Alistair Overeem and the State of the Heavyweight Division

There was a time when the UFC's heavyweight division was considered one of the weakest in the promotion. It seemed like every pay per view was headlined by Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia duking it out in a best of 75 series. 

Those days thankfully long behind us as the UFC has made it a point to improve the extremely shallow division. From the champion all the way down to the fighters making their UFC debut, the level of talent is exponentially greater in today's UFC. 

With UFC 146 just around the corner, let's take a look at the current state of the heavyweight division and find out who are contenders and who are pretenders. 

Junior Dos Santos: The King of Kings

The proverbial king of the mountain. Junior has laid waste to every fighter that Joe Silva has placed before him with what has been described as "soul sucking" power. After a successful UFC debut victory over Fabricio Werdum via knockout, Dos Santos rattled off four straight victories by stoppage. He took a step up in competition in a fight against Roy Nelson, the first man to take Dos Santos the distance.

The win over Roy Nelson led to a coaching gig for the thirteenth season of the Ultimate Fighter opposite of Brock Lesnar. The two were set to square off at the end of the season but Brock was sidelined with a second bout of diverticulitis. Shane Carwin stepped up and would be the biggest test of Junior's career. 

Carwin was unable to land any significant strikes and never used his wrestling to his advantage. Instead, Junior landed cleanly for fifteen minutes and handed Shane the most devastating loss of his career. The win also earned JDS a shot at UFC gold.

Junior made the most of the opportunity when he starched Cain Velasquez in just over a minute on the UFC's network debut on Fox. 

He was scheduled to face Alistair Overeem at UFC 146 but Overeem's positive drug test has put the fight in jeopardy. There is no word of a replacement. 

Cain Velasquez: The Former Champion

When Cain Velasquez entered the UFC, he did so with a ton of hype behind him. Rumblings out of American Kickboxing Academy were that he possessed the skills to be one of the top fighters in the world.

His ability to combine his wrestling with above average boxing made him an immediate threat to everyone in the heavyweight division. The fact that he picked up on submission grappling was a bonus. Fans took notice when Velasquez finished Lesnar in the opening stanza to win the UFC heavyweight belt.

His reign was short-lived as he defended his belt at the first UFC event to air on Fox. Velasquez never got the chance to test Dos Santos' takedown defense as he was finished in just over a minute. A shoulder injury has kept him sidelined since. 

As the former champion, Cain Velasquez finds himself in an interesting position. Had the fight with Junior Dos Santos gone to a decision, Cain Velasquez would likely have a case for a rematch. Instead, he'll have to settle into the position of gatekeeper while putting a string of wins together. 

He is currently scheduled to face Frank Mir at UFC 146. Dana White has said that this fight will not be broken up to replace Alistair Overeem in the main event. 

Frank Mir: Knocking on the Door

Before there was Ronda Rousey, there was Frank Mir. Mir has been breaking bones and taking names since he made his UFC debut at UFC 34: High Voltage. Among his victims are Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, both who suffered brutal arm breaks. 

Since his debut Frank Mir has become one of the most well-rounded fighters in the heavyweight division. He's made the proper adjustments in his training improve his striking and develop solid fundamentals that were very apparent in his fight with Cheick Kongo. 

Frank is likely one win away from being granted another shot at UFC gold and faces the toughest test of his career in Cain Velasquez at UFC 146. He'll have the disadvantage in wrestling but will more than make up for it in submission grappling. 

Fabricio Werdum: Back for Round Two

Fabricio Werdum has reinvented himself since his first stint as a UFC fighter. Following the collapse of PRIDE, Werdum was little more than a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu artist with very very basic striking. Even in Strikeforce, Werdum still relied on his jiu jitsu to win fights. 

His return to the UFC saw him dominate Roy Nelson in perhaps the best performance of his career. For the full fifteen minutes, Werdum showcased his vastly improved stand up as he battered Nelson all around the octagon. 

Werdum has gone from a solid heavyweight to an elite heavyweight in three years. Oh and he picked up a win over some guy named Fedor Emelianenko along the way. He is expected to face Mike Russow at UFC 147 in Brazil this summer. 

