Ranking The UFC's Middleweight Division

You're here to analyze the current state of one of the most exciting and competitive weight divisions in the sport of mixed martial arts, the UFC middleweight division.

The Men's Middleweight Division highlighted in the Men's UFC Weight Classes chart. Middleweight fighters weigh in at less than 185 pounds.
The Middleweight Division is for fighters weighing no more than 185 lbs. © Martial Nerd | Use with license only | martialnerd.com/licensing

This division is home to some of the most talented fighters on the planet who put on thrilling and high-level fights that leave fans (like us) on the edge of our seats. Whether you're a casual fan or a die-hard MMA enthusiast, we've got you covered with the latest updates on the top 15 ranked fighters.

Here are the dynamic and ever-changing UFC Middleweight Rankings.

Current Top 15 Middleweight Fighters

Custom Championship belt icon.Current Champion - Dricus Du Plessis
#1 - Nassourdine Imavov
#2 - Sean Strickland
#3 - Khamzat Chimaev
#4 - Israel Adesanya
#5 - Reinier De Ridder
#6 - Caio Borralho
#7 - Robert Whittaker
#8 - Jared Cannonier
#9 - Roman Dolidze
#10 - Anthony Hernandez
#11 - Brendan Allen
#12 - Paulo Costa
#13 - Marvin Vettori
#14 - Abus Magomedov
#15 - Roman Kopylov
*This information will be updated as the rankings shift in 2025.

Current UFC Middleweight Champion - Dricus Du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis is a South African professional mixed martial artist. At UFC 297, Du Plessis defeated former Middleweight champion, Sean Strickland.

Du Plessis' split decision victory over Sean Strickland earned him the Championship belt after just 7 professional fights in the UFC. Du Plessis faced off against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 to defend his Championship title for the first time since becoming Middleweight champ.

Then, after Du Plessis fought (and defeated) Sean Strickland for the second time in their careers, Dricus solidified his status as the reigning Middleweight champ. Watch the Dricus Du Plessis backstage interview after retaining his title at UFC 312 below.

Now, Du Plessis is on an 11-win fight streak. As fans, we wonder - will Khamzat Chimaev be the one to take the belt from Dricus?

#1 Middleweight Fighter - Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov fought in the UFC for the first time back in 2020 and has consistently proven that he's here to stay. Imavov fought Jared Cannonier in June 2024 and won by TKO.

Then Imamov defeated Brendan Allen in September 2024, winning by unanimous decision. After fighting Israel Adesanya (and winning by KO) at UFC Fight Night Adesanya vs Imavov in February 2025, "The Sniper" has earned a professional record of 16 wins and 4 losses.

#2 Middleweight Fighter - Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland has been fighting with the UFC since his debut in 2014. His unorthodox style both in and outside of the Octagon has earned him a large following of both fans and critics.

Strickland won his fight against Paulo Costa by a controversial split decision at UFC 302. This was followed up by a loss when Strickland challenged Du Plessis for the Middleweight Championship title at UFC 312, losing by unanimous decision. Strickland's professional record now sits at 29 wins and 7 losses.

#3 Middleweight Fighter - Khamzat Chimaev

At UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Robert Whittaker by face crank submission. Chimaev was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus for his victory.

Chimaev has gone toe-to-toe with some of the most recognizable fighters in the division including Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Kevin Holland, winning each of his bouts against all three. Khamzat now has a professional MMA record of 14 wins and 0 losses.

Nassourdine Imavov, but came up short after being knocked out in Round 2. As of now, Adesanya has a professional MMA record of 24 wins and 5 losses.

#5 Middleweight Fighter - Reinier De Ridder

Reinier De Ridder, or RDR, already has a staggering 13 wins by submission. After securing a decisive TKO by knees victory against Bo Nickal in May 2025, RDR came back a few months later to fight longtime UFC Middleweight, Robert Whittaker.

De Ridder won the 5-Round battle by split decision. This raised his professional MMA record to 21 wins and 2 losses.

#6 Middleweight Fighter - Caio Barralho

Caio Barralho fought on Dana White's Contender Series back in 2021, winning both of his fights. In August 2024, Barralho faced off against Jared Cannonier, with Barralho winning by unanimous decision after 5 rounds.

Barralho has a current professional MMA record of 17 wins and 1 loss.

#7 Middleweight Fighter - Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. Whittaker has competed in the Middleweight division since December 2012, and has established himself as a fairly consistent contender over the years.

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Whittaker has earned 26 victories and a UFC Championship title, back in July 2017. In October 2024, Whittaker shared a photo of his broken bottom teeth on social media after losing his fight with Khamzat Chimaev.

At UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder in July 2025, Whittaker suffered his ninth professional loss to Reinier De Ridder.

#8 Middleweight Fighter - Jared Cannonier

Jared Cannonier is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently holds the number 8 slot in the UFC Middleweight Rankings. Cannonier has competed in the UFC since his debut back in January 2015.

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Cannonier is known for competing in (and winning) fights in 3 different weight divisions including Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight. In February 2025, Cannonier defeated Gregory Robocop Rodrigues by TKO in the beginning of Round 4. It was rightfully awarded the Fight of the Night.

#9 Middleweight Fighter - Roman Dolidze

Since his UFC debut in 2020, Roman Dolidze has been awarded 3 Performance of the Night bonuses. After Dolidze moved up a weight class (one time) at Light Heavyweight to fight Anthony Smith, the Georgian fighter proved he has depth.

Since defeating Smith, Dolidze has moved into the Top 10 Middleweight rankings and increased his professional record to 15 wins and 3 losses. Dolidze won his most recent fight against Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2, with Dolidze winning by unanimous decision by the end of Round 5.

#10 Middleweight Fighter - Anthony Hernandez

Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez won his most recent fight against Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song in February 2025. This was Hernandez's second time fighting Allen, as their first fight together took place back in January 2018 at an LFA (Legacy Fighting Alliance) event.

Since signing his contract with the UFC, Hernandez has won 8 of his 10 fights. As of now, Hernandez has a professional MMA record of 14 wins and 2 losses.

Check for Updates After UFC 319

Since the UFC promotes fights on a regular basis, this list will change as rankings continue to shift and update, so come back after the next fight card to stay in the loop! UFC 319 will feature a Middleweight Championship fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. In other words, it's a fight card you won't want to miss!