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411 Middleweight MMA Rankings: Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori, More
411’s Official MMA Rankings
Middleweight Division (185 pounds)
1) Israel Adesanya (21-1)
Birthday: July 22, 1989
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Marvin Vettori – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 263 – June 12, 2021
– vs. Jan Blachowicz – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 259 – March 6, 2021
– vs. Paulo Costa – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 253 – September 19, 2020
– vs. Yoel Romero – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 248 – March 7, 2020
– vs. Robert Whittaker – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC 243 – October 6, 2019
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
2) Robert Whittaker (23-5)
Height: 6′
Birthday: December 20, 1990
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – April 17, 2021
– vs. Jared Cannonier – Win via decision (unaninmous) – UFC 254 – October 24, 2020
– vs. Darren Till – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – July 25, 2020
– vs. Israel Adesanya – Loss via KO (strikes) – UFC 243 – October 6, 2019
– vs. Yoel Romero – Win via decision (split) – UFC 225 – June 9, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
3) Marvin Vettori (18-5-1)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: September 20, 1993
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Paulo Costa – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – October 23, 2021
– vs. Israel Adesanya – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 263 – June 12, 2021
– vs. Kevin Holland – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ABC – April 10, 2021
– vs. Jack Hermansson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – December 5, 2020
– vs. Karl Roberson – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC on ESPN – June 13, 2020
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
4) Jared Cannonier (14-5)
Height: 5’11
Birthday: March 3, 1984
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – August 21, 2021
– vs. Robert Whittaker – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 254 – October 24, 2020
– vs. Jack Hermansson – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – September 28, 2019
– vs. Anderson Silva – Win via TKO (leg kick) – UFC 237 – May 11, 2019
– vs. David Branch – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 230 – November 3, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Derek Brunson – UFC 270 – January 22, 2022
5) Derek Brunson (23-7)
Height: 6’1
Birthday: January 4, 1984
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Darren Till – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night – September 4, 2021
– vs. Kevin Holland – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – March 20, 2021
– vs. Edmen Shahbazyan – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – August 1, 2020
– vs. Ian Heinisch – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 241 – August 17, 2019
– vs. Elias Theodorou – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – May 4, 2019
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Jared Cannonier – UFC 270 – January 22, 2022
Comment: If Adesanya does end up fighting Whittaker by the spring, a win for Brunson at UFC 270 could/should mean he’s the next number one contender. It would be his luck if he ends up in a title eliminator with Vettori but the availability of various middleweights may play a role in the arrangement of Adesanya’s challengers.
6) Paulo Costa (13-2)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: April 21, 1991
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Marvin Vettori – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – October 23, 2021
– vs. Israel Adesanya – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC 253 – September 19, 2020
– vs. Yoel Romero – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 241 – August 17, 2019
– vs. Uriah Hall – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 226 – July 7, 2018
– vs. Johny Hendricks – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 217 – November 4, 2017
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
Comment: Nonsensically, Costa forced all dialogue leading up to and following his fight on Saturday to be about his weight. He made no bones about the fact that he was not going to make weight (he weighed 211 pounds Wednesday, two days prior to weigh-ins). Both men came in officially south of 205 pounds in what was a light heavyweight fight. Costa was breathing heavy, something we did not see when he was in a war with Yoel Romero in 2019. There were some strikes from the Brazilian that if they had landed, perhaps would have knocked out Vettori. However, they did not and Marvin dictated the pace of the fight for most of the five rounds and won the unanimous decision. Much of the bloom is off the rose with Paulo Costa considering he was one of the hottest fighters in the UFC following the Romero win in the summer of 2019. Since then, he was quickly knocked out by Adesanya and didn’t bother to make weight in his return fight. He blamed a bicep tear in training camp, you can give him the benefit of the doubt, unlike Vettori who called BS.
