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Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (32-4)

Silva silenced his noisiest nemesis July 7 when he notched a second-round TKO stoppage of Chael Sonnen in their rematch from August 2010. With his 10th consecutive UFC middleweight title defense and 16th straight victory, “The Spider” furthered his reputation not only as the best middleweight to grace the cage, but as one of the young sport’s greatest fighters to date. The only question is: who’s next?

2. Chael Sonnen (27-12-1)

Despite a strong opening round, Sonnen was once again trumped in his UFC title rematch with Anderson Silva on July 7, this time being punched out after an ill-timed spinning back-fist. The Team Quest representative has stayed active since, serving as a studio analyst for UFC broadcasts, but Sonnen’s next in-cage appearance remains unknown.

3. Chris Weidman (9-0)

Weidman kept his record blemish-free and recorded another impressive victory July 11 with a bloody and brutal knockout of Mark Munoz on Fuel TV. The Serra-Longo product has since been challenged on Twitter by Vitor Belfort, but Weidman declined; likewise, UFC boss Dana White recently stated that Weidman could be next in line for Anderson Silva.

4. Michael Bisping (22-4)

After a June surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, Bisping already knows who he’ll face when he’s recuperated. The perpetual middleweight contender will try to get back on track against heavy-handed American Brian Stann come Sept. 22 in Toronto.

5. Tim Boetsch (16-4)

Despite being looked upon by many as fodder for incoming Bellator champ Hector Lombard, “The Barbarian” took an unexpected -- and, some would argue, undeserved -- split decision against Lombard in a tepid July 21 affair at UFC 149.

6. Mark Munoz (12-3)

Munoz appeared on the brink of contention after four straight wins against Chris Leben, Demian Maia, C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson. The title talk came to a screeching halt on July 11, however, when the former Oklahoma State was dealt a bloody knockout at the hands of unbeaten up-and-comer Chris Weidman.

7. Vitor Belfort (21-9)

UFC 147 came and went, with Vitor Belfort sidelined by hand injury. In his stead, his former victim Rich Franklin stepped up and bested his “Ultimate Fighter Brazil” rival coach Wanderlei Silva. Despite the outcome, the UFC is still banking on Belfort-Silva 2 at some point in the coming months.

8. Yushin Okami (26-7)

Yushin Okami was expecting to face Brazilian Luiz Cane at UFC 150 on Aug. 11. With “Banha” out due to injury, Okami will instead face one of Cane’s countrymen in powerhouse leglock specialist Rousimar Palhares when the Octagon heads back to Denver.

9. Luke Rockhold (10-1)

Tim Kennedy proved no match for Rockhold in their July 14 Strikeforce title bout, as the younger, rangier AKA product had his way for the majority of their 25-minute encounter. Rockhold’s next defense is still up in the air, but it does appear he’ll stay put in Strikeforce for the foreseeable future.

10. Brian Stann (12-4)

Still on the mend from a separated shoulder which took him out of a major bout with Hector Lombard, Stann has a fight to look forward to when he’s back in fighting shape. The “All-American” will tangle with Michael Bisping on Sept. 22, with each man looking to move up in the suddenly bustling middleweight division.

Other contenders:

Alan Belcher, Hector Lombard, Rousimar Palhares, Alexander Shlemenko, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

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