The 411 MMA Top 5 01.25.10: Week 27 – Favorite Middleweights

Posted by Larry Csonka on 01.25.2010

From Dan Henderson, Jacare Souza and Wanderlei Silva to Anderson Silva, Nate Marquardt and Scott Smith, the 411 MMA writers decide their favorite middleweight fighters! Check out the full column to see which middleweights made the list and why!



Welcome:
Welcome back to the MMA Top 5! What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 MMA will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. At the end, based on where all of these topics rank on people's list, we will create an overall Top 5 list. It's highly non-official and final, like WAMMA.


And now…

411's FAVORITE MIDDLEWEIGHTS!


Dustin James

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Gegard Mousasi - Mousasi is one of the best and most exciting fighters to watch in MMA at the moment.

Matt Lindland - Lindland is one of the all-time greats in MMA. I'm a huge Team Quest homer so you can bet that I'm a HUGE Lindland fan!

Demian Maia - Having one of the best ground games in MMA will always get you bonus points from me.


5. Nate Marquardt - Marquardt is easily one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the middleweight division. The man is on a serious roll right now in the UFC following his dominant wins over the likes of Demian Maia and Martin Kampman. The Maia KO alone at UFC 102 made me a huge fan of his. I was at the show live and was almost able to catch Maia's head when it flew into the fourth row. Good times!

4. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza - If you are a fan of the grappling game in MMA, then it's almost a must that you worship the ground that "Jacare" walks on. Souza exploded onto the MMA scene in 2008 with wins over Jason Miller and Zelg Galesic and he hasn't slowed down since. Last month he made his Strikeforce debut after he tapped out the great Matt Lindland. It doesn't look like "Jacare" is going to slow down anytime soon.....

3. Ed Herman - Before you go blowing a gasket as to why I have Herman ranked this high, you should know that Herman is a friend of mine and seeing as I actually know him....of course I'm going to favor him! Not only is Ed a good guy, but he's a damn good fighter as well. He may be a little inconsistent, but it's enough to keep him employed by the UFC.

2. Dan Henderson - I mentioned before that I'm a huge Team Quest homer (seeing as I ranked Lindland, Hendo, and Herman....that shouldn't surprise you) and since Henderson is one of the biggest names associated with Team Quest, it shouldn't come as no shock that he's one of my favorite middleweight fighters. A man who hates Hendo is a man that I have no interest in meeting.

1. Anderson Silva - Well, this way easy. When you mention "favorite middleweight fighter in MMA", then I'm pretty sure 90% of America is going to have Anderson Silva at least in the top 3 of their respective lists. Silva has really made a huge name for himself the last few years. He's come in and completely manhandled the UFC's middleweight division. Up next....possibly owning the light heavyweight division. C'mon Spider, you can do it~!

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Samer Kadi

5. Jacaré Souza - I love submission specialists, and Jacaré happens to be one of the best. He's one of the premier grapplers in the world and a fantastic athlete to top it off. He has been able to make the transition to MMA rather easily and showed much improved striking in his last bout with Matt Lindland. While he has yet to face the true elite of the division, Jacaré is on his way to becoming one of the top middleweights in the world.

4. Nate Marquardt - "The Great" has truly evolved into one of the most well rounded fighters in the division. Throughout his career, Marquardt has always shown promise. And he was able to live up to the expectations as he earned a title shot at Anderson Silva. The fight proved a little too early for Nate, but he may soon get the opportunity to make amends for that first round knockout loss to "The Spider". Marquardt is a great wrestler, a third degree BJJ black belt, and his striking has looked like something out of a video game in his most recent bouts.

3. Demian Maia - Like I said, I love submission specialists. Maia is an absolute wizard on the ground. In fact, he may be the best submission artist in MMA (yeah I know about his three grappling matches with Souza). His triangle choke of Chael Sonnen was a thing of beauty. Maia first caught my attention with a violent submission of Ed Herman. He then followed it up with one of the most underrated fights in recent memory, as he put on a true grappling clinic with Jason Macdonald; a fight that Maia ultimately won by rear naked choke. His march towards the title has been derailed at the right hand of Nate Marquardt, but Maia is ready to get back in the mix next month as he takes on the always exciting Dan Miller.

