UFC 138 Fight Card: Chris Leben and the 6 Hardest-Hitting Middleweights

This weekend, UFC 138 will be headlined by a pair of hard-hitting middleweights when Chris Leben takes on Mark Munoz in the sport's first ever five-round, non-title fight.

The UFC's middleweight division is filled with exciting, hard-hitting fighters that always seem to put on a show when they enter the Octagon.

Whether it's their heavy hands or lightning-quick kicks, the warriors at 185 know how to strike with a vengeance.

Here are the top six hardest-hitting middleweights the UFC has to offer.

6. Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is known for mostly his wrestling and impressive top control, but the former top contender also possesses a solid striking game.

Facing UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117, Sonnen rocked the champion on more than one occasion, surprising everyone viewing the fight.

With seven knockouts or technical knockouts on his resume, Sonnen has the heavy hands to put away his opponents.

5. Mark Munoz

Mark Munoz is another wrestler who has added an impressive striking game to his repertoire.

Taking on C.B. Dollaway in March, it took Munoz just 54 seconds to finish his opponent with a vicious knockout punch.

Although only owning five knockout or technical knockout wins on his record, Munoz has vastly improved his striking skills and has turned into a fearsome knockout threat.

4. Brian Stann

Marine turned MMA fighter Brian Stann went from a relatively unknown prospect to a legitimate knockout threat in the UFC's middleweight division.

A former WEC Light Heavyweight champion, Stann has seen a remarkable improvement in his game since making the move to 185.

In back-to-back amazing performances, Stann finished Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago with his vicious strikes, putting away two very respected strikers.

He still has a ways to go, but Stann is turning into a hard-hitting contender.

3. Chris Leben

Headlining this weekend's UFC 138 opposite fellow hard hitter Mark Munoz, veteran Chris Leben has a long history of putting people to sleep.

At July's UFC 132, Leben knocked out the legendary Wanderlei Silva in just 27 seconds.

With 12 of his 22 career wins coming via knockout, Leben has been finishing his opponents with his strikes for years.

UFC 138 will almost absolutely guarantee a knockout with two of the hardest hitters going at it across the pond.

2. Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort is not just one of the hardest hitters in the middleweight division, but possibly one of the hardest hitters in the sport's history.

Belfort started out his career with four straight knockouts/technical knockouts en route to a UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament win.

In recent years, Belfort's last four wins have all been by knockout, most recently against Yoshihiro Akiyama in the first round of UFC 133, taking Knockout of the Night honors.

The only person who I think remotely even comes close to having the same striking abilities and knockout power is the next guy on the list.

1. Anderson Silva

UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva is by far the best striker in the division and it's hardest hitter.

Behind each of his strikes is enough power to level any man—something he's done 18 time in his career.

Hitting hard with punches is commonplace in MMA, but his kicks, elbows and knees are just as vicious, finishing guys like Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and Yushin Okami while being in the UFC.

He may not throw the wild strikes that others in the division favor, but his pinpoint-accurate strikes are extremely vicious and very, very powerful.

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