10 Heavyweights Who Could Make Noise in the UFC

With the recent announcement that the UFC would be absorbing the Strikeforce heavyweight division, the entire 265-pound weight class has never been stronger.

Several fighters, such as Fabricio Werdum, already have signed their UFC contracts and have scheduled fights. Others, such as Daniel Cormier, remain in Strikeforce for one reason or another.

There are fighters from all over the world and from different organizations who aren't yet in the UFC.

From Bellator to those still in Strikeforce, to organizations in Asia and Europe, there is solid talent all over the world.

Let's take a look at 10 heavyweights who could make noise in the UFC.

Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett is the former UFC heavyweight champion and is not on the good side of UFC president Dana White.

Barnett was stripped of the heavyweight title—due to testing positive for steroids—after winning it from Randy Couture at UFC 36 in 2002. Barnett has not seen the inside of the Octagon since.

Since that time, he has gone 17-4, won the Pancrase Open Weight Championship, defended the championship and made it to the finals of the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix.

Barnett is now a finalist in the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier is the other finalist in the Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix, but he has done much more in his athletic career than that.

In MMA, Cormier has a 9-0 record and has notable victories over Antonio Silva and Jeff Monson.

Cormier was set to be the captain of the 2008 Olympic wrestling team, but a kidney issue forced him to be unable to participate.

Cormier is perhaps the best-credentialed wrestler in all of MMA, as no other top-flight mixed martial artist can say they were set to be the captain of the U.S. Olympic team.

Cormier will face Josh Barnett sometime this year to determine the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion.

Herschel Walker

I never said the fighters had to contend—just make noise.

If Herschel Walker ever fights in the UFC, he could help bring a new level of attention to the organization since he is a well-recognized figure in the sports world.

Walker is a former NFL star and, as a running back, he was a two-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he won the Heisman Trophy in college.

Walker fighting for the UFC would be absolutely insane.

Cole Konrad

Cole Konrad is the current Bellator heavyweight champion, and he has a perfect professional record of 8-0.

Konrad was a training partner of former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and training with a guy like Lesnar will certainly help one's wrestling.

However, Konrad was already an outstanding wrestler on his own, as he went 155-13 in four years wrestling at the University of Minnesota. As a side note, 10 of those losses came in his first year.

Konrad is generally known to use his wrestling to control his opponents and submit them or win decisions. He changed things up in his last fight, as he spent most of his fight against Paul Buentello out-striking him, and he earned the unanimous decision victory.

Brock Lesnar

After a loss to former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, Brock Lesnar announced his retirement.

Responses varied among the MMA community; some were saddened by the news, others were unsurprised and others still were happy about it.

However, if Lesnar ever decides to come back to the UFC, he will headline a PPV that will do huge numbers—just like old times.

If anyone's going to make noise in the heavyweight division, it would be Lesnar.

Antonio Silva

Antonio Silva is a Strikeforce heavyweight who may or may not already be on his way to the UFC.

It was being reported that Silva was going to have a fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at some point in April, but that fight is now off.

Until there is something announced, Silva can remain on this list.

Silva is a big heavyweight who stands at 6'4" and cuts weight to make the 265-pound limit for the weight class. With a 16-3 pro record and wins over Ricco Rodriguez, Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski, Silva could be a solid contender in the UFC.

Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko making it to the UFC becomes less and less possible with each passing day.

Dana White frequently says these days how he has no interest in Fedor; he says "Fedor sucks," and he will not fight in the Octagon.

But if something were to change and Fedor made his way to the Octagon, he'd have a huge fight.

Every MMA fan out there would tune in to see the day it finally happened—the day Fedor finally saw the inside of the Octagon.

Mariusz Pudzianowski

It's a stretch, but if Mariusz Pudzianowski fought in the UFC, he could become the next big thing.

No, not like the next champion or fighter who dominates the sport—big in the sense that he is huge.

Pudzianowski is the former World's Strongest Man, a title he won on five separate occasions. It would be fun to see him take on a solid fighter and see what happens.

Seth Petruzelli

Seth Petruzelli's most recent run in the UFC didn't go as well as he likely hoped; he went 0-2 and was cut from the promotion.

Since then, Petruzelli has won two straight—both via first-round TKO.

A third stint in the UFC may not be much different than the previous two, unless Petruzelli came back with a well-known fighter.

Maybe you've heard of him...

Kimbo Slice

If he came back, honestly tell me you wouldn't watch.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on twitter Twitter.