Top 10 Heavyweight Rankings
Posted by Drew Ellis (07/27/2011 @ 2:48 pm)
The rankings list has made its way back to the heavyweight division.
There have been a few shake ups in this group as of late, mainly near the top. Still, the division has remained pretty solid as we work toward the big meeting of Velasquez vs. dos Sanots.
1. Cain Velasquez (9-0): Velasquez will return in November to take on Junior dos Santos. It will be a tough test for the UFC champ, as he has not fought in nearly a year and is coming off a major surgery.
2. Junior dos Santos (13-1): dos Santos tore through Shane Carwin in an impressive victory that solidified his spot as the top contender to the UFC crown. Junior has proven he can out-strike a striker and stuff a takedown, but will he be able to handle the explosiveness and speed of Velasquez?
3. Brock Lesnar (5-2): Lesnar may not return anytime soon, but I still think he deserves a high ranking as he was able to beat some of the best on this list before getting injured. Lesnar is going to need to show he can handle getting hit when he returns if he hopes to contend for the title ever again.
4. Alistair Overeem (35-11): Overeem was able to beat Werdum without too much difficulty but wasn’t impressive in his own right. Now, some debate with Zuffa has gotten him taken off the rest of the Strikeforce Grand Prix and leaves his MMA future in question. Hopefully Overeem will return and maybe someday step inside the octagon.
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Posted in: Events, Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC
Tags: Alistair Overeem, Antonio Silva, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum, Fedor Emelianenko, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett, Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin
Top 10 Heavyweight Rankings
Posted by Drew Ellis (06/02/2011 @ 6:53 pm)
We have worked our way back around to the heavyweights in the rankings list.
The division has been pretty quiet for the last two months, but June will provide some big shakeups with UFC 131 and the second half of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.
So, without further ado, here is the list.
1. Cain Velasquez (9-0): The UFC Heavyweight Champion continues to await his next opponent while recovering from shoulder surgery. Newly married, Velasquez will find out whether Junior dos Santos or Shane Carwin is next at UFC 131.
2. Junior dos Santos (12-1): Junior appears to be the top contender in the UFC heavyweight division, but he has to prove it next weekend against Shane Carwin. Originally set to face Brock Lesnar, dos Santos will now face one of the toughest strikers in the division in Carwin. The fight should be explosive and end with a brutal KO.
3. Shane Carwin (12-1): Carwin had hit a bit of a funk after having back surgery following his loss to Lesnar last summer, but now he finds himself with a little bit of luck. With Lesnar injured, Carwin now immediately jumps into the title picture with a win over dos Santos at UFC 131.
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Posted in: Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC
Tags: Alistair Overeem, Antonio Silva, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum, Fedor Emelianenko, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett, Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin
Top 10 Heavyweight Rankings
Posted by Drew Ellis (04/06/2011 @ 7:52 pm)
Each week I will post my rankings for a respective weight class or my pound-for-pound top 10.
This week is the heavyweights, which has seen its stable significantly improve over the last few years.
So, without further ado, here are my top 10 heavyweights in MMA.
1. Cain Velasquez (9-0): The UFC Heavyweight Champion has a great combination of wrestling and striking and he has been quick to finish some of the top guys in the sport, including Brock Lesnar. His speed and agility are tough for most opponents to deal with and his strength is on par with anyone despite having only a 245-pound frame.
2. Junior dos Santos (12-1): I was having trouble with the next in line as each remaining fighter seems to have some clear negatives against them. Junior has torn through the UFC, winning all six of his bouts, but he has yet to face an elite-level competitor. Dos Santos clearly has the punching power and striking ability, but the question with him is his takedown defense. He has yet to face a truly great wrestler in the UFC, but that issue will be addressed when he takes on Brock Lesnar at UFC 131.
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Posted in: Fighters, Strikeforce, UFC
Tags: Alistair Overeem, Antonio Silva, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum, Fedor Emelianenko, Frank Mir, Junior Dos Santos, MMA, Roy Nelson, Shane Carwin, Strikeforce, UFC