7) Gegard Mousasi (48-7-2)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: August 1, 1985
Currently Fighting With: Bellator MMA
Last 5 fights:
– vs. John Salter – Win via TKO (strikes) – Bellator MMA – August 13, 2021
– vs. Douglas Lima – Win via decision (unanimous) – Bellator MMA – October 29, 2020
– vs. Lyoto Machida – Win via decision (split) – Bellator MMA – September 28, 2019
– vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. – Loss via decision (unanimous) – Bellator MMA – June 22, 2019
– vs. Rory MacDonald – Win via TKO (strikes) – Bellator 206 – September 29, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
8) Sean Strickland (24-3)
Height: 6’1
Birthday: February 27, 1991
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Uriah Hall – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – July 31, 2021
– vs. Krzysztof Jotko – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – May 1, 2021
– vs. Brendan Allen – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – November 14, 2020
– vs. Jack Marshman – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – October 31, 2020
– vs. Nordine Taleb – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – October 27, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Luke Rockhold – UFC 268 – November 6, 2021
9) Jack Hermansson (22-6)
Height: 6’1
Birthday: June 10, 1988
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Edmen Shahbazyan – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 262 – May 15, 2021
– vs. Marin Vettori – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – December 5, 2020
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via submission (heel hook) – UFC Fight Night – July 18, 2020
– vs. Jared Cannonier – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – September 28, 2019
– vs. Jacare Souza – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – April 27, 2019
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
10) Kelvin Gastelum (16-8, 1 NC)
Height: 5’9
Birthday: October 24, 1991
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Jared Cannonier – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – August 21, 2021
– vs. Robert Whittaker – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – April 17, 2021
– vs. Ian Heinisch – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 258 – February 19, 2021
– vs. Jack Hermansson – Loss via submission (heel hook) – UFC Fight Night – July 18, 2020
– vs. Darren Till – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
11) Uriah Hall (17-10)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: July 31, 1984
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Sean Strickland – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – July 31, 2021
– vs. Chris Weidman – Win via TKO (broken leg) – UFC 261 – April 24, 2021
– vs. Anderson Silva – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – October 31, 2020
– vs. Antonio Carlos Jr. – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – September 14, 2019
– vs. Bevon Lewis – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC 232 – December 29, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
12) Brad Tavares (19-6)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: December 21, 1987
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Omari Akhmedov – Win via decision (split) – UFC 264 – July 10, 2021
– vs. Antonio Carlos Jr. – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 257 – January 23, 2021
– vs. Edmen Shahbazyan – Loss via KO (head kick) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019
– vs. Israel Adesanya – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC TUF 27 Finale – July 6, 2018
– vs. Krzysztof Jotko – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC on Fox – April 14, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Brendan Allen – UFC on ESPN – December 4, 2021
13) Brendan Allen (17-4)
Height: 6’2
Birthday: December 28, 1995
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Punahele Soriano – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – July 24, 2021
– vs. Karl Roberson – Win via submission (ankle lock) – UFC 261 – April 24, 2021
– vs. Sean Strickland – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – November 14, 2020
– vs. Kyle Daukaus – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – June 27, 2020
– vs. Tom Breese – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – February 29, 2020
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Brad Tavares – UFC on ESPN – December 4, 2021
14) Darren Till (18-4-1)
Height: 6’0
Birthday: December 24, 1992
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Derek Brunson – Loss via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC Fight Night – September 4, 2021
– vs. Robert Whittaker – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC on ESPN – July 25, 2020
– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via decision (split) – UFC 244 – November 2, 2019
– vs. Jorge Masvidal – Loss via KO (punch) – UFC Fight Night – March 16, 2019
– vs. Tyron Woodley – Loss via submission (D’Arce choke) – UFC 228 – September 8, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
15) Yoel Romero (13-6)
Height: 5’10
Birthday: April 30, 1977
Currently Fighting With: Bellator MMA
Last 5 fights:
– vs. Phil Davis – Loss via decision (split) – Bellator 266 – September 18, 2021
– vs. Israel Adesanya – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 248 – March 7, 2020
– vs. Paulo Costa – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 241 – August 17, 2019
– vs. Robert Whittaker – Loss via decision (split) – UFC 225 – June 9, 2018
– vs. Luke Rockhold – Win via KO (strikes) – UFC 221 – February 11, 2018
Next scheduled appearance:
– Unknown
