UFC Heavyweight Power Rankings

The UFC’s heavyweight division is still missing many of the world’s top contenders.

The UFC 100 rematch between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar will be the definition of the word “huge,” and this bout will set the stage for the ultimate argument: Does the belt mean anything if the UFC can’t get Fedor Emelianenko to challenge the winner? Emelianenko is the consensus pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA, and his unwillingness to sign with the UFC leaves that promotion with a gaping hole in the most important division in fighting.

Betus.com says this is way the top heavyweights in the UFC shake out:

1. Frank Mir (12-3)

Mir punished Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their interim title bout and showed up in the best shape of his life with a crisp new standup attack to complement his dangerous jiu-jitsu game.

Lesnar calls Mir’s belt “fake” which is interesting since Mir has already defeated Lesnar. Their rivalry will continue on July 11th in a must-see UFC 100 bout.

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1)

Nogueira looked downright awful against Mir but he deserves this spot until we see further proof of the age and attrition-related degeneration that many people suspect.

It should also be noted that he had a staph infection going into that fight. Nogueira will have a chance at redemption when he takes on Randy Couture at UFC 102.

3. Brock Lesnar (3-1)

Lesnar still has much to prove and much to learn but all it takes is one punch or one takedown for him to gain the upper hand in any fight and that’s what makes him so dangerous.

His win over Randy Couture was nice but it should be noted that he had approximately a 50-60 pound weight advantage by the time fight night came around.

4. Shane Carwin (11-0)

Brock Lesnar without anywhere near the same level of hype. Carwin has the same massive frame and massive hands plus he showed an incredible chin when he shrugged off a point blank shot from Gabriel Gonzaga and then knocked him out at UFC 96.

5. Cain Velazquez (6-0)

The next generation of heavyweight stars is here and Velazquez along with Shane Carwin are two big reasons why. He dominated Cheick Kongo with his wrestling and ground striking skills in their UFC 99 bout and it’s neck-and-neck between him and Carwin for the right to be called the UFC’s next big star at the heavyweight level.

Junior Dos Santos (8-1)

His stunning knockout of Fabricio Wedrum cost Werdum a title shot, and Dos Santos followed that win up with a TKO of Stefan Struve. He has some of the fastest hands in the division and a rapidly improving ground game to go with it.

For the most part, I’m in agreement here, but I would rank Dos Santos well within the top five and likely move Velasquez out. He dominated Kongo, but he seems to lack the skills and punching power to finish fights, and for a heavyweight, that’s a serious deficiency.

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