Sometimes things just don’t go your way when picking MMA fights and Saturday was that example.

I was 1-3 in my Strikeforce picks, with my lone win being Josh Barnett choking out Sergei Kharitonov.

It was a great win for Barnett, who now advances to the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals against the surprise contender, Daniel Cormier.

Cormier, the Olympic wrestler, used his striking to topple Antonio Silva and advance to the finals. He landed a pair of big punches early in the fight, with the second one sending Silva to the ground. From there, Cormier finished the fight with a pair of big hammer fists.

Cormier has now propelled himself into the heavyweight spotlight and a battle with fellow wrestler, Josh Barnett, should make for an interesting championship.

Cormier may have the edge with his striking and wrestling ability. That could help him stay off his back against Barnett, who should have a submission edge on the relatively new fighter.

In the other two featured bouts, Luke Rockhold upset Ronaldo Souza to win the Strikeforce Middleweight title. I didn’t give Rockhold much respect entering the bout, but he grinded a nice win over Souza, using his striking and submission defense to keep the fight in his favor. Question is, does this give Rockhold a chance to move to the UFC for a unification bout? Or does he still not catch the eye of the UFC brass?

Muhammed Lawal returned to action by KO’ing unbeaten Roger Gracie. King Mo’s big right hands ended the fight in the first round and gave him one of his most impressive wins to date.

Here are my picks for the four bouts that will be featured on tonight’s Showtime card.

Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals – Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov – I think Barnett will be smart and handle Kharitonov similar to how he did Brett Rogers. Look for Barnett’s wrestling to eventually lead to a submission finish in the second or third round.

Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals – Antonio Silva vs. Daniel Cormier – Silva vs. Overeem would have been a bigger draw for Strikeforce, but now their champ is with the UFC. Still, Silva has shown some improving skills and I think he will be able to handle Cormier, who is still developing his skills. Cormier can wrestle, but Silva is stronger and should have better conditioning. I look for Silva to out-strike and out-grapple Cormier to earn a decision victory.

Strikeforce Middleweight Championship – Ronaldo Souza vs. Luke Rockhold – Rockhold is a nice little fighter, but Souza should have no trouble with him. The submission wizard should find a way to work his magic in this fight and force a tap. Rockhold hasn’t faced a lot of tough talent and is just proof that Strikeforce doesn’t have much of a middleweight division.

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Bout – Muhammed Lawal vs. Roger Gracie – King Mo hasn’t fought in over a year and young Roger Gracie is off to an impressive start to his career, submitting the likes of Trevor Prangley and Kevin Randleman. Lawal is going to want to keep this fight standing, but he has a strong wrestling background that may ultimately lead to his demise. I see the better-conditioned Gracie using his skills to get the fight to the ground and choking out the former Strikeforce champ.

Anderson Silva maintained his top spot in my top 10 middleweight rankings with his win on Saturday and it seems he has only one man that can truly pose a threat to his championship.

Here is a look at the top 10 in the 185-pound division in my eyes.

1. Anderson Silva (31-4) – Silva made Yushin Okami look like an amateur last Saturday and he has cemented himself as the best middleweight in UFC history. Next up for Silva will likely be a rematch of some kind, with either Chael Sonnen or Dan Henderson.

2. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen hasn’t competed since pushing Silva to the limit last fall, but he is scheduled to face Brian Stann at UFC 136 in early October. Sonnen appears to be the lone hope to dethrone Silva someday, but the champion still managed to submit Sonnen despite an injured rib and 20 minutes of pummeling.

3. Vitor Belfort (20-9) – Belfort showed his explosive ability in his quick knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. He still may have the fastest hands in the division, but he missed his opportunity when he faced Silva back in February. A few more wins for Belfort may get him another crack at the title.

4. Yushin Okami (26-6) – Okami also had his chance, but couldn’t find a way to make his fight with Silva a grappling one. He seemed to passive and allowed Silva to get comfortable on his feet, and that is always a losing combination. Okami has to go back to the drawing board, and will likely need a long winning streak to get another title fight.

5. Michael Bisping (21-3) – Bisping is going to face off with Mayhem Miller later this year for a chance to propel himself into title contention. Bisping is still looking for a marquee win in his career and he hasn’t been terribly impressive since his TKO win over Denis Kang back at UFC 105 in 2009. Bisping needs an emphatic victory over Miller to really be considered a title contender.

6. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2) – The Strikeforce Middleweight Champion is set to return to action next week against Luke Rockhold, who is good competition in the Strikeforce organization, but not a great opponent on the world stage. Someday, with Strikeforce slowly merging into the UFC, I would expect Souza to compete in the elite organization someday.

7. Brian Stann (11-3) – Stann faces his toughest test to date when he squares off with Chael Sonnen at UFC 136. Stann has established himself as a feared striker in the division with respectable grappling skills. In this fight, he will need to have tremendous takedown defense to keep the relentless Sonnen from getting top position.

8. Mark Munoz (11-2) – Munoz will take on Chris Leben at UFC 138 in the highest-profile fight of his career. Munoz is a grinder that has some big punching power without the technique. His strength is his wrestling, but he will mix it up with anyone. He should probably stick to the wrestling in his bout with Leben.

9. Chris Leben (22-7) – Leben breaks into my top 10 list after his impressive KO of Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132. Leben clearly has the striking power to beat anyone on this list, but lacks the grappling skills and pure boxing technique to really become a top 5 contender. His bout with Munoz will test how far his grappling has come and show if he is ready to make a serious run at the title.

10. Alan Belcher (16-6) – Alan Belcher will make his return to action in a couple weeks after an eye injury sidelined him for more than a year. Belcher was on his way to becoming a title contender before getting hurt. When he returns on Sept. 17, he will face off with Jason MacDonald, another UFC veteran. The long layoff will be something Belcher has to overcome, but a win over the submission specialist will be a nice start for his return.

The 185-pound weight class had some interesting developments over the last few months as Chael Sonnen has had his return to the UFC pushed back and one of the top fighters, Nate Marquardt, is moving down to 170 pounds.

Nonetheless, here is what the top 10 in this weight class looks like.

1. Anderson Silva (28-4) – Silva is not only No. 1 on this list, but also on my pound-for-pound list. I think he has a tough test ahead of him in Yushin Okami at UFC 134, as Silva has shown a weakness against big wrestlers. Still, many of Silva’s opponents show him too much respect, which plays right into his hands.

2. Yushin Okami (26-5) – I am moving Okami up to number two because Sonnen’s future is in question and he seems to be losing steam with each passing day. Okami has beaten many of the best in the UFC, but he now has a chance to face the very best in Silva. Okami is a grinder, and that is what will be the most dangerous opponent for Silva to face.

3. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen has a good skill set, but his mouth and his poor choices have caused him to have a questionable future. Despite the fact that he pushed Silva to his limit, Sonnen still was unable to come through with a win. Sonnen has a clear weakness against submission specialists, but he has easily handled some of the top fighters in this division.

4. Vitor Belfort (19-9) – Still with some of the very fastest hands in all of MMA, Belfort is dangerous for anyone. He looks to rebound from his KO loss to Silva by taking on Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. An impressive win over Akiyama could put Belfort on the fast track to another title fight.

5. Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) – The Axe Murderer ends his long layoff by taking on Chris Leben at UFC 132. Silva is still a fan favorite and a big favorite of UFC President Dana White. His willingness to get into wars in the cage makes him dangerous for any opponent, but it has also led to him having a weak chin over recent fights. He will need a strong chin against Leben in order to win.

6. Michael Bisping (21-3) – Bisping will once again be in the spotlight when he makes his second coaching appearance on The Ultimate Fighter for season 14 opposite Jason Miller. Bisping can move into the top 5 in the division if he is victorious when the two meet in the live season finale.

7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2) – The Strikeforce Middleweight Champion is set to return to action in September, but it will be against Luke Rockhold, a relative unknown in the MMA world. Souza looks to have the skills to compete with the best in the world, but hasn’t had to opportunity to show it as of yet. Perhaps he will be next in line to make the jump to the UFC.

8. Brian Stann (11-3) – Brian Stann makes his first appearance on this list thanks to his KO of Jorge Santiago last month. Stann is proving that he can go toe-to-toe with almost anyone in the division and come out on top. It will be interesting to see what is next for Stann, who deserves a chance to get into the top-5 picture of the UFC.

9. Mark Munoz (11-2) – Munoz also makes his first appearance on my rankings list as he is coming off a win over former top-10 middleweight, Demian Maia. While the decision was somewhat disputed, Munoz certainly didn’t disappoint in his effort. He has great heart and a tremendous wrestling base. He struggled at times with his striking against Maia, but he still overcame that to pull out a tough win.

