“Middle” Stages: The Middleweight Contendership Picture Gets A Much-Needed Spotlight

By Raphael Garcia

The discussion about the toughest division in mixed martial arts usually comes down to a conversation about the lightweight and welterweight divisions. However, in the last few months we may have witnessed a shift, as the middleweight division has become increasingly tight. There has been a dominant champion at the top of the heap for a while, but below him, the movement and introduction of “new” names builds the intrigue at 185 pounds.

It’s very clear that Anderson Silva is the king of the middleweight division, and he has reigned as such since 2006. However, at 38 years of age, Silva will lose eventually. Either Chris Weidman, the next challenger, or Father Time himself will defeat Silva and remove him from the throne. And looking at the rest of the division, there are a number of athletes who would benefit from Silva moving on from the sport of mixed martial arts. The question is: which fighter is ready to make his attempt at living up to Silva’s legacy in the division?

Many believe that Weidman has the right mix of abilities to take the title from Anderson. A stout wrestler with a developing striking game, he seems to be the best candidate to implement the game plan — while also eliminating the mistakes — of Chael Sonnen when he challenged the champion at UFC 117 and UFC 148. However, the resume that Weidman has put together during his trek towards this title shot at UFC 162 does not contain the established names that it should, for so many to put so much stock in his chances.

This weekend’s fight between Vitor Belfort and Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC on FX 8 has a lot at stake when it comes to determining the next contender for the title. Even though Belfort was soundly defeated by Anderson back in 2011 at UFC 126, he’s been on quite a run since, and that has some wondering when the UFC will give him another shot. Rockhold, on the other hand, is making his promotional debut after reigning as the final Strikeforce middleweight champion. With a dominating win, the AKA standout can immediately call out the champion for a unification bout that would be completely justified at this point.

Below these two competitors, Costa Philippou and Ronaldo Souza are on the next tier of fighters who could become contenders to the title by the end of the year. Costa has put together a five-fight win streak, but an unfortunate injury pulled him out of this fight. One more solid win over a top contender and he should find himself in a title eliminator bout.

Souza, the man Rockhold defeated for his title, has looked impressive since dropping the title in 2011. While he hasn’t faced the stiffest of competition, he’s stopped three straight opponents leading up to his UFC debut, including a UFC veteran in Ed Herman in his last bout. We’ve seen how the UFC appreciates fighters who finish their bouts, so if he can do the same against Chris Camozzi this weekend, Souza may be one more key win away from a title opportunity.

On July 6th, Anderson Silva will defend his middleweight title against Chris Weidman. But this weekend will begin the race to decide who is going to emerge as the next challenger for Silva’s strap, should he come out on top. But no matter which way the contest goes, the 185-pound weight class may become the division to watch for the rest of 2013.

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UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold is due to take place on May 18, 2013 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil.

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