185LB · TOP 15
Men's rankings

Middleweight

The top 15 active men at 185 lb, ranked by how decisively they win, weighted for who they beat, and counting only what they have proven.

See the top 15How to read it

The shape of the division

Each dot is a ranked fighter on this division's scale. Peaks show where the division bunches up; gaps show where one fighter has pulled clear.

10points between No. 1 and No. 2
238points between No. 1 and No. 15
No. 3Where the UFC champion ranks: Sean Strickland
1. Dricus Du Plessis, 19192. Khamzat Chimaev, 19093. Sean Strickland, 18664. Nassourdine Imavov, 18425. Brendan Allen, 18266. Robert Whittaker, 17677. Caio Borralho, 17578. Gregory Rodrigues, 17369. Joe Pyfer, 171910. Ikram Aliskerov, 170611. Michael Page, 170512. Anthony Hernandez, 170013. Israel Adesanya, 169714. Reinier de Ridder, 169215. Jared Cannonier, 1680

What the numbers mean

Every fighter starts at 1500 with a wide margin of error, so before a first fight their published rating sits near 1150. It climbs as results prove them. The marks below are this division's own landmarks.

The top 15

As of 2 November 2026, Dricus Du Plessis is No. 1 at UFC middleweight on the Dominance Index, with a rating of 1919, ahead of Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland.

Tap a fighter for their full profile. The dot is the published rating, the level they have proven; the fading trail is the range the numbers still allow. Arrows show moves since UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan. † Fewer than five UFC fights at this weight.

  1. 1 Dricus Du Plessis10–1 at 185 lbW1Lost to No. 2 Khamzat Chimaev in Aug 2025; ranked on the full record at 185 lb 11at weight 6 of 10dominant wins 1919
  2. 2 Khamzat Chimaev5–1 at 185 lbL1Lost to No. 3 Sean Strickland in May 2026; ranked on the full record at 185 lb 6at weight 3 of 5dominant wins 1909
  3. 3 Sean Strickland11–4 at 185 lbChampW2 15at weight 5 of 11dominant wins 1866
  4. 4 Nassourdine Imavov9–1 at 185 lbW5 10at weight 4 of 9dominant wins 1842
  5. 5 Brendan Allen15–3 at 185 lbW4 18at weight 9 of 15dominant wins 1826
  6. 6 Robert Whittaker14–5 at 185 lbW1Lost to No. 14 Reinier de Ridder in Jul 2025; ranked on the full record at 185 lb 19at weight 5 of 14dominant wins 1767
  7. 7 Caio Borralho8–1 at 185 lbW1 9at weight 3 of 8dominant wins 1757
  8. 8 Gregory Rodrigues11–3 at 185 lbW4 14at weight 8 of 11dominant wins 1736
  9. 9 Joe Pyfer7–1 at 185 lbW4 8at weight 6 of 7dominant wins 1719
  10. 10 Ikram Aliskerov5–1 at 185 lbW3 6at weight 3 of 5dominant wins 1706
  11. 11 Michael Page†3–0 at 185 lbW4 3at weight 0 of 3dominant wins 1705
  12. 12 Anthony Hernandez9–4 at 185 lbL2 13at weight 7 of 9dominant wins 1700
  13. 13 Israel Adesanya13–5 at 185 lbL4 18at weight 5 of 13dominant wins 1697
  14. 14 Reinier de Ridder4–2 at 185 lbW1Last fought at light heavyweight: beat Roman Dolidze, Aug 2026. This rating covers 185 lb only 6at weight 3 of 4dominant wins 1692
  15. 15 Jared Cannonier8–6 at 185 lbL2 14at weight 5 of 8dominant wins 1680

Last updated: Monday 2 November 2026. Includes UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan, 31 Oct 2026. Boards update weekly.

Ranks 16 to 30
  1. 16Christian Leroy Duncan1661
  2. 17Abus Magomedov1656
  3. 18Yousri Belgaroui1646
  4. 19Bo Nickal1632
  5. 20Shara Magomedov1624
  6. 21Paulo Costa1621
  7. 22Roman Dolidze1609
  8. 23Roman Kopylov1602
  9. 24Jack Hermansson1600
  10. 25Edmen Shahbazyan1598
  11. 26Ismail Naurdiev1566
  12. 27Nursulton Ruziboev1556
  13. 28Vicente Luque1555
  14. 29Marvin Vettori1554
  15. 30Damian Pinas1545

How middleweight fights end

671 decisive bouts at 185 lb since 2015, set against the UFC as a whole.

58%Finished inside the distanceUFC-wide 51%
48%Of finishes come in round oneUFC-wide 49%
19%Of decisions are splitUFC-wide 20%
40% KO/TKO18% submission42% decision

How to read the board

Four things worth knowing before you argue about the order. The full method has the rest.

The rating

Every fighter has a best estimate and a margin of error. The number we publish is the low end of that range: the level they have already proven.

More fights at the weight tighten the range. A long layoff loosens it.

How you win matters

A finish moves a rating more than a dominant decision, and a dominant decision more than a split. Method, control time and strike differential set the scale.

Every result is also weighed against the opponent's rating going in.

Who makes the list

Anyone who has fought in the UFC in the last 18 months and has at least one UFC win at the weight. A † means fewer than five fights there, so the rating can still move a long way.

Change weight and your rating comes with you, with a wider margin of error, until results at the new weight confirm it.

Why a win can lower a rating

Every fight carries an expectation. Edge past a much lower-rated opponent on the cards and the margin falls short of it, so the rating can dip. It happens in about one win in a hundred.

The reverse is true too: a close loss to a far better fighter can nudge a rating up.