UFC Heavyweight Power Rankings For August
Results at UFC 102 Won’t Rearrange the UFC Heavyweight Division Much
The UFC’s heavyweight division is still missing many of the world’s top contenders, but the guys on hand are a tough lot and sure to make their mark as time marches on.
The UFC 100 rematch between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar was the definition of the word “huge,” and that bout 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.
Here’s our take on how the heavyweights in the UFC shake out:
1. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
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.
His win over Mir? As far as the UFC Heavyweights are concerned, there’s nothing left to argue about. Lesnar is on top of the heap and the idea that Carwin can change that is unlikely at best.
2. 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.
Carwin gets his shot, but we don’t think he’ll like the results much…
3. 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.
He’ll have to wait for his shot at the title, and he might just have caught a break when Carwin jumped the line ahead of him to fight Lesnar.
4. 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.
I rank Dos Santos well within the top five and likely – at some point – to 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.
5. Randy Couture (16-9)
Couture’s performance against “Big Nog” will go a long way toward cementing his legacy this Saturday at UFC 102. It’s our contention that “The Natural” will take this fight – but he’s still got a long way to go if he wants to compete with a young giant like Lesnar.
HM
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.
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