2. Anderson Silva - I don't have a real emotional attachment when it comes to Anderson Silva, unlike say, Randy Couture. But the guy captivates me with sheer talent, skill, and artistry. If I have to watch just one fighter for the rest of my life, it would be Anderson Silva. Plain and simple, Silva is a master. His striking is the best in the history of MMA. Most fighters wouldn't even think of the things he's able to execute. His display against Forrest Griffin might just be the most breathtaking performance I have ever seen. As Joe Rogan so eloquently put it, Anderson Silva is just a ballet of violence.

1. Wanderlei Silva - Well the man has yet to fight at middleweight, but given his next scheduled with Michael Bisping, I think it's safe to count Wanderlei as a middleweight now. "The Axe Murderer" is easily in my top three favorite fighters of all time. He has the best nickname in MMA, the best staredowns, and quite possibly the most violent highlight reel of any fighter. His run of dominance in PRIDE is stuff of legend. He took part in what I consider the best MMA contest of all time in the second fight against Quinton Jackson, and finished it with one of the most brutal KO's ever. He may be past his prime, but Wanderlei Silva still garners one of the most loyal fan followings in MMA.

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Jonathan Solomon

5. Chris Leben - You look at Leben's nearly eight-year professional career and he has some big wins despite being in the middle of the UFC's division right now. He has wins over Patrick Cote, Mike Swick, Benji Radach, Terry Martin, Alessio Sakara and others. Then again, if it were simply for his fighting skill, he not still be a UFC fighter. He remains one of the most popular fighters because he was "that guy" on the original season of The Ultimate Fighter.

4. Frank Shamrock - Since 2006, "The Legend" has fought at middleweight (his last fight was a 179 catchweight) and despite his age and record during that run, he's still Frank Shamrock. He's not a stupid man, four of those five fights have taken place in San Jose, where he is beloved. He's one knockout away against Cung Le from remaining Strikeforce's middleweight champion. In that fight, although Le was battering him with kicks, Shamrock did land some big punches but ultimately his arm broke before he could mount a comeback. Shamrock may not be an elite contender right now, but he's never a boring fighter.

3. Scott Smith - What's not to like about the man with the undying hands? In 2009 alone, he pulled off two of the most amazing comeback knockouts of the year when he fought Benji Radach and Cung Le. He is simply a fun fighter to watch and an easy guy to root for. Plus, he's respectful of his opponents. Instead of quitting on his stool to end the fight in between rounds against Nick Diaz, he came out and wanted to end his night with a fight.

2. Jacare Souza - Souza now apparently has improved his striking skills which makes him a dangerous force in the cage or ring. He already was one of the top submission artists in the middleweight division and now he's making his way toward the Strikeforce middleweight championship. He just has to wait for things to settle between Jake Shields and Dan Henderson. Hopefully Souza won't have a roadblock in his career as he did in 2008 from a Gegard Mousasi kick. Plus, Souza trains with the Black House, so there is no telling how better of a fighter he'll be over time.

1. Anderson Silva - When you talk MMA middleweights, the spotlight is immediately on Silva. He's the best, period. Take away those two retched fights with Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, he has been downright criminal with destruction during his UFC run. Hell, Lee Murray pulled off the biggest bank heist in history after fighting (and losing to) Anderson Silva. There's something about The Spider, that 'it' factor. He made Forrest Griffin look like anything but a fighter and is on tap to fight his biggest challenger since Dan Henderson when he fights Vitor Belfort in a few months.

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Larry Csonka

5. Frank Shamrock: Frank Shamrock is a guy that may be on the down side of his career, but knows how to talk, how to hype a fight and does his best to entertain. I have also had the privilege to speak with Shamrock a few times over the last couple of years, and he has been extremely nice to me. I want to see Frank fight again, and soon.

