State of The UFC Middleweight Division
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The month of February has been extremely pivotal in the progression of the UFC middleweight division. Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his title by dominating Sean Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312. Superstar Israel Adesanya recently suffered an emphatic second-round knockout loss to France’s Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia. Also, Jared Cannonier recently headlined UFC Fight Night 251 where he defeated the Gregory Rodrigues.
The Reigning Champion
Dricus Du Plessis is the reigning and defending undisputed UFC middleweight champion. He has become one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the entire promotion. Holding a professional record of 23-2-0, the South African has looked better in every fight. Du Plessis is now 9-0 in the UFC, six of those being stoppages. He recently defended his title against top contender Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in a lopsided rematch. The champion wanted to silence critics after many fans believed Strickland had been unfairly robbed on the judges’ scorecards in the first meeting.
With two title defenses now under his belt, UFC President Dana White has started to speak about future matchups. He named Khamzat Chimaev as the expected next challenger for Du Plessis.
Elite Contenders
The UFC middleweight division is in good shape, with a few fresh faces in title talks. Top contenders include Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev, and Nassourdine Imavov. You even have Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Caio Borralho. They all sit just below the reigning champion, Dricus Du Plessis.
Nassourdine Imavov
No. 1-ranked Imavov, 28, has a bright future. He is coming off a highlight-reel second-round knockout over former champion Israel Adesanya. He is now riding a four-fight win streak. The young French fighter has defeated names like Brendan Allen, Jared Cannonier, and Roman Dolidze. Imavov has likely earned himself the spot of weighing in as the backup for the upcoming Du Plessis vs. Chimaev title fight. GBut, gven aligning trajectories and recent victories, a potential title-eliminator between Imavov and No. 6-ranked Caio Borralho might be on the cards later this year.
Sean Strickland
No. 2-ranked Strickland, 33, is coming off a one-sided unanimous decision loss to defending champion at UFC 312. The former champion is 4-2 in his last six fights, with both losses at the hands of Du Plessis. Arguably the UFC’s most controversial personality, the American fighter will likely stay in big fights. The promotion supports this as he scours the rest of the division. Some pundits have speculated a potential rematch with Israel Adesanya could be next.
Khamzat Chimaev
No. 3-ranked Chimaev, 30, reigns undefeated as a professional. Chimaev holds a jaw-dropping record of 14-0-0. He has conquered big names like Robert Whittaker, Kamaru Usman, Kevin Holland, and Gilbert Burns. He last fought against Whittaker at UFC 308, securing a dominant first-round submission victory. According to UFC President Dana White, Chimaev is now in place to challenge for the belt next.
Israel Adesanya
No. 4-ranked Adesanya, 35, now finds himself in uncharted territory as a professional. The long-time former champion is on a three-fight losing streak and is 1-4 in his last five fights. He most recently experienced a shocking second-round knockout loss to Imavov on February 1. Many fans believe that Adesanya should now contemplate retirement. However, he seems to think otherwise and has shifted his sights to fighting again soon.
Robert Whittaker
No. 5-ranked Whittaker, 34, sits awkwardly within the division’s ranks. His latest fight was arguably the worst of his career. He faced undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, where he suffered a first-round submission defeat. Now 3-3 in his last six appearances, the former champion has come up short against Chimaev, Du Plessis, and Adesanya. With all three of those names ranked ahead, he must likely fight backward. Whittaker might take on Strickland, since it is a new matchup and both are coming off losses.
Caio Borralho
No. 6-ranked Borralho has just one loss as a professional. This single loss came in his second pro fight back in 2015. Since then, the well-rounded Brazilian has gone on an insane run of 16-0-0, 1NC. He holds a UFC record of 7-0. His most notable wins have come over Jared Cannonier, Paul Craig, and Abus Magomedov. He most recently fought Cannonier in August 2024, where he delivered an impressive unanimous decision victory performance. He has no fight scheduled as of now. But, many fans assume he and Imavov will clash in a title eliminator bout sometime this year.
Middle of the Pack
Jared Cannonier, Marvin Vettori, Brendan Allen, Roman Dolidze, and Paulo Costa are wedged amid the top fifteen ranks. These middleweights are in an interesting position as their trajectory is heavily swayed by wins and losses. Many of the names listed have already challenged for a title against former champion Israel Adesanya.
