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1
- Anderson Silva
- "The Spider"
- 34-11-0, 1 NC
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Opinion of the masses points to Silva, 37, as the best mixed martial artist in history. His record and dominance support this claim. He is the closest of any champion to ever 'clean out' his division in convincing fashion, and has tasted victory at welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight. After one of the most memorable fights ever at UFC 117, Silva defeated expert wrestler Chael Sonnen in a rematch two years later to prove that his near loss to him at 117 was indeed due to not being 100%.
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2
- Chael Sonnen
- 30-17-1
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Chael Sonnen seemed to come out of nowhere as he came to dominate Anderson Silva at UFC 117, but he has long been capable of outstanding performance in the cage, having dominated many opponents including Paulo Filho, Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt, all dominantly. To prove that he still had his eyes set on Silva, Sonnen returned to finish Brian Stann and beat Michael Bisping. His wrestling and chin still as good as ever, Sonnen entered the cage at UFC 148 to face Silva in a rematch in what was the most highly-anticipated fight in UFC history, and even though he lost, his skill still sets him apart.
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3
- Chris Weidman
- "The All-American"
- 16-7-0
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4
- Vitor Belfort
- "The Phenom"
- 26-14-0, 1 NC
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Belfort has been a successful mixed martial artist since age 19, when he defeated Wanderlei Silva, and is still looking powerful today. His hands are the fastest in the division and his skills have yet to let up, allowing him to go 5-1 in his past six fights with 5 finishes and the lone loss coming at the hands of Anderson Silva. Belfort wants a rematch with Silva, but will likely have to wait and face at least one more fighter until he is even considered.
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5
- Michael Bisping
- "The Count"
- 30-9-0
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Michael Bisping has long been a formidable contender in the UFC. Light heavyweight contender Dan Henderson has been the only one to stop Bisping inside a cage, and Bisping himself has been involved in close bouts with Matt Hamill, Rashad Evans, and, most recently, Chael Sonnen. "The Count" is as close as ever to the title, and is therefore likely to be as hungry and impressive as ever.
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6
- Brian Stann
- "All American"
- 12-6-0
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The "All American" will look to build on his knockout of striker Alessio Sakara in his next bout. With power in both hands, Stann is capable of finishing almost any middleweight, but with considerable work to do on his ground game, it could be a while until Stann reaches title contention. This was made especially obvious in his one-sided loss to elite wrestler Chael Sonnen; however, it is clear from his other knockouts of Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago that he can impress.
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7
- Tim Boetsch
- "The Barbarian"
- 21-13-0
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8
- Mark Muñoz
- "The Filipino Wrecking Machine"
- 14-6-0
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Munoz's power and wrestling make him a danger to anyone at middleweight, and both have been on particularly impressive display lately. After losing a split decision to Yushin Okami in 2010, Munoz has rebounded with four straight wins, including one ground-heavy bout against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia and one TKO finish of the tough and well-rounded Chris Leben. Despite falling hard to prospect-turned-pro Weidman, Munoz is still relevant compared to other middleweights.
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9
- Alan Belcher
- "The Talent"
- 18-8-0
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Alan Belcher came back from injury to make a statement against extremely dangerous submission artist Rousimar Palhares, evading his signature heel hook over four minutes on the way to a TKO victory. These four minutes were nail-biting, as just about everyone who has been on the ground with "Toquinho" haven't gotten up, but Belcher managed to do so, sending a message that his jiu-jitsu top-notch. Looking at the past, Belcher has finished Jorge Santiago, Patrick Cote and Jason MacDonald, and looking at the future, Belcher is looking quite good.
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10
- Luke Rockhold
- 16-6-0
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The tall, durable Strikeforce champion Rockhold has looked great by winning eight straight fights, failing to finish only Ronaldo Souza, the former champ and noteworthy jiu-jitsu practitioner. By most recently finishing Keith Jardine in the first round, Rockhold proved he could take on a powerful and practiced foe and defeat him with ideal strategy and precise striking. Tim Kennedy, who will next face Rockhold, will not be an easy target, and the bout figures to bring out the best in both fighters.