UFC Middleweight in 2017: How Long Can Bisping Keep The Belt?
The UFC’s middleweight division delivered one of the most surprising moments of 2016, resulting in Michael Bisping’s first title. How long the veteran can hold on to the belt will be the story of the 185-pound division this year.
Bisping’s knockout of former 185-pound champion Luke Rockhold was one of the several surprising moments in UFC title bouts last year. With belts changing hands on a regular basis in 2016, the Englishman has an impressive list of middleweight contenders knocking at his door. He’s already defended the title once and will have more opportunities to do so in 2017.
Leading the way is Yoel Romero. Since his knee connected with Chris Weidman’s skull at UFC 205, he’s taken his spot at the front of the line for a middleweight title shot. He’ll have to be patient, as Bisping is currently recovering from surgery. According to John Pollock, his recent knee surgery will keep him out until around May.
We’ll have plenty to keep us entertained at 185-pounds until Bisping and Romero fight for the belt. Two fights, in particular, will have an impact on the top-half of the middleweight rankings.
First, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Tim Boetsch will square off at UFC 208. A late addition to help boost a card in need of drawing power, Souza-Boetsch is a pretty confusing booking. Outside of getting Souza’s name on the card as a top-ranked middleweight and a known commodity among fight fans, the fight doesn’t do much for the division.
Souza is thankful for the opponent. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Souza said his intention is to stay active, although he was shooting for a top contender. Romero is inarguably the most deserving of a title shot, defeating Souza in December of 2015. But after rebounding with a win over Vitor Belfort last May, “Jacare” is the third-ranked middleweight in the division.
He was slated for a rematch with the number-two contender Luke Rockhold last November. Rockhold pulled out of their main event fight with Souza due to a knee injury. Rockhold hasn’t fought since losing the middleweight belt to Bisping last summer. He’s talked about taking on Jon Jones in a grappling match, but we’re still waiting for Rockhold’s Octagon return.
Instead, Boetsch gets an opportunity to jump back into the top-10 in a top-heavy division. Fighting three times in 2016, Boetsch earned back-to-back wins for the first time since early-to-mid 2012. Most recently defeating Rafael Natal at UFC 205 via first-round knockout, “The Barbarian” will need to be at his best to top Souza. The winner will have the spotlight in Brooklyn this February, with the likes of Bisping, Romero, and Rockhold waiting.
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Another couple of top-five middleweights are scheduled to face-off this year. Former champion Chris Weidman and the on-fire Gegard Mousasi were the first pairing announced for UFC 210. Taking place in Buffalo, New York, on April 8, the bout features a couple of fighters that could easily be wearing the belt by the end of the year.
Mousasi has won four fights in a row, all coming in 2016. After avenging his loss to Uriah Hall in November, Mousasi began calling for a top-tier opponent. He’s got his wish, and a motivated Weidman is as tough a test as any.
A win over the former champ puts Mousasi among the most deserving of a title shot in the division. Following Bisping-Romero this Spring/Summer, the winner of this bout could easily see themselves fighting for the belt.
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For Weidman, the road may be a bit tougher. Coming off of back-to-back losses, to Rockhold and Romero, Weidman needs a win. He recognized as much following his loss to Romero. Mousasi isn’t the easiest opponent to rebound against, but it’s hard to argue with the potential reward of a top-five victory in the UFC.
The middleweight division features a few matchups with fighters that have a lot to potentially gain in their victories, and Derek Brunson surprisingly joined the list earlier this month. Sprucing up a PPV card needing star-power, Brunson accepted a fight with the most dominant champion in the UFC history: Anderson Silva.
Another middleweight bout that seems a bit odd, and was likely made in order to bolster UFC 208’s draw, Silva-Brunson achieves its main goal. We’re more interested in the card, but only slightly.
Silva hasn’t won a fight since October of 2012. But, we’re seeing more of him inside the Octagon nowadays. His bout with Brunson will be his third in 12 months, his most active such span in more than three years. Brunson is coming off of a loss of his own but is 4-1 over the last two years, earning him a top-10 spot in the rankings.
Two more top-10 fighters are squaring off in the UFC Fortaleza main event on March 11. Vitor Belfort gets a home fight against newly-committed middleweight Kelvin Gastelum. The former light heavyweight champion lost both of his fights in 2016, losing via TKO to Souza and Mousasi. The losses came against tough opponents, and the road doesn’t get any easier with Gastelum.
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After issues making weight at 170-pounds, and looking stellar at 185, Gastelum looks to be extending his stay at middleweight. UFC President Dana White has been vocal about his displeasure with Gastelum’s efforts at welterweight. Given past performances, we’re siding with White.
Gastelum is 25-years-old, and fighting in the proper weight class is exactly what his career needs right now. He recorded an impressive victory over Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 and defeated Nate Marquardt at 185-pounds in June of 2015. With a win over Belfort, in Brazil, Gastelum’s rise in one of the most competitive divisions in the promotion will be a story to watch in 2017.
Johny Hendricks will be trying out middleweight as well this year. The former welterweight champion missed weight in his final two fights of 2016 and lost all three of his bouts last year. Without a tough weight cut, we’re hoping the “Bigg Rigg” of old returns to the Octagon.
He’ll get his chance against Hector Lombard, another veteran in need of a marquee win. Hendricks and Lombard will be the co-main event of the UFC Halifax card in February. Lombard is coming off of a couple losses of his own. He was defeated by Neil Magny at 170-pounds in March, before losing to Dan Henderson in his return to middleweight at UFC 199.
We’ll also be treated to “Smilin'” Sam Alvey in early-2017. One of the most active fighters in the UFC, Alvey went 3-1 last year and is currently on a three-fight win streak. He’ll face one of the toughest tests of his career at UFC Denver when he fights veteran Nate Marquardt.
Marquardt is another UFC middleweight needing a string of victories to jumpstart his run in the division. The Wyoming native hasn’t secured back-to-back wins in the UFC since 2009. Coming off of a second-round knockout of Tamdan McCrory in October, Marquardt is hoping to do just that to kick-off the year.
We’re waiting for the 2017 debuts of Robert Whittaker and Krzysztof Jotko, two middleweights primed for breakout runs this year. Whittaker has won six fights in a row, dating back to June of 2014. He was 2-0 last year, recording wins over Derek Brunson and Rafael Natal. Although currently injured according to Souza, Whittaker will have the attention of the entire 185-pound weight class upon his return.
Jotko has been on a similarly impressive run. Five consecutive victories, and his professional career featuring one loss highlight Jotko’s UFC stay. The Poland native was 2-0 last year, with his most recent win coming over Thales Leites in November. Although he’s never fought in the United States, we’re hoping for Jotko to make his debut stateside in 2017.
On the other end of the spectrum at middleweight are Uriah Hall and Leites. Hall has lost three fights in a row, including both of his bouts last year. While Leites recorded a win last year, he’s 1-3 in his last four fights, defeating Chris Camozzi last August.
A fighter we won’t be seeing in 2017 at middleweight, or any weight class for that matter, is Tim Kennedy. The Army veteran closed out his career as a fan-favorite at 18-6 following his loss to Gastelum at UFC 206. Although he didn’t go out exactly as he wanted, Kennedy isn’t done impacting MMA in a positive fashion.
Middleweight might be top-heavy, but the talent among the top-10 is undeniable. Bisping’s reign, Rockhold’s return, and Hendrick’s joining the division are all reasons middleweight will have our attention throughout 2017. There are several quality matchups already scheduled for the new year, and we see plenty more in the future this year.
