In 2000, the New Jersey Athletic Control Board started regulating mixed martial, arts instituting stricter rules and more weight classes. The UFC added the new divisions, including middleweight, starting with UFC 31 back in 2001.
For the better part of a decade, Anderson Silva has lorded over the UFC’s middleweight division.
However, prior to “The Spider’s” domination, there were four other men who had the distinct honor of holding the middleweight title.
These fighters have all made an indelible impression on the landscape of the middleweight division.
This is a list chronicling the defining moment of each champ’s career. These are the moments that not only epitomize the fighters’ determination, but also their warrior spirit.