Fightlines June Middleweight Graph

Misaki = Henderson
Lawler > Trigg > Miller > Lawler
Silva > Franklin > Okami > Silva
Gono > Mousasi > Kang > Gono
Leben > Cote > Day > Belcher > Starnes > Leben

If the first two FightLines graphs confused you, beware clicking the link.  The Middleweight entry takes the Heavyweight graph and puts it on steroids.  Fortunately, I don't have to submit a piss test to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

You probably notice the new colors.  A green fighter indicates being at the top of a path, while blue symbolizes the bottom of a path.  This should help readability in terms of clarity and should also shed some of the importance of simply being placed higher on the graph.

The middleweight FightLines graph does a really good job at highlighting the fractured nature of the division.  With 11 fighters at the top of separate paths, you have legitimate title contenders all around the globe.  While Anderson Silva may have cleaned out the UFC's 185 division, there are still numerous viable opponents waiting in the wings.

More after the break.

-I'm going to try and introduce some statistics that can be drawn from the FightLines graph over time.  For now, here are the Majority Leaders, based on the percentage of other fighters one is connected to via paths compared to the total fighters included.  Fighter below/above in parentheses.

1. Falaniko Vitale 61% (0/25)
2. Jeremy Horn 59% (1/23)
3. Andrei Semenov 51% (0/21)
T4. Anderson Silva 46% (19/0)
T4. Jorge Santiago 46% (3/16)

-Travis Lutter benefits greatly from the system's criteria.  First, his two losses of record are to the top guys in the division.  Second, a loss to Matt Lindland missed the cutoff by 2 months.  And three, his win over Patrick Cote opens up a pretty significant path.

-While his last opponent has been criticized for relying on past success, Matt Lindland has done absolutely nothing in the middleweight division for 3 years.  He has two victories by the FightLines critera which have led to a grand total of 3 fighters he has a path to.  From a style and skill perspective, a fight with Anderson Silva would present an interesting style matchup.  His results, however, leave him undeserving of a title shot.

-According to FightLines, the next title shot belongs to Yushin Okami.  Outside of the champion and Paulo Filho, he holds the most paths of anyone in green.  Other intriguing fights (judged by path dominance and distance away from each other) include Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Rich Franklin, Martin Kampmann vs. Gegard Mousasi, and Dan Henderson vs. Frank Trigg.