4. Dan Henderson: Dan Henderson is a guy that is getting older, and also a guy some think wasn't worth anything after his less than stellar return to the UFC. But he lost to top guys, and ten made his comeback, which culminated with the UFC 100 KO of Michael Bisping. Henderson is fighting father time, and for now he is winning that fight. He is like Randy Couture in that you keep thinking that he will be done sooner rather than later, but then, he gives a performance that makes you want to cheer him.

3. Jacare de Souza: Jacare is just fun to watch. Awesome submissions, constantly improving, alligator mannerisms, just fun. I know that a lot of people didn't seem excited when Strikeforce was going to use him, but he made me want to see a Matt Lindland fight, so mission accomplished dude.

2. Jason Miller: Fancy entrances, wacky dancing, slap boxing and the willingness to fight monkeys in a cage are some of the things that make Jason Miller a joy to watch. Not the best fighter out there (no disrespect, he'd kill me), but entertaining as hell.

1. Scott Smith: Scott Smith is awesome. He will never be the top contender, he will never be the champion of a major company, but the guy does his job. He fights, and he fights hard. He takes an ass whooping and then, in real life Rocky fashion makes comebacks that defy logic. Scott Smith is a guy that loves to fight, and I love to watch him fifth. Hell, more importantly, he makes me want to pay for fights. Right now, the guy is easily my favorite middleweight going.

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Daniel Bonnizzio

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Jason Miller - Slap boxing.

Demian Maia - Maybe after some more training in the kick-dodge department, eh?


5. Vitor Belfort - If he were a little more established at 185, maybe higher, but eh. Maybe after UFC 112. Vitor only recently joined the middleweight ranks but he's certainly made a splash there. Being in one of the nastiest KO's of 2009 over Matt Lindland, showing he still has some of the fastest hands I have ever seen. He may be one of the only people I can think of who could beat Anderson Silva to the punch. Combine that with his sheer likeability and how nice he is and he is just great.

4. Kazushi Sakuraba - No Middleweight list would be complete without the IQ Wrestler, the Gracie Hunter, the Saku man himself. Widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters in history, Sakuraba has had some of the most memorable matches of all time. His catch wrestling prowess along with the sheer determination he brings to the ring is astounding and he'll keep fighting until he's swinging a stump in his opponent's general direction.

3. Anderson Silva - Had this list been asked to be made last year, I may have put him higher but that fact is that UFC 90 and 97 happened and approximately 3 minutes at UFC 101 doesn't change that. However, it does help to balance out that fact that the Spider is now 10-0 in the UFC and has some of the sickest highlight reel KOs to his name. Uppercut elbow, knee-knee-knee, pawing jab, he has it all.

2. Jacare de Souza - I would be lying if I said I liked Jacare for exclusively what he does inside the ring or cage. Jacare, as many know, is also a multiple-time world champion in BJJ and watching a few of his fights it shows. I recall catching a glimpse of him where all he did was pull guard, grab a kimura grip, adjust, then pull. Nothing else, just pure simplicity.

1. Dan Henderson - This may not be where he started or where he ends his career, but this is where Hendo gets to be the monster he should be. Hendo is known for his MASSIVE right hand and the vibronium plating that some refer to colloquially as his chin. Add onto that his highlight reel of knockouts including Wanderlei Silva, Akihiro Gono, and more recently the murder-death-kill of Michael Bisping. He can be cocky but doesn't let his mouth do any talking, he just swings in the ring and for that, he is the man.

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Jeremy Lambert

5. Dan Miller - "The Big Operation" as I've nicknamed him. I'm a fan of the Miller brothers because they're well-rounded scrappy fighters who just work hard. He's not flashy and he's almost an after-thought in the division but he's the type of guy who will fight anyone and make it a fight every time.

4. Dan Henderson - He's not always the most exciting fighter in the world but for a guy who's primarily a wrestler, he posses a highlight reel of great KO's. He's also not afraid to stand and trade with anyone, which sometimes gets him in trouble but leads to exciting moments. Although he doesn't have the most exciting personality, he has a subtle charisma about him that fans got to see and enjoy during TUF9.

