In combat sports, the heavyweight division can often be the most prestigious among the many weight classes. In the UFC and MMA, it promises huge knockout potential from some of the most powerful fighters in the sport.
One of the reasons many say boxing is dying is because of the lack of a substantial heavyweight division. The Klitschko brothers have their classes on lockdown, and the division is not what it was years ago. For a while, the UFC was starting to look like it was topped off by a lackluster division.
For almost a couple years, the HW division in the UFC was looking grim. The biggest draw that helped it survive was the inclusion of WWE star, Brock Lesnar. Lesnar’s draw alone can push the MMA and UFC product further than most, which is exactly what happened.
Then came 2011.
With the purchasing of Strikeforce, combined with HW fighters developing and progressing, the UFC’s HW division has started to become much more exciting. Guys like Alistair Overeem fighting Lesnar is a great harmony of business and sport.
With the Grand Prix contenders potentially being UFC fighters, the curiosity and anxiousness are already in play.
Attributing to the growing media attention of the other heavyweight fighters, the allure of the once-invincible Fedor Emelianenko has started to wear off, thus drawing the focus elsewhere.
Similarly, if Anderson Silva were to disappear from his division, the other fighters at 185 pounds would look a lot better and be seen more by the public.
With fighters like Pat Barry, Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione, Stefan Struve and others, more HW fighters are starting to make names for themselves. Guys like Kongo have been around, but their success is coming more recently now, teamed up with everything else going on in the division.
The most significant part of the division’s comeback will be UFC’s debut on FOX. Airing on Saturday, it is a free championship bout in the UFC heavyweight division and will mark a huge point in MMA history.
Current champion Cain Velasquez will be defending his title and undefeated record against excellent power striker, Junior Dos Santos.
Having a championship fight not on a PPV event is rare for the UFC. But with this major broadcasting station at the helm, the payback will be astronomical.
This will be a fight to introduce countless people to the sport, making the UFC brand more mainstream as well. MMA is still a growing sport, but this is a huge leap forward.
Since this event is headlined by (and only broadcasting) the heavyweight title fight, the HW’s will be getting massive amounts of exposure they did not have before.
With guys like Frank Mir, Nogueira, Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Overeem and all the potential guys from Strikeforce, the heavyweight division is now running strong again.
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