UFC on FX 8 featured three top 10 middleweights, and after their performances on Saturday night, there was a mild shake-up in the division.
No. 5 Luke Rockhold stepped inside the Octagon for the first time to battle No. 2 Vitor Belfort. The fight didn’t make it past the first round because Belfort pulled off an incredible KO. A spinning back kick leveled Rockhold, and The Phenom finished him off with heavy punches on the mat.
No. 8 Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza took on Chris Camozzi and made quick work of the young prospect. Once he took the fight to the ground, it was academic. Jacare locked in an arm-triangle and picked up an impressive debut victory.
The division has certainly heated up over the past year, and the inclusion of the Strikeforce middleweights has only deepened the talent pool. These are exciting times in the 185-pound division.
Here are the middleweight power rankings after UFC on FX 8.