MMA Rankings > MMA Heavyweight Rankings
MMA Heavyweight Rankings
A review and ranking of MMA Heavyweights - January 2011 Update
With former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar losing last fall and Fedor Emelianenko in late June 2010, the MMA Heavyweight Rankings did indeed shift significantly. Fedor was continuously spoken of as the best pound for pound fighter in MMA, but his loss to Fabricio Werdum drops him down significantly on this list. As always, these rankings have had plenty of opportunities to move around with several great heavyweight match-ups scheduled and rumored in the coming months of 2011 that can impact the heavyweight rankings.
 |
Brock Lesnar escapsed a 1st round flurry from Shane Carwin (pictured) but was upset by Cain Velasquez at UFC 121. |
1. Cain Velasquez (9-0) – After a victory in Strikeforce and Bodog Fight, American Kickboxing Academy trainee Cain Velasquez climbed the ladder until overtaking Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 121 this past October. It was initially thought that he would fight Junior dos Santos for the title; he instead will be out for an extended period of time due to a major shoulder injury.
2. Brock Lesnar (5-2) – Lesnar began his MMA dream in 2007 and after one victory for K-1, he joined the world’s elite in the UFC. The Minnesota-based fighter claimed the Heavyweight title after only three octagon appearances. He has proven that not many in the division are able to handle his strength and power. He will coach against Junior Dos Santos on the 13th season of TUF and meet the #1 contender in June, rumored to be on the UFC 131 fight card.
3. Alistair Overeem (34-11-1) – An eleven-year MMA veteran, Overeem is a veteran of several notable organizations like Strikeforce, PRIDE, K-1 and DREAM. Won Strikeforce Heavyweight Title in November 2007 victory over Paul Buentello and hasn’t looked back since. “The Demolition Man” is currently on a 10-fight unbeaten streak and will face Fabricio Werdum this spring in a quarterfinal bout in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament.
4. Fedor Emelianenko (32-2, 1 NC) – “The Last Emperor” is truly one of the best Heavyweight’s of all-time, however has lost some of his legacy lately because of inactivity. Fedor turned pro in May 2000 and became PRIDE Champion four years later. He put on some of his best performances in PRIDE with victories over the likes of Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Marc Coleman. Had a 27-fight unbeaten streak snapped in June with a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum. Will fight Antonio Big Foot Silva in a February Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal bout.
5. Junior dos Santos (12-1) – Junior dos Santos turned pro in 2006 and after winning 6 of 7 in Brazil, he signed with the UFC in 2008. Dos Santos has won six UFC bouts in a row to earn a #1 contender position with the company. He has defeated Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Roy Nelson throughout his career. He will be one of the coaches on TUF 13 and will fight opposite coach Brock Lesnar in June at the conclusion.
> Check out all of our MMA rankings including our p4p rankings online provided by ProFighting-fans.com and buy UFC clothing & merchandise!
6. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) – Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, made his debut in 2002 and has had stints with PRIDE, UFC, and now Strikeforce. Werdum owns victories over Alistair Overeem, Gabriel Gonzaga, Brandon Vera, but his signature victory came this past June when he submitted Fedor. It won’t get any easier as he is penciled in to meet Strikeforce Champ Alistair Overeem in a Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal bout. 7. Shane Carwin (12-1) – A former wrestler and collegiate football player, Carwin made his pro debut in 2005 and won his first eight in small and mid level organizations. Carwin won UFC bouts over Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Frank Mir to earn a shot at the heavyweight title. He had then-champ Brock Lesnar on-the-ropes but gassed out and dropped his first bout in his career at UFC 116 last July. He is set to fight at UFC 131 this spring against an unknown opponent. 8. Frank Mir (14-5) – Mir turned pro in 2001 and debuted for the UFC the same year. He won the heavyweight title at UFC 48 in his seventh career UFC bout but lost it due to inactivity. He won interim title in 2008 but lost to Lesnar in his very next fight. He has won two of his last three including a UFC 119 bout in September over Cro Cop. Mir will likely fight Roy Nelson on the UFC 130 fight card in May. |
|
9. Josh Barnett (26-5) – Barnett turned pro in 1997 and made his UFC debut in 2000 earning the Heavyweight title at UFC 36 two years later. He was a force for PRIDE until 2006 when he began to spread his services out into Sengoku, Affliction, DREAM, Impact FC, and now Strikeforce. Barnett is currently on a 6-fight winning streak and will fight Brett Rogers in a Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal bout later this spring.
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1) – “Big Nog” is a former PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has defeated top Heavyweights like Cro Cop, Sergei Kharitonov, and Josh Barnett over his career. He has also won three of his five career bouts inside the octagon since his arrival in 2007. Nogueira lost against current champion Cain Velasquez in a February 2010 UFC 110 bout and will likely be scheduled for his next opponent before this summer.
By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer
Published January 2011
Photo used with permission from the UFC