10. Alan Belcher (16-6) – Alan Belcher will make his return to action this fall in the Bayou, which will be a nice shot in the arm for the UFC middleweight division, which is in need of some new contenders. Belcher was climbing his way up the 185-pound ladder before suffering a near career-ending eye injury. Hopefully Belcher get back to where he left off when he takes on Jason MacDonald.

Really, the field is Anderson Silva and everyone else.

Still, here is my take. If you need to go back and find my pound-for-pound, heavyweight, or light heavyweight rankings, click on the links.

1. Anderson Silva (28-4) – Silva is my top fighter in any weight class, let alone middleweight. “The Spider” is like an artist in the cage. He rarely throws a strike that doesn’t land and he doesn’t waste energy while fighting. Everything he does has a purpose and thought to it. Chael Sonnen may have found a small hole in his game with his takedown defense, but he still managed to submit Sonnen and then bounce back with a devastating front kick to Vitor Belfort in the first round of his last title defense. Up next is Yushin Okami, had poses the right skill set to give Silva problems.

2. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen is almost here by default. The other top guys in the group have either lost to him, or lost to someone that he has beaten. Sonnen is a grinder and a tremendous wrestler, but he has a clear weakness in his submission defense. Eight of his 11 losses have come by submission. Sonnen is also coming off a long layoff from a steroid suspension and legal issues. We will see if he can get back to being the fighter that nearly dethroned Silva.

3. Yushin Okami (26-5) – Okami is kind of like the Jon Fitch of the middleweight division. Okami is a very strong and physical fighter that gets the fight to the ground and doesn’t let his opponents get back on their feet. His lone losses in the octagon have been to Sonnen and Rich Franklin. He has beaten the likes of a lot of top contenders and will now get a rematch with Silva, who he beat by DQ in 2006.

4. Nate Marquardt (31-10-2) – As somewhat of a final tribute to his middleweight days, I am putting Marquardt at No. 4. He is making the move down to welterweight for his next fight, but he still is one of the top middleweights in MMA. Problem for Nate “The Great” is that he isn’t good enough to beat the elite in his weight class as he has losses to the top three guys on this list.

5. Vitor Belfort (19-9) – Belfort hasn’t been the most active fighter over the years, but his skills can’t be denied. He has some of the best boxing skills and the fastest hands in all of MMA. Belfort was just knocked out by the middleweight king pin, but that shouldn’t take away from his ability to beat everyone else.

6. Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) – Perhaps I am still clinging to what Silva used to be and giving him more credit than he deserves but he still is coming off a win over Michael Bisping, one of the top middleweights in the UFC. Silva nearly beat Rich Franklin in his fight prior to that and his hands are still some of the most dangerous in all of MMA. Silva will finally get back in action against Chris Leben at UFC 132, which gives him a chance to prove he can still contend in the division.

7. Michael Bisping (21-3) – Bisping is not well-liked, but you can’t deny he has some skills. Bisping is a walking oxymoron as he gets upset at people making fun of him, but he feels the need to talk trash himself. Bisping needs a big win in his next fight as the UFC is running out of patience with his attitude and his lackluster fights. Bisping is somewhat like Marquardt in the fact that I question that he can beat the elite fighters in the division.

8. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2) – I was tentative about putting Souza on this list, but he does have some impressive showings. He is the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, but that was a title that Jake Shields never lost, merely surrendered to move to the UFC. A win over Robbie Lawler is good and all, but I am not one that believes that Lawler is that impressive of a fighter anymore.

9. Demian Maia (14-2) – I am a big fan of Maia’s as I think his submission skills might be the best in MMA. If only he could develop some striking and wrestling ability, he might become a champion. Maia has proven he can submit some of the best in the division, but his weaknesses are too obvious to make him a legit threat to a fighter the caliber of Silva.

10. Alan Belcher (16-6) – It is easy to forget about Belcher, who hasn’t fought in nearly a year due to an eye injury, but prior to his departure, Belcher was working his way up the middleweight ladder. Belcher has lost some questionable fights to guys like Jason Day and Kendall Grove, but he also holds wins over other potential top-10 fighters like Jorge Santiago. It should be interesting to see how Belcher performs when he gets back to action.