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By Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor Top 10 Middleweights
1. Anderson Silva
2. Yushin Okami
3. Michael Bisping
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Robbie Lawler
6. Demian Maia
7. Matt Lindland
8. Chris Leben
9. Patrick Cote
10. Thales Leites
Honorable Mention- Jeremy Horn
Anderson Silva at number 1 is pretty much a no-brainer. No explanation is needed there. I put Yushin Okami at number 2 because the only guys he's lost to in the past 4 years are Jake Shields and Rich Franklin. No shame there. And truthfully, there's not a lot of depth in the Middleweight division so you can't be choosy as to who makes the grade. You can't go wrong with Okami, though.
Michael Bisping is number 3 for me. Bisping looked great in his fight with Chris Leben. If it had been another fighter he would have knocked the guy out. Bisping still hasn't realized his full potential, in my opinion. Nate Marquardt comes in at number 4. Marquardt's ground game is excellent and his striking is improving. I rank Marquardt above Thales Leites even though Leites beat Marquardt because it was a split decision that Marquardt only lost because he got deducted 2 points for infractions I didn't agree with. I have Leites at number 10 because he's getting better but I don't think he's fought enough high-level guys to justify putting him higher.
Robbie Lawler is at number 5. He's beaten Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, and Frank Trigg in his last 3 wins. I was tempted to go higher than number 5 for Lawler but I think he's a good fit where he is. Demian Maia at number 6 might be a bit of a reach but I think he has the potential to rise even higher than that. His ground game is outstanding and if he cultivates good striking and takedown ability he'll be a force for a while.
Matt Lindland at number 7 might be a case of me believing too much in Lindland. His only 2 losses in the past 4 years have been to Quinton Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko, both outside of his weight class and both highly ranked fighters. Lindland is one of those guys that'll beat you if you don't train your butt off in preparation. Chris Leben comes in at number 8 because of his unpredictability. He's had some great wars and moments but he's also had some disappointing performances inside the Octagon. Couple that with his DUI arrest and failed drug test and I can't give him a higher ranking.
Patrick Cote is number 9. If he comes back and goes on a tear he'll climb the ranks again. Basically this list is Anderson Silva at number 1 and a bunch of other guys after that. The rankings following Silva can change quickly.
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