UFC middleweight rankings: Robert Whittaker rises after destructive win at UFC Saudi Arabia

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

*Rank*	*Fighter*	Record	Last 3 Results
#1	Dricus Du Plessis	21-2	W-W-W
#2	Israel Adesanya	24-3	L-W-L
#3	Robert Whittaker	26-7	W-W-L
#4	Sean Strickland	29-6	W-L-W
#5	Brendan Allen	24-5	W-W-W
#6	Nassourdine Imavov	14-4	W-W-NC
#7	Jared Cannonier	17-7	L-W-W
#8	Marvin Vettori	19-7-1	L-W-L
#9	Paulo Costa	14-4	L-L-W
#10	Jack Hermansson	24-8	W-L-W

The UFC middleweight rankings have been a place where many of the best MMA fighters over the last decade have resided. From Rich Franklin to Anderson Silva, and on to Israel Adesanya, the 185-pound division has been a place where many legendary competitors have plied their trade.

Here you will be able to find the most up-to-date look at the 10 best middleweights on the UFC roster, and who they will be facing next.

10. Jack Hermansson (24-8)

UFC veteran Jack Hermansson has had a frustrating last few years. After reaching a position where he seemed like a serious title contender he has shockingly alternated wins and losses in his last eight fights. After a tough loss in December 2022, the Swede took some time away and returned impressively with a big win over rising star Joe Pyfer in February.

It proved he is far from done as a top 10 level fighter and was a victory he badly needed after a weird last five years.

9. Paulo Costa (14-4)

There was a time when Paulo Costa looked like the second coming of Vitor Belfort, however, the Brazilian power striker has begun to settle into more of a rankings stalwart than a title contender again. In February he had a chance to start a new winning streak and push his name into the championship conversation but came up short versus Robert Whittaker. He then followed that up with a co-main event loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 302.

Costa is now a year and a win streak away from serious title contention.

8. Marvin Vettori (19-7-1)

Marvin Vettori is one of the most underappreciated fighters in the UFC middleweight rankings. He is a skilled grappler, a solid boxer, and as tough as any of his top 10 contemporaries. He constantly seems right on the cusp of title contention and is a tall task for any fighter at 185 pounds.

However, he suffered a major setback in June when he came up short against Jared Cannonier. He was soundly defeated, and in a battle between a pair of former title challengers, he showed he still has some work to do if he hopes to compete for the division crown in the near future.

Also Read: Khamzat Chimaev next fight – Details on ‘Borz’s’ next scrap in the Octagon

7. Jared Cannonier (17-7)

Jared Cannonier is not the flashiest fighter in the UFC middleweight rankings, but he is as well-rounded as any competitor in the division. “The Killa Gorilla” had his shot to take down the two-time champ Israel Adesanya in 2022 but came up short. He scored a pair of big wins following that defeat and was back in the thick of the title conversation. Unfortunately, a controversial loss to Nassourdine Imavov in June was a major setback that will be difficult to recover from.

6. Nassourdine Imavov (14-4)

Nassourdine Imavov has quietly become one of the best middleweights in the world over his nine-fight run in the company. While he has suffered a pair of losses inside the Octagon, one of them came to former division king Sean Strickland. Since then he’s scored a couple of big victories, including at UFC Louisville against former title challenger Jared Cannonier.

Although the win was a bit controversial he still deserves respect as one of the better fighters in the division.

Also Read: Sean O’Malley next fight – Who will “Suga” face in his UFC return?

5. Brendan Allen (24-5)

After losing twice in four bouts, there were some doubts that Brendan Allen could be a contender at middleweight. However, since his last loss in 2021, he has gone on a seven-fight tear and scored submission wins in all but one of them.

Also Read: Jon Jones next fight – When will the MMA GOAT be back in action?

In his first headline role at UFC Vegas 82, he consistently grounded submission ace Paul Craig and actually dominated him there. In a follow-up main event booking, he outworked Chris Curtis in April. However, since he eeked by the veteran he likely didn’t get much closer to a title opportunity.

4. Sean Strickland (29-6)

Wildman Sean Strickland may not be the flashiest fighter in UFC middleweight history but at UFC 293 he showed he has a championship skillset when he did the unthinkable and scored one of the biggest upsets in promotion history by defeating weight class legend Israel Adesanya.

The win extended his streak to three straight and proved many doubters wrong. However, his title run was short-lived when he came up just short by split decision to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. But he was able to bounce back and get back into title contention with a definitive win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

3. Robert Whittaker (26-7)

Robert Whittaker will go down as one of the greatest UFC middleweights ever. Unfortunately for him, he competes in an era with the man some see as the best 185-pounder ever in Adesanya. After falling to the champ a second time in 2022, he split his next two. His loss came to current champ Dricus Du Plessis.

Since then he scored a decisive victory over former title challenger Paulo Costa, then crushed Ikram Aliskerov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. Whittaker still remains one of the elite fighters at 185 pounds.

2. Israel Adesanya (24-2)

Israel Adesanya is not only one of the best UFC middleweights ever, but when all is said and done, he will be viewed as one of the greatest fighters to ever compete in the Octagon in general. However, his shocked and decisive defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 forever ended the debate about him being the best fighter the division has ever seen.

He has lost two of his last three definitively and there are questions of if his prime is officially over at just 34.

1. Dricus Du Plessis (21-2)

Dricus Du Plessis has put South African MMA on the map during his short career in the UFC. The rising star has been victorious in every one of his fights and scored finishes in five of the seven. The most impressive came at UFC 290 when he stunned many observers by scoring a shocking knockout win over middleweight great Robert Whittaker.

However, he topped that at UFC 297 when he challenged Sean Strickland for the middleweight crown. Over five hard-fought rounds, DDP delivered South Africa their first UFC title and extended his unbeaten streak in the MMA world leader to seven.

Also Read: UFC Heavyweight Rankings – Looking at the 10 best at the UFC’s heaviest division

See exclusive Sportsnaut videos on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.