There are 25 fighters currently on the UFC’s Heavyweight roster and this is the list that ranks them. This list is not going to be based on a “who beat whom three years ago” which ends up with the same top five fighters as everyone always see…
There are 25 fighters currently on the UFC’s Heavyweight roster and this is the list that ranks them.
This list is not going to be based on a “who beat whom three years ago” which ends up with the same top five fighters as everyone always sees.
I’m going to factor in every angle and include reasoning for each fighter’s rank. These rankings also do not reflect whom I think would win head-to-head in a matchup, for the most part.
So sit back, relax, break out that big tub of buttery popcorn, and get your fingers ready to type up some disagreement comments!
UFC 139 was originally rumored to serve as the pay-per-view event to house the heavyweight title bout between challenger Junior dos Santos and champion Cain Velasquez. However, as we have all learned earlier today, such is not the case and both men wil…
UFC 139 was originally rumored to serve as the pay-per-view event to house the heavyweight title bout between challenger Junior dos Santos and champion Cain Velasquez. However, as we have all learned earlier today, such is not the case and both men will instead take part in the organization’s first venture onto Fox.
UFC 139 takes place on Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cali., and though Velasquez, a product of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, would have been a huge local draw for the event, the promotion is currently underway in developing a respectable main event to take it’s place.
Several options exist, though limited they are, could still very well pull in a decent crowd to an always burgeoning hot bed for mixed martial arts action.
The HP has served home for many Strikeforce events and now that Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, has since purchased the organization, they will use all of their new tools at their disposal in order to open to a wider audience.
So, who can fill in these big shoes come this November?
The UFC announced today that it will be holding an impromptu media conference call tomorrow at 1:00 pm ET, during which Dana White is expected to make a “major announcement.” It didn’t take long for the UFC president to reveal via his favorite communication channel, Twitter, that the announcement will be the two main event combatants in the promotion’s inaugural show on Fox which will also feature a featherweight scrap between Dustin Poirier and Pablo Garza.
Some are hypothesizing that former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who was dropped by the promotion last month for what Zuffa termed as “an issue with his management team” Golden Glory, will make up half of the bout and that his opponent will either be Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin or Frank Mir.
The UFC announced today that it will be holding an impromptu media conference call tomorrow at 1:00 pm ET, during which Dana White is expected to make a “major announcement.” It didn’t take long for the UFC president to reveal via his favorite communication channel, Twitter, that the announcement will be the two main event combatants in the promotion’s inaugural show on Fox which will also feature a featherweight scrap between Dustin Poirier and Pablo Garza.
Some are hypothesizing that former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who was dropped by the promotion last month for what Zuffa termed as “an issue with his management team” Golden Glory, will make up half of the bout and that his opponent will either be Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin or Frank Mir.
Although Golden Glory head Bas Boon has since refuted the story, Overeem’s trainer Martijn de Jong’s latest tweet did little to quell rumors that “The Reem” is once again a Zuffa employee.
We will be on the call tomorrow, so check in for updated here and on Twitter and Facebook.
When he burst onto the UFC scene in June 2007, Brock Lesnar was met with serious skepticism from both fans and fellow fighters. A former pro wrestler, many critics did not believe he could make a successful transition to the sport as anything other tha…
When he burst onto the UFC scene in June 2007, Brock Lesnar was met with serious skepticism from both fans and fellow fighters. A former pro wrestler, many critics did not believe he could make a successful transition to the sport as anything other than a freak show like Kimbo Slice or Butterbean.
Fast-forward 17 months, and those critics were silenced as the former NCAA Division-I All-American was crowned the UFC heavyweight champion after defeating Randy Couture at UFC 91.
However, after two bouts with the debilitating disease diverticulitis, the former UFC champion has reportedly been told by more than one doctor that it would be unwise for him to return to fighting.
Though nothing has been made official, this news has to be not only crushing for the man himself, but also for the UFC, as Lesnar has proven to be unequaled by any other fighter as a pay-per-view draw.
Still, until we learn more facts surrounding the situation and receive confirmation on a retirement, Lesnar has to remain on the list of current elite-level heavyweights within the UFC.
That said, let’s take a closer look at where exactly he stands within the top five of the UFC heavyweight division.