Roy Nelson: The Ultimate Fighter

The former IFL champion. The former season 10 Ultimate Fighter winner. Roy Nelson has been known by many different titles. Unfortunately for Roy, his past accomplishments put him on the fast track instead of on the normal Ultimate Fighter winner slow build. 

He possesses one punch knockout power and has the ability to not only put an opponent on their back but keep them their because of his physique. It was Rampage Jackson who described Nelson's belly as "the moon" and how it's impossible to get out from under Nelson once he's established positional control. 

Roy Nelson will never be a champion but he has the skills to test everyone in the division. He faces Antonio Silva at UFC 146. A win would put him back in the top tier of the division. A loss would mean Nelson needs to reevaluate his training. 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The Legend

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a legend in the sport of MMA. The only man to hold the PRIDE and UFC heavyweight title, Big Nog is a surefire first ballot hall of fame inductee. There was a time when he was widely considered the top heavyweight in the world because of his dynamic submission skills. 

Nog's legend was built upon his ability to absorb punishment only to snag victory with a gutsy submission. It's how he defeated Mirko Cro Cop and Bob Sapp in PRIDE. His UFC career has seen his physical abilities fade with age. He's no longer able to handle a ton of punishment and his movements are slowed almost to a crawl. 

The last time that fans saw Nogueira, he was getting his arm broken by Frank Mir. Currently healing up, there is no word on his return. As a fan, hopefully he doesn't continue to fight at the highest level as it would be disappointing if he tarnished his legacy by losing to undeserving fighters. 

Alistair Overeem: The Horsemeat Enthusiast

Ah Alistair Overeem...should he be known as the last K-1 Grand Prix champion? Maybe as the only DREAM heavyweight champion? Or the only man to hold the Strikeforce heavyweight strap? There are many ways to view the man who retired Brock Lesnar but let's start at the most basic.

Alistair Overeem is likely the most well-rounded fighter in the UFC's heavyweight division. While fans know him best for his "K-1 level" striking, it's his guillotine choke that is truly his most destructive offensive weapon.

His fight with Brock Lesnar showcased his ability to shrug off the takedown and end a fight with those menacing knees. The one question about Overeem remains if he has the offensive wrestling to get a fight to the ground if he's ever in danger on the feet. 

He was scheduled to face Junior Dos Santos in the main event of UFC 146 but extremely elevated levels of testosterone in a random drug test have put the fight in danger. He has a hearing with the NSAC later this month to apply for a new license. 

Shane Carwin: Back Issues

Shane Carwin was the onetime challenger for Brock Lesnar's heavyweight title. Leading up to that fight he laid a path of destruction behind him due to his insanely heavy hands. A member of the unofficial "new breed" of heavyweights, Carwin is one of the most physically imposing members of the heavyweight division.

Carwin's size has been a huge asset for him in his MMA career but in the fight against Brock Lesnar it cost him UFC gold. Following a fantastic first round, he just didn't have the physical conditioning to push the action in the second round.

Carwin's future is up in the air. At 37 years old, he's not getting any younger. He's also been the subject of multiple back surgeries and doesn't have a planned return to the UFC. If he can get healthy there are some interesting match ups awaiting him with Strikeforce's heavyweights joining the UFC in the upcoming months. 

Mark Hunt: The Unexpected Fan Favorite

If you told me last year that Mark Hunt would be listed as one of the top heavyweights in the UFC, I'd have laughed at you. If you had told me a month ago that Mark Hunt would have MMA fans rally for him to get a shot at Junior Dos Santos' title, I would never believe you. But this is the universe we live in. 

Mark Hunt should not be a UFC fighter. The only way he got a fight in the promotion was because he was owed fights from PRIDE. He entered the promotion on a five fight losing streak and didn't look to have made any improvements to his conditioning or skills. Since an unsuccessful debut, Hunt has gone on to win three fights in a row. 

He's scheduled to face Stefan Struve at UFC 146 and it's possible that a win would catapult him into the top of the division. But fans may not have to wait that long as the #RallyForMarkHunt movement has started to gain steam and it's very possible that he gets the call to fight Junior Dos Santos for the title instead.