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By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
I think that I like watching middleweights more than I like watching any other weight class. 185 seems like the proper weight to combine both a high level of speed with massive power. Not to mention that there seem to be more high level grapplers at middleweight than in the other weight classes, and that appeals to me personally.
Chael Sonnen and Nathan Marquardt are both ranked. Sonnen was an easy call, because his suspension is over now. The only reason not to rank him would be spite. And while I'm all about spite, I try to be all about credibility, too. Nate Marquardt is also on this list. While he may have cut to 170, he didn't fight at 170, so he's still a middleweight in my eyes. And while he's currently under suspension from the PSAC, it's a temporary suspension that looks to be lifted soon. I'm not making any moral or ethical judgments here, and I think based on his record, he's a top middleweight. And yes, I know that his record (along with Sonnen's), might be built on a house of cards built on a pool of quicksand in a flood plane during a hurricane on the San Andreas Fault.
Unfortunately we don't know who is and who isn't dirty, based on the very lax drug testing this sport chooses to administer. Sadly, the same issues that drove me away from baseball seem to be creeping into MMA.
Check out the divisions we've covered so far and the schedule for for upcoming divisions:
July 19: Bantamweights (shudder)
July 26: Pound for Pound (that should piss off about 100% of the readers, dontcha think?)
Middleweight Rankings as of July 12, 2011
1.) Anderson Silva - Duh. Winning. Next fight: Yushin Okami, August 27
2.) Chael Sonnen - A worthy #2 at 185. He's defeated Okami and Marquardt, and is the only guy to have given Silva a challenge. If you're not a Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, you're in trouble. Next fight: Brian Stann, October 8
3.) Yushin Okami - The latest challenger to Anderson Silva's throne is also the last man to defeat Silva, although it was by DQ. Okami hopes to mirror the first 23 minutes of Sonnen's fight with Silva, and then top it off by not offering his neck on a Silva platter (hardy har har). Next fight: Anderson Silva, August 27
4.) Nate Marquardt - Well, he's not a welterweight, so I guess he's a middleweight. One could fairly rank Marquardt anywhere from #4 to off the list entirely. Since I think they're pretty much all dirty in one way or another... Next fight: the ravages of aging, TRT, PSAC, unemployment, maybe eventually Bellator's champion clause.
5.) Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza - The best Strikeforce has to offer is also the best jiu-jitsu player in the division. What separates him is his high level of athleticism. Would love to see him vs. Jorge Santiago, personally. His talent is being wasted in the wasteland of Strikeforce's MW division. Next fight: Luke Rockhold, September 10
6.) Brian Stann - Seven months ago, no one would have seen this coming. In baseball, it's not uncommon to see late bloomers take a meteoric rise when they're near 30 years old. In most of those cases, the league catches up to them and they fall off the cliff within two or three years. We'll know for sure about Stann's longevity soon. Next fight: Chael Sonnen, October 8
7.) Michael Bisping - Everybody's favourite point fighter, the colourful Brit showed rare savagery against Jorge Rivera in February. If he can hold on to that killer instinct, he could become a merit-based contender. Next fight: Jason Miller, December 3
8.) Mark Munoz - I thought Maia defeated him at UFC 131, but 8-9 (along with Maia) is just about right for him. It will be interesting to see who the UFC matches him up with next. If they see Munoz as a contender, he'll get the chance to prove it in his next fight. Next fight: TBA
9.) Demian Maia - All I have to say is that I want to see him vs. Jorge Santiago as much as I want to see any fight in the division right now. They're both coming off of losses, neither guy has a future opponent, and they are so evenly matched. Joe Silva, make this happen! Next fight: TBA
10.) Jorge Santiago - I'll always love Santiago for his fights with Kazuo Misaki, but his fight with Brian Stann showed that the record he ran up in Japan might have been built on a house of cards. A fight against someone with a little less power (Demian Maia, maybe?) makes all the sense in the freaking world. Next fight: TBA
11.) Hector Lombard - Ranking Lombard is pure speculation. Facts are, he hasn't fought anyone elite since losing to Gegard Mousasi in 2006, and his best victory is Alexander Shlemenko. At age 33 he isn't going to get much better than he is right now. And being tied to a Bellator contract means that unless Nate Marquardt comes over there, he won't be fighting anyone decent anytime soon. He has actually shown fewer skills recently, because he simply hasn't needed to be great in order to cruise. Next fight: TBA
12.) Vitor Belfort - I've seen Belfort ranked as high as #3, and as low as, well, #12. His upcoming fight with Akiyama won't prove anything, unless Belfort loses, that is. His resume at 185 is as follows: KOs over Terry Martin and Matt Lindland, KO loss to Anderson Silva. So all we know for sure about him at 185 is that he's better than Matt Lindland, and worse than Anderson Silva. Factoring in his entire career, I think that makes #12 a generous ranking. Next fight: Yoshihiro Akiyama, August 6
13.) Chris Leben - He's a star. He's dead. He's a star. He's dead. He's a star again. I suppose there are worse biblical role models than Lazerus. Like Lucifer for instance. Bad role model. Anyhow, I don't put much stock in the Wanderlei Silva win, because he did what he's supposed to do. But that win, combined with the Akiyama win that sandwich the Stann loss, are enough to keep him close to the top 10. Next fight: TBA (hoping Koscheck at 185 in San Jose...)