3. Demian Maia - I'm always a fan of someone when they're the best in the world at what they do. To me, Maia is the best submission grappler in the division and one of the best submission grapplers in all of MMA. So maybe he's not so hot on the feet but he's magical on the ground. He's also a very humble and respectful person who wants to win without hurting his opponents.

2. Wanderlei Silva - He's yet to fight at Middleweight but Wanderlei Silva is one of my favorite no matter what division he competes at. His aggressive style and "knock out or be knocked out" mentality has led to some of the most exciting fights and KO's in MMA history. But what I like most about Silva is his sexy accent. From, "thanks my guys" to "I give my best", my heart melts every time Wanderlei speaks.

1. Anderson Silva - How can anyone hate a guy who makes goofy faces during introductions and then does cool celebrations when he wins? When the competition is right, he's the most exciting fighter in the world and when the competition isn't right he'll let everyone know how great he is by dancing around and punching his opponent in the knee. He's the best striker in MMA not only technically but also creatively and he's one of my favorite fighters to watch inside the Octagon.

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Jeffrey Harris

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Anderson Silva - If Silva showed up to fight every time instead of doing silly dance moves and falcon leg punches he'd probably make my top 5.

Demian Maia - Maia's BJJ is freaking amazing to watch, but he can't go into the cage with a mentality of not wanting to hurt his opponents. It cost him big time.


5. Jacare de Souza - Jacare been incredibly impressive and fun to watch as of late. His BJJ is impressive, and the dude just destroyed Matt Lindland. I look forward to him possibly fighting Jake Shields or perhaps even Mayhem again in Strikeforce.

4. Nate Marquardt - Despite having a couple lackluster debut, Marquardt's been on a freaking tear in the UFC, going 8-2, his only losses being to Anderson Silva in a title bout and Thales Leites in a controversial decision. Marquardt was not discouraged and honed his standup game even more viciously ending his last 3 bouts by knockout.

3. Chael Sonnen - Hang the Chael and Wail garbage. Sonnen's proven to be a tough worker and a solid fighter. No he might never win a title even though he was screwed out of the WEC Middleweight belt twice, but I always enjoy watching Chael fight. Witness him crushing the hopes and dreams of Okami fans who believed Okami was worthy of a title shot. Witness how he beat a top 15 middleweight Jim Miller in a do or die fight in the UFC. Sonnen has the fight of his life and career against Marquardt. Marquardt is sick no doubt, but also no doubt I will still root for the ultimate underdog in Chael.

2. Vitor Belfort - Belfort's been super impressive and had some super renewed vigor since dropping down to middleweight. His stand up has looked a lot crisper and he's been knocking guys out left and right though his last fight was a catchweight bout against former Middleweight Champion, Rich Franklin, who Belfort easily put down again. After winning 5 fights in a row, Belfort's finally got another title shot as well as a shot at redemption against Anderson Silva who's been looking nigh-unbeatable in the past two years.

1. Dan Henderson - Hendo is the only man in the history of history of MMA to simultaneously hold two belts in two separate weight classes. For that alone he deserves a lot of recognition. Hendo's proven to be a force and successful at two weight classes which is pretty freaking hard to do in this sport. At middleweight though, Hendo swept the three rounds of the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, reviewed by yours truly on this site, beating Ryo Chonan, Akihiro Gono, and Murilo Bustamanate (for a second time). While Hendo isn't great at finishing guys on the ground despite having world class wrestling and some good ground and pound, he's made up for it with his vicious knockout power and his patented overhand right. But Hendo's even proven if the right is broken, he can still knock you out with the left. Michael Bisping talked a lot of trash about Hendo being old and having crappy standup before he was on the receiving end on one of the best KO's of 2009 by Hendo.

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AND 411's 411's FAVORITE MIDDLEWEIGHTS ARE…




5. Scott Smith – 8pts.




4. Wanderlei Silva – 9pts.




3. Jacare Souza – 15pts.




2. Dan Henderson– 18pts.




1. Anderson Silva – 22pts.


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