How these rankings work
We fit one strength rating per fighter from every UFC fight, and older fights count for less (a fight loses half its weight every three years). We rank on the cautious end of that rating, strength minus one unit of uncertainty, so a short record has to show more before it climbs. To appear in the top 15 a fighter needs a win over a ranked opponent, and to sit in the top five a win over a then-top-10 opponent. Read the full method.
Our data: 5th, behind 4 of the contenders below · 18-7 in the UFC, 6-2 since 2023; 15 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Khamzat Chimaev (champion at Middleweight, 2026) and Anthony Hernandez (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2026)
How to read it. The bar under each name is the plausible strength range; the white tick is our best estimate, and we rank on the left end. A wide bar means thin evidence. provisional entries are ranked where the numbers put them, and the label says the evidence is thin. The arrows show how many places we rank him above (▲) or below (▼) each list; gold means a gap of 3 places or more against the UFC's official rank.
- 1Official #3 ▲2
Why #1: 9-2 in the UFC, 5-1 since 2023; 10 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Israel Adesanya (then-#2 at Middleweight, 2025) and Jared Cannonier (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2024); 5-fight win streak; inactive: no decided bout in 13 months
Best wins: Israel Adesanya (then-#2 at Middleweight, 2025); Jared Cannonier (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2024); Caio Borralho (then-#7 at Middleweight, 2025)
Score 1.363Range 1.363 to 3.044 - 2Official #2 =
Why #2: 10-1 in the UFC, 6-1 since 2023; 11 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Sean Strickland (champion at Middleweight, 2024) and Israel Adesanya (then-#2 at Middleweight, 2024)
Best wins: Sean Strickland (champion at Middleweight, 2024); Israel Adesanya (then-#2 at Middleweight, 2024)
Score 1.330Range 1.330 to 2.886 - 3Official #1 ▼2
Why #3: 9-1 in the UFC, 3-1 since 2023; 6 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Dricus Du Plessis (champion at Middleweight, 2025) and Robert Whittaker (then-#3 at Middleweight, 2024); lost last fight to Sean Strickland
Best wins: Dricus Du Plessis (champion at Middleweight, 2025); Robert Whittaker (then-#3 at Middleweight, 2024)
Score 1.254Range 1.254 to 3.101 - 4Official #4 =
Why #4: 16-4 in the UFC, 8-2 since 2023; 18 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Reinier de Ridder (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2025) and Christian Leroy Duncan (then-#10 at Middleweight, 2026); 4-fight win streak
Best wins: Reinier de Ridder (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2025); Christian Leroy Duncan (then-#10 at Middleweight, 2026); Marvin Vettori (then-#10 at Middleweight, 2025)
Score 1.154Range 1.154 to 2.520 - 5Official: unranked
Why #5: 5-1 in the UFC, 5-1 since 2023; 3 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Jared Cannonier (then-#8 at Middleweight, 2025) and Shara Magomedov (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2025); 4-fight win streak
Best wins: Jared Cannonier (then-#8 at Middleweight, 2025); Shara Magomedov (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2025)
Score 0.989Range 0.989 to 2.869 - 6Official #7 ▲1
Why #6: 11-3 in the UFC, 7-2 since 2023; 14 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Anthony Hernandez (then-#6 at Middleweight, 2026) and Brunno Ferreira (then-#15 at Middleweight, 2026); 4-fight win streak
Best wins: Anthony Hernandez (then-#6 at Middleweight, 2026); Brunno Ferreira (then-#15 at Middleweight, 2026)
Score 0.891Range 0.891 to 2.334 - 7Official #5 ▼2
Why #7: 8-1 in the UFC, 5-1 since 2023; 9 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Jared Cannonier (then-#5 at Middleweight, 2024) and Reinier de Ridder (then-#8 at Middleweight, 2026)
Best wins: Jared Cannonier (then-#5 at Middleweight, 2024); Reinier de Ridder (then-#8 at Middleweight, 2026); Paul Craig (then-#13 at Middleweight, 2024)
Score 0.833Range 0.833 to 2.497 - 8Official #6 ▼2