As speculation continues to grow regarding Alistair Overeem and a possible deal with the UFC, it’s safe to say he won’t be out of any challengers should he make an appearance in the Octagon.And one of those challengers happens to be Frank Mir. In …
As speculation continues to grow regarding Alistair Overeem and a possible deal with the UFC, it’s safe to say he won’t be out of any challengers should he make an appearance in the Octagon.
And one of those challengers happens to be Frank Mir.
In an interview with MiddleEasy.com, Mir said he was interested in a potential bout with the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and believes it’d be a good opportunity to test his skills.
“I think he’s a great fighter,” Mir said.
“I think he’s done a lot in the sport, his K-1 accomplishments, and I think he is an immediate threat to come over and I would like to test myself against him.”
Mir is one of the most accomplished veterans in the UFC and holds an impressive resume to back up his credentials. He seems to hold far more interest in a bout against Overeem, as opposed to a rubber match against Brock Lesnar.
“If it works out, it works out. I just want to fight again, it doesn’t matter who,” he said in response to a third bout with Lesnar.
In fact, Mir said his previous hatred and obsession with the 265-pound Lesnar was merely for promotion and selling the fight.
While a bout between Mir and Overeem would be a better fight to watch, stylistically, it wouldn’t necessarily hold the same drawing power if it were against an opponent like Lesnar. The former WWE superstar is expected to return next year, and momentarily, a deal is still being negotiated between Overeem and the UFC.
Therefore, if Mir is looking to fight more consistently, then a rematch between him and Rodrigo Nogueira is a possibility.
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira impressed Saturday night, when he defied expectations by beating up-and-comer Brendan Schaub.What’s more, is he did it by brutal first-round knockout.Schaub was seen as a candidate for the top contender slot, and hi…
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira impressed Saturday night, when he defied expectations by beating up-and-comer Brendan Schaub.
What’s more, is he did it by brutal first-round knockout.
Schaub was seen as a candidate for the top contender slot, and his loss catapults Nogueira back into contender status.
In the UFC, Nogueira has actually performed fairly well. He won the interim heavyweight belt from Tim Sylvia, and he’s only lost to Mir and Velasquez, two top five fighters in the heavyweight division.
If the timing were different, a rematch with Mir would be the match to make. He was hugely injured going into the first fight, so a rematch after he has regained full health and scored a first-round knockout would be appealing.
Unfortunately, the timing doesn’t make that feasible.
Frank Mir is the closest heavyweight to a title shot after JDS right now, and a loss to Nogueira would confuse the title picture greatly.
Nogueira probably wouldn’t fight JDS, and was so recently knocked out by Velasquez that that fight would lack appeal.
But there’d be no other top heavyweights coming off a win and I’m sure Dana White and Joe Silva would try to avoid this scenario.
Instead, the UFC should give Nogueira a fight against someone who isn’t quite so close to a title shot. Brock Lesnar is the most likely possibility.
What the UFC shouldn’t do is put Nogueira in gatekeeper status. Frankly, he’s too good for it.
Before this most recent fight, most people would have Schaub ranked as the No. 6 heavyweight in the UFC, only behind the four horsemen and Frank Mir. He was probably going to get the next title shot, or at least be in a No.1 contender fight with Mir.
Nogueira just beat Schaub, took his place in the rankings, and is in a similar place that he was.
He isn’t primed for a title shot, but he’s a clear notch above most of the fighters below him. The hype surrounding him right now is as good as it has been in a while, and it would be foolish to waste him on lower-level heavyweights.
Overeem is expected to fight at UFC 140. As the former Strikefroce heavyweight champion, he could probably get to a title shot in just one UFC win. A top contender fight with Frank Mir makes the most sense.
Elsewhere in the division, Schaub would probably end up fighting Carwin, since they’re both coming off losses and neither can instantly ascend to contender status again.
I personally think that Big Nog’s victory helped improve the division. A loss for Schaub doesn’t wipe him out completely from the heavyweight picture, whereas that’s exactly what a loss for Nogueira would’ve done.
With his win, a name has been added to the list of heavyweight contenders.
Expect the next year to be a very interesting year for heavyweights. Velasquez and Dos Santos will have their fight, Overeem will make his entrance, Lesnar will make his return, and each contender will try to close the perceived gap in skill between the top two heavyweights and everyone else.
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira impressed Saturday night, when he defied expectations by beating up-and-comer Brendan Schaub.