Once thought to be a weak, lackluster division serving as little more than an arena for the greatest fighter of all time to showcase his superiority, the UFC's middleweight class is suddenly deep and intriguing.
It hasn't just gone from "below-average" to "acceptable;" it's exceptional now.
After current champion Chris Weidman knocked out longtime king Anderson "The Spider" Silva at UFC 162, the division opened up, receiving new life and unleashing a stable of new contenders ready to work toward their shot at UFC gold.
While Weidman has defended his belt twice already (once in a rematch against Silva and once against Lyoto Machida at UFC 175), the division is loaded with contenders, each possessing a unique skill or style that could give the champ troubles.
Right now, the division is stacked, and No. 5-ranked middleweight Luke Rockhold posted a whimsical (but accurate) image to his Instagram page earlier today, summarizing the race to the top of the UFC's 185-pound mountain.
The image follows the UFC's official rankings to a certain degree: No. 2-ranked Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza leads the pack with No. 3 Machida, No. 5 Rockhold and No. 6 Yoel Romero trailing just behind him.
The No. 1 ranked middleweight (behind Weidman, of course), Silva, is characterized as Spider-Man as he fights through a rough-and-tough cartoon version of Nick Diaz.
Silva and Diaz will fight January 31 in the main event at UFC 183, and Silva has been promised another shot at the middleweight crown should he emerge victorious.
Absent from the image is No. 4-ranked Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort, who will face Weidman for the title at UFC 184 on February 28 in Los Angeles.
Souza and Romero will also fight on that card, while Rockhold and Machida are slated to scrap April 18 at UFC on Fox 15 in Newark, New Jersey.
Who do you see standing atop the middleweight class by the end of 2015? How many times will the title change hands?
Sound off, and we'll discuss this ever-evolving division.
