MMA Rankings > UFC Heavyweight Rankings
UFC Heavyweight Division Rankings
A review and ranking of the UFC's Heavyweight division - June 2009 Update
No matter what the UFC’s recent promotional campaigns try to tell us regarding the promotion’s heavyweight division, the big boys are seriously lacking in an organization as beefed up as this one. At least half of the world’s top ten heavyweight fighters currently compete outside of Zuffa’s borders (see our Top Non-UFC Heavyweight rankings), and consensus #1 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, does not seem to be on a collision course with White and company anytime soon.
Nevertheless, here are the UFC’s top ten heavyweights for the month of June 2009.
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Frank Mir defeated Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 via Ankle Lock |
1. Frank Mir – It is very difficult to rank Frank Mir, one of the more inconsistent fighters on the UFC’s roster, at the top of the pack in one of the most prestigious divisions in all of Mixed Martial Arts, but his thrashing of consensus #2 heavyweight fighter Antonio Minotauro Nogueira in December 2008 and his first round submission win over current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar rightfully put this interim champ in the top spot. Even should he defeat Lesnar in the rematch at UFC 100 July 11, many would still cringe at the thought of the submission-savvy heavyweight being ranked above men such as Couture for much longer.
2. Brock Lesnar – Say what you will about the 265lb behemoth of a heavyweight, but Brock Lesnar’s drudging of heavyweight contender Heath Herring looked almost tame compared to his crushing second round finish of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture in November 2008. He is still largely unproven as a Mixed Martial Artist, but Lesnar will get the chance to erase the memory of his only career loss to date when he seeks out vengeance against Frank Mir next month.
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – Prior to his one-sided defeat at the fists of Frank Mir in December, Nogueira was widely considered to be the second best heavyweight fighter in the world. That image was thoroughly shattered, along with the Brazilian’s chin, in his interim title fight a few months ago, but rumors of a bad injury that prevented proper training for the Mir fight as well as an upcoming match up with former champion Randy Couture in August should keep “Big Nog” in title discussions for some time to come.
4. Randy Couture – The multiple-time champion of two weight classes may have been rocked, dropped, and pounded out in November by current champion Brock Lesnar, but “The Natural” has long been an undersized heavyweight and he still managed to be competitive against one of the largest and most physically imposing men in the sport. Couture could earn yet another shot at UFC gold if he can defeat Nogueira in August in what—two years ago—would have been one of the most anticipated heavyweight matches in MMA history.
5. Shane Carwin – Carwin is undefeated in MMA and holds 11 first round finished in 11 professional bouts. He is currently 3-0 in the UFC against decent competition and holds a devastating knockout over former top heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga, and he rivals champion Brock Lesnar in sheer physical size. He should get a title eliminator, possible against the winner between Kongo and Valasquez sometime in 2009. 6. Cheick Kongo – Kongo looks impressive, but he is actually somewhat inconsistent in the UFC’s heavyweight division, having lost two fights in the last two years to sub-par competition. His upcoming battle with rising prospect Cain Valasquez could provide him with an opportunity to get his first crack at UFC gold. 7. Junior Dos Santos – Not much was or is known to date about Brazilian heavyweight Junior Dos Santos besides the fact that he likes to punch—hard. The point that turned this no name with a solid pro record into a heavyweight prospect to watch in the UFC was his first round demolition of former top ten-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum last year. Look for Dos Santos to be groomed slowly to top contender’s status in the coming months. |
8. Gabriel Gonzaga – Many believed Gonzaga to be the next big thing at heavyweight following his 2007 head kick knockout of Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 70, and his competitive title fight against former champion Couture the same year did little to dispel the notion, but Gonzaga needs some serious work on his head movement or his neck muscles in order to try and strengthen that glass chin. Otherwise, he is unlikely to match those substantial skills with another shot at gold in the coming years.
9. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic – Once regarded as one of the best heavyweight fighters in the sport, Cro Cop only recently announced his return to the top promotion in MMA. Fans are unlikely to get any real answers as to his renewed sense of focus after he takes on the unknown Mostapha Al Turk at UFC 99 this week.
10. Cain Velasquez – Cain is one of the most hyped up and bragged-about heavyweight prospects in recent memory. He is undefeated, yes, but he has only had a handful of professional bouts against decent competition at best. His best win to date was over Jake O’Brien in the UFC, but he could substantiate all of the hype and even make some noise for a title shot with a decisive and impressive win over Cheick Kongo on June 13 at UFC 99.
Look for Top Ten UFC Rankings to be up the first week of every month from here on out, only on ProFighting-fans.com.
By Steven T. Kelliher
ProFighting-fans.com Senior Staff Writer
Published June 2009
Photo used with permission from the UFC
More UFC Rankings from ProFighting-fans.com:
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