for Anderson Silva, Sonnen used his wrestling to beat up the champion for the better part of four rounds before being submitted in the fifth. Despite the fight being fought almost entirely on the ground, it was one of the best fights of the year.

If his fighting style isn't exciting enough, maybe his pre-fight trash talk is.

No. 2: Anderson Silva

MMA fans don't quite know what to expect from UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, but when matched up with the right opponent, he can be the most exciting fighter in the entire sport.

He has had a fair share of boring fights in the UFC, but they started with him being bored from a lack of intriguing title challengers.

"The Spider" is currently holding the leading candidate for knockout of the year for his brutal front-kick KO on Vitor Belfort from UFC 126.

He goes up against Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's a good guess he won't want to disappoint fans there so expect to see the best and most extreme Anderson Silva to date.

No. 1: Chris Leben

Chris Leben's resurgence in 2010 and 2011 has helped him to obtain main-event status at UFC 138 against Mark Munoz.

In the UFC's first five-round non-title fight, Leben plans on taking no time at all in going after his opponent on the card from the UK. This is what makes him the fan-favorite fighter he is.

The most exciting part of Leben's game is his response to getting hit. It usually makes him more dangerous and usually puts him in automatic mode. This showed up in his latest victory against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132 where he knocked out the Brazilian fighter in the opening minute of the first round.