Strikeforce Grand Prix Results: Ranking The Top 10 Middleweights in MMA
On Saturday night, the semifinals of the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix took place.
Daniel Cormier was able to upset Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva with a first-round knockout, and Josh Barnett was able to submit Sergei Kharitonov, also in the first round.
With that, the finals were set up, and Daniel Cormier will take on Josh Barnett.
In addition to the heavyweight action, there was a middleweight championship bout on the card, featuring a borderline top 10 fighter in Ronaldo Souza facing off against up-and-comer Luke Rockhold.
Rockhold was able to win a unanimous decision over Jacare, and it was the biggest win of his young career.
Was it enough to put him into the top 10?
Read on to find out.
No. 10: Luke Rockhold
1 of 11Luke Rockhold (8-1) is the current Strikeforce middleweight champion.
Rockhold won the title on Saturday night when he defeated Ronaldo Souza by unanimous decision.
Tim Kennedy is the No. 1 contender in the Strikeforce middleweight division, so that is likely Rockhold's next fight.
No. 9: Hector Lombard
2 of 11Hector Lombard (30-2-1 [1 NC]) is the current Bellator middleweight champion and is also on a 24-fight unbeaten streak (23-0-1).
Lombard could easily be higher on this list, but given the level of competition he's been facing, he doesn't have the names on his resume to move up.
Lombard needs to sign with ZUFFA as soon as possible, because he can't become one of the best in the world by staying with Bellator.
No. 8: Chris Leben
3 of 11Chris Leben (22-7) is one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster.
Leben is known for his brawling style and iron chin, which makes him a favorite among the fans.
In his last fight, he knocked out Wanderlei Silva in only 27 seconds.
Leben's next fight will be the main event of UFC 138 against Mark Munoz.
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No. 7: Michael Bisping
4 of 11Michael Bisping (21-3) is the season three winner of The Ultimate Fighter, which he won at light heavyweight.
In his UFC career, Bisping is 11-3 with seven finishes coming by way of TKO.
Bisping is a coach on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, and he will take on Jason "Mayhem" Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
No. 6: Mark Munoz
5 of 11Mark Munoz (11-2) is one of the fastest rising stars in the middleweight division, and he has some power in his hands.
In his career, Munoz has five wins by (T)KO, and one by submission to punches.
Munoz had the biggest win of his career in his last fight against Demian Maia, and his next fight will be against Chris Leben, as both fighters will look to climb the middleweight ladder.
No. 5: Brian Stann
6 of 11Brian Stann (11-3) is the former WEC light heavyweight champion and another fast rising middleweight star.
Stann is a perfect 3-0 since dropping to middleweight, and he's 5-2 in his UFC career.
Stann's last fight saw him knock out the former Sengoku champion, Jorge Santiago.
Stann gets a big step up in competition in his next fight, as he takes on Chael Sonnen.
No. 4: Vitor Belfort
7 of 11Vitor Belfort (20-9) is the former UFC light heavyweight champion and was last seen destroying Yoshihiro Akiyama.
In Belfort's last fight he was able to knock out Yoshihiro Akiyama in under two minutes, handing him his second career loss via knockout.
Belfort has claimed he wants another shot at Anderson Silva, but he is likely still one or two fights away from another shot at the middleweight belt.
Belfort will return against Cung Le at UFC 139.
No. 3: Yushin Okami
8 of 11Yushin Okami (26-6) recently lost to Anderson Silva via second round knockout at UFC 134.
Prior to the fight against Silva, Okami was on a three-fight winning streak, having defeated the likes of Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Lucio Linhares.
Okami had nothing for Silva in their fight, so it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
No. 2: Chael Sonnen
9 of 11Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) is known as the guy who pushed Anderson Silva to the brink, but couldn't finish what he started.
Sonnen has been out for quite some time dealing with suspensions and personal issues, but all that is behind him, and he is now due to return to action.
He will be taking on Brian Stann in what is likely a No. 1 contender match at UFC 136.
No. 1: Anderson Silva
10 of 11Duh.
Anderson Silva (31-4) is the current UFC middleweight champion, and in addition to being the top middleweight in the world, he is the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
Silva is on an unprecedented 15-fight win streak, with 14 of those being in the UFC, and nine of those being defenses of the middleweight title.
Nobody should be surprised, or have any complaints, about Silva being No. 1.
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