14.) Tim Kennedy - Everybody's favorite Army Ranger that does high-level MMA, Kennedy desperately wants another shot at Jacare, even though fans aren't exactly clamoring for a rematch. That said, it's Strikeforce's MW division, so he could very well be one shot away. Next fight: Robbie Lawler, July 30
15.) Alan Belcher - Belcher had the chance to go from 'in the mix' to contender status last year before his career was threatened by a detached retina suffered in August. That injury cost him his first UFC main event opportunity, and almost cost him his career. He'll be back in September, but there are no cake walks in the UFC. I'm objective, but will be rooting for a return to form for Belcher. Next fight: Jason MacDonald, September 17
16.) Rousimar Palhares - There may be a small handful of better jiu-jitsu stylists at 185, but none are more feared because Palhares' style is to go for limbs, not chokes. An absolute pitbull, Palhares is very dangerous. His only UFC losses are to Nate Marquardt and to Dan Henderson, but Palhares is missing a couple of big name victories that are necessary to be ranked too much higher. Wouldn't be a surprise for him to make top 10 by this time next year if he gets booked into the right fights. Next fight: Dan Miller, August 27
17.) Jason "Mayhem" Mayhem - Probably the most recognizable mainstream personality in the division, Mayhem knows how to attract attention to himself. He's not all sizzle, though, as he's practically impossible to submit, and has proven he can hang with some of the best in the division. UFC debut is going to be a tough fight, and highly watched. Just like he likes it, I'm sure. Next fight: Michael Bisping, December 3
18.) Chris Weidman - The first true up-and-comer on this list, Weidman has been impressive in his two UFC fights. The Matt Serra student certainly appears to be ready for a step up in competition. Here's hoping a wonky knee doesn't derail his upward trajectory. Next fight: TBA
19.) Robbie Lawler - Someday we're going to have to accept that he's not going to be champion of the universe. He is what he is, a flawed fighter that people remember as being the next big thing. A poor man's chuck Liddell, he does have the hands to defeat anyone he faces. Next fight: Tim Kennedy, July 30
20.) Tim Boetsch - The Barbarian was a fringe UFC fighter at 205, but the cut to 185 made him look like a monster. Boetsch has massive gorilla-power, and is one of those guys that you just don't want to fight. Boetsch is dangerous, and with a couple more wins he'll be known for more than being on the receiving end of the "Philmura." Next fight: TBA
21.) Dan Miller - Dan Miller's biggest flaw is what makes him so valuable to the UFC. He'll fight anyone, anywhere, with any amount of notice. Miller's always ready to fight, and is a tough son of a bitch. He's good to very good at every facet of the game, and possesses a BJJ black belt from Renzo Gracie. He's in need of a big win soon, however, or else he's not going to even be asked to take the high-profile short-notice fights that he's become known for. Next fight: Rousimal Palhares, August 27
22.) Yoshihiro Akiyama - Easily the most fascinating man in MMA worldwide. Ethnic Korean, fourth generation Japanese, went from hero to pariah in his homeland due to greasing against the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba. His UFC run has been exciting, but relatively unsuccessful. No one is facing more pressure leading up to a fight than Akiyama is right now. Next fight: Vitor Belfort, August 6
23.) Aaron Simpson - Simpson was a two-time All American wrestler at Arizona State, and then coached for 9 years before moving into MMA. Simpson's too old to be called a prospect, but he's a tough out for anyone who isn't ready for the game he brings into the cage. Just ask formerly undefeated Brad Tavares. The ultimate gatekeeper (that's a compliment in this case), Simpson is a valuable guy to have on the roster.
24.) Mamed Khalidov - I'll always be a Khalidov fan after watching his North American debut fight against Jason Guida, so this might be a sentimental ranking here. I would love to see the Chechen fighter get a run in the UFC, as his striking could pose problems for some upper tier guys at 185. Just ask Jorge Santiago. Next fight: TBA
25.) Kyle Noke - Really? Yes, really. Noke is solid, steady, reliable, and might be capable of building upon that foundation to become a top 15 middleweight. Noke's been fighting for almost a decade now, and is the last man to face Hector Lombard and not lose (draw). I might be overvaluing Noke, but his next fight will answer that question. Next fight: Ed Herman, August 14
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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