Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
In one of the most impressive performances of his career, MMA’s middleweight king moved up to 205 pounds and blew away former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin in a horrifically lopsided affair. The brilliant performance has already sparked talk of “The Spider” vacating his middleweight mantle and moving up to 205 pounds permanently.

2. Yushin Okami (23-4)
Inopportune injuries have slowed Okami’s bid to earn a rematch with middleweight king Silva. A healthy Okami will have the chance to solidify himself as a top contender on Oct. 24 when he takes on Chael Sonnen at UFC 104.

3. Nate Marquardt (28-8-2)
Marquardt wants another crack at the UFC middleweight title. However, in order to get another chance at 185-pound glory, he will need to take out his biggest challenge since his bout with Silva two years ago -- undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu king Demian Maia at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.

4. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Henderson put an exclamation point on the end of “The Ultimate Fighter 9” at UFC 100 by brutally starching rival coach Michael Bisping in the second frame. For the former two-division champion of Pride, getting another crack at the UFC middleweight championship could depend on the Aug. 29 bout between fellow top contenders Marquardt and Maia.

5. Demian Maia (10-0)
Few fighters, if any, have been as impressive as Maia over the last 14 months. His road to a shot at the UFC middleweight title now runs through Marquardt at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.

6. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
Perhaps the most unfortunate victim of Affliciton’s demise, Santiago was left without a clear direction after the cancellation of his match with Vitor Belfort. While he expects to defend his Sengoku middleweight title sometime in the near future, the surging Brazilian now looks at a clean calendar with no fights.

7. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 NC)
Lawler appeared to be in control on the feet in his June 6 bout with Jake Shields. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was tapping out to a Shields guillotine choke, leaving his next move in Strikeforce’s middleweight division uncertain.

8. Vitor Belfort (18-8)
The fall of Affliction killed Belfort’s anticipated bout with fellow Brazilian Santiago, but “The Phenom” will not be on the sidelines for long. The former UFC light heavyweight champion will return to the Octagon at UFC 103 on Sept. 19 to meet Rich Franklin at a 195-pound catchweight.

9. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
After grinding out a nice win over former International Fight League middleweight champion Dan Miller in May, Sonnen’s climb up the 185-pound ladder will only get more difficult. The Team Quest product will take on Okami at UFC 104 on Oct. 24.

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC)
It was not his best performance, but Akiyama gritted through a split decision verdict over a game Alan Belcher at UFC 100 in July and has thrown himself into the UFC’s deepening middleweight mix.

Other contenders: Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Paulo Filho, Dan Miller, Frank Trigg.

* With his split decision loss to Alessio Sakara, formerly eighth-ranked Thales Leites falls outside the top 10 and beyond the contenders list.