It has been populated by all-time greats, blue-chip prospects, shopworn journeyman, oversized welterweights, undersized light heavyweights, gatekeepers and flashes in the pan. What the middleweight division lacks in terms of quantity it makes up for with quality, and it starts at the top.
Murilo Bustamante, Evan Tanner, Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva are among those who have carried the torch at 185 pounds in the Ultimate Fighting Championship; Dan Henderson ruled Pride Fighting Championships; Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo Souza manned the post in Strikeforce; Hector Lombard and Alexander Shlemenko shouldered the load in Bellator MMA; Nate Marquardt and Ricardo Almeida rose to power in Pancrase; and Robbie Lawler flew the flag in EliteXC.