Why #8: 7-1 in the UFC, 6-1 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Israel Adesanya (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2026) and Abus Magomedov (then-FightIQ #15 at Middleweight, 2025); 4-fight win streak
Best wins: Israel Adesanya (then-#4 at Middleweight, 2026); Abus Magomedov (then-FightIQ #15 at Middleweight, 2025)
Score 0.642Range 0.642 to 2.342 - 9Official #8 ▼1
Why #9: 9-4 in the UFC, 5-2 since 2023; 13 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Roman Dolidze (then-#9 at Middleweight, 2025) and Brendan Allen (then-#9 at Middleweight, 2025); lost last fight to Gregory Rodrigues
Best wins: Roman Dolidze (then-#9 at Middleweight, 2025); Brendan Allen (then-#9 at Middleweight, 2025); Michel Pereira (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2024)
Score 0.475Range 0.475 to 1.845 - 10Official #13 ▲3
Why #10: 5-1 in the UFC, 5-1 since 2023; 6 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #14 at Middleweight, 2026); 3-fight win streak
Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 3 places higher than the UFC does (#13). Our data credits his best win, Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #14 at Middleweight, 2026); he has 6 UFC fights at this weight.
Best wins: Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #14 at Middleweight, 2026)
Score 0.380Range 0.380 to 2.149 - 11Official #15 ▲4
Why #11: 6-1 in the UFC, 6-1 since 2023; 7 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Bruno Silva (then-FightIQ #14 at Middleweight, 2023)
Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 4 places higher than the UFC does (#15). Our data credits his best win, Bruno Silva (then-FightIQ #14 at Middleweight, 2023); he has 7 UFC fights at this weight.
Best wins: Bruno Silva (then-FightIQ #14 at Middleweight, 2023)
Score 0.379Range 0.379 to 2.251 - 12Official #10 ▼2
Why #12: 8-3 in the UFC, 8-3 since 2023; 11 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Jared Cannonier (then-#10 at Middleweight, 2026) and Roman Dolidze (then-#11 at Middleweight, 2026); lost last fight to Brendan Allen
Best wins: Jared Cannonier (then-#10 at Middleweight, 2026); Roman Dolidze (then-#11 at Middleweight, 2026)
Score 0.346Range 0.346 to 1.776 - 13Official #12 ▼1
Why #13: 5-3 in the UFC, 4-3 since 2023; 8 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Michel Pereira (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2025) and Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #13 at Middleweight, 2024)
Best wins: Michel Pereira (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2025); Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #13 at Middleweight, 2024)
Score 0.124Range 0.124 to 1.746 - 14Official: unranked
Why #14: 10-6 in the UFC, 5-3 since 2023; 16 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #15 at Middleweight, 2026)
Best wins: Brunno Ferreira (then-FightIQ #15 at Middleweight, 2026)
Score -0.027Range -0.027 to 1.413 - 15Official: unranked
Why #15: 6-5 in the UFC, 6-5 since 2023; 11 UFC fights at Middleweight; best wins Marvin Vettori (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2025); lost last fight to Edmen Shahbazyan
Best wins: Marvin Vettori (then-#14 at Middleweight, 2025)
Score -0.210Range -0.210 to 1.165
Official ranks: UFC official rankings. Meta ranks: Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com.
In their top 15, not in ours
- Israel Adesanya · UFC official rankings #9 · Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com #9
no win in the last 3 years over an opponent then ranked at Middleweight - Jared Cannonier · UFC official rankings #11
no win in the last 3 years over an opponent then ranked at Middleweight - Bo Nickal · UFC official rankings #14 · Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com #12
no win in the last 3 years over an opponent then ranked at Middleweight - Roman Kopylov · Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com #14
no win in the last 3 years over an opponent then ranked at Middleweight
- Our rankings as of
- Results through
- UFC official rankings as of
- Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com as of
- Who can be ranked
- at least 3 decided UFC bouts, a UFC bout in the last 18 months, and not listed as Retired or Not Fighting on the fighter's UFC.com athlete page