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UFC Middleweight Division: What’s To Come In 2016?

As the year draws to a close, let’s take a look at the state of the UFC’s roster, and what we can expect in the upcoming months. Today, we’re going to be looking at the UFC Middleweight division (185lbs).

At UFC 194, Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman fought in a gruelling back-and-forth display, before the then-champion Weidman threw an ill-timed spinning back kick and Rockhold made the fight (and title) his own. After that fight, we went into detail on what might be next for the new Middleweight champion, who’s certainly not short of options.

On the same night that the title changed hands, Yoel Romero beat Jacare Souza in what was billed as a title eliminator. The fight was a hard fought one, but both men didn’t come away looking spectacular, meaning the next step for the title is a murky one.  And, as usual, Vitor Belfort isn’t far away in the discussion either.

Rockhold and Belfort have a long-lasting rivalry, stemming from when the new champion made his UFC debut and was promptly head-kicked into oblivion by a TRT-fuelled Belfort.

Since the title victory, Rockhold has made it clear that he would enjoy a fight with Belfort to get revenge for that loss and to prove that it was the TRT that made a difference. On merit alone, it’s hard to make a case for a Vitor title shot, as his last victory was against an aged Dan Henderson in a fight that made both men look slower and older than before.

It’s yet to be seen whether it’ll be Romero or Belfort that gets awarded the title nod, but whoever it is, expect Rockhold to be the favourite.

Rounding out the top five in the Middleweight division is Lyoto Machida, who’s recently lost two in a row. The Brazilian veteran has started to look slower and more hittable in his most recent appearances, the most recent of which was a vicious loss to Romero in June of this year.

It’s likely that we’ve seen the last of Machida as a title contender, as the years of fighting seems to have caught up with him. It was announced recently that he was set to face Tim Kennedy (#6), who had conflicting obligations and turned down the fight. That would have been a fight that perhaps a few years ago, Machida would have been the favourite. Judging on his recent performances however, if that fight takes place, mark Kennedy as a likely winner.

Elsewhere in the division, things have taken an upturn as it’s recently been announced that Michael Bisping will be facing Anderson Silva in London on February 27th. The fight is a long time in the making, and one that Bisping’s wanted for years. It comes at the best possible time, with the 40-year-old Silva looking less than his former self in his last few appearances and Bisping still attempting to break through to the next level that shall have him rewarded with a title shot.

It must be said, however, that the Englishman lost to Luke Rockhold recently, in what was a fairly one-sided affair. It’s unlikely that he’ll be rewarded a rematch in the near future.

In the midst of all this is ex-champion Chris Weidman. Still good enough to defeat the vast majority of the division, if he isn’t given an instant title rematch, it’s unknown who he’ll be put against. A fight with Souza would probably be the most likely of options or, if he preferred to take some time off, a bout with a victorious Bisping wouldn’t be out of the question.

The truth is that with the exception of Rockhold and Weidman, the Middleweight division is mostly made up of fighters beginning to age and, with the USADA era upon us, 2016 could be the year we start to see veterans drop in ability and fade away from the spotlight.

Predictions for 2016: Rockhold beats Belfort in his next fight, and will have a rematch with Weidman by the end of the year.

Written by Oscar Stephens-Willis

Oscar is a journalist from London, currently residing in Seattle. He has had work published by NBC News, The Central Circuit and The Voyager.

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