Jared Cannonier
No. 7-ranked Cannonier, 40, is the oldest-ranked middleweight. He experienced back-to-back losses in 2024 at the hands of Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho. On a two-fight skid, Cannonier recently defeated unranked Gregory Rodrigues via fourth-round TKO on February 15. This emphatic finish will surely keep the former title challenger afloat in the middle of the division’s rankings.
Marvin Vettori
No. 8-ranked Vettori, 31, finds himself in limbo. The former title challenger is 3-3 in his last six fights. He has fought the likes of Adesanya, Costa, Cannonier, Whittaker, and Dolidze. He most recently fought Jared Cannonier in the main event of a fight night in June 2023 and ended up battered throughout five grueling rounds. Vettori is now scheduled to face Dolidze in a rematch just two years after their initial fight. The Italian got the better of Dolidze over three rounds, which led to a unanimous decision.
Brandon Allen
No. 9-ranked Allen, 29, looks to bounce back after a disappointing unanimous decision loss against Nassourdine Imavov in September 2024. The well-rounded American holds an eye-catching UFC record of 12-3-0. His only losses have come at the hands of Sean Strickland, Chris Curtis, and Imavov. He is scheduled to face No. 12-ranked Anthony Hernandez on February 22.
Roman Dolidze
No. 10-ranked Dolidze, 36, has returned to his winning ways as he now rides a two-fight win streak. Dolidze secured back-to-back wins over Kevin Holland and Anthony Smith at light heavyweight. His last loss came at the hands of Imavov via a majority decision back on February 3, 2024. Dolidze is now scheduled to rematch Vettori on March 15.
Paulo Costa
No. 11-ranked Costa, 33, was relatively active in 2024 as he fought the division’s best, Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker. Losing via split decision to Strickland and unanimous decision to Whittaker, the Brazilian marauder desperately needs a win. He has struggled to find a rhythm inside the cage. This all began after his devastating second-round TKO loss to Adesanya in September 2020. Costa is not currently scheduled to fight. But, a potential fight with No. 14-ranked Roman Kopylov makes sense for both fighters.
Fringe Contenders
The UFC’s middleweight division has welcomed promising names to the top fifteen rankings. Budding contenders like Anthony Hernandez, Michel Pereira, Roman Kopylov, and Bo Nickal sit at the bottom. But, they’ll aim to rise in the division and face the best talent the UFC has to offer in 2025.
Anthony Hernandez
No. 12-ranked Hernandez, 31, is on an impressive six-fight win streak. He has defeated the likes of fellow contenders Michel Pereira and Roman Kopylov. Hernandez likes to drown his opponents with his pace and constant offense. He tends to secure takedowns, patiently working his way into dominant positions, and threaten submissions. The talented grappler takes on No. 9-ranked Brendan Allen in the UFC Fight Night 252 co-main event on February 22.
Michel Pereira
No. 13-ranked Pereira, 31, is 8-1 in his last nine fights. The unorthodox striker uses unethical techniques and approaches to his fights inside the cage. The Brazilian uses explosive spinning attacks to keep his opponents guessing and in constant danger. He last fought Anthony Hernandez on October 19, 2024, and suffered a fifth-round TKO loss to the relentless grappler. Pereira is scheduled to take on Abus Magomedov on April 26.
Roman Kopylov
No. 14-ranked Kopylov, 32, possesses a fan-friendly style as he consistently looks to score knockouts on the feet. He recently fought Chris Curtis on January 11, where he delivered a buzzer-beater head kick knockout to secure the victory. The Russian striker is 6-1 in his last seven fights, five of those wins coming via stoppage. Kopylov is currently without a scheduled upcoming bout. One potential matchup that makes sense is against No. 11-ranked Paulo Costa.
Bo Nickal
No. 15-ranked Nickal, 29, is undefeated as a professional with a record of 7-0-0. He is 4-0 inside the UFC, and with three finishes, Nickal is expected to take on more formidable challenges. The highly-decorated collegiate wrestler last appeared at UFC 309. He defeated former light heavyweight Paul Craig via unanimous decision over three rounds. Many fans remain skeptical about Nickal’s legitimacy as a contender. Pundits also question his abilities after the lackluster performance against Craig.
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