Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Through the month of July, the 185-pound division has lived up to its namesake, being right in the middle of things.

Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen’s July 7 rematch in Las Vegas was one of the biggest bouts in the sport’s history, and when the bright lights were on, “The Spider” triumphed once more. After enduring another round of Sonnen’s top-position grappling, Silva sprang to life and put Sonnen away to reclaim his spot atop the 185-pound division and vanquish his true rival again.

Four days later, Chris Weidman did more than just “announce his arrival” or another trite cliché, as the middleweight prospect rocketed into UFC title contention by turning Mark Munoz into a bloody mess in San Jose, Calif., on July 11. Weidman’s crushing knockout of Munoz has already got folks talking about the Team Serra-Longo product as “the guy” to face Anderson Silva, and fighters like Vitor Belfort calling him out publicly.

Just three days later, up the coastline in Portland, Ore., Luke Rockhold put his well-roundedness on display by outkicking and outgrappling sturdy veteran Tim Kennedy to successfully defend his Strikeforce middleweight title and maintain his spot in these very rankings.

Not all has gone to according to plan at 185 pounds, however: former Bellator middleweight champion and prized free agent Hector Lombard made his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, and underwhelmed in a split decision loss to Tim Boetsch. However, one man’s loss is another man’s gain, as Boetsch, now 4-0 at 185 pounds, is suddenly a heavy hitter in the division.

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