2012 MMA to Do Lists for Each Top 10 Heavyweight

The 2012 calender year is well underway, but the same can hardly be said for the 2012 MMA season.

While the year got off to a typical start, a lapse in UFC events has left a ZUFFA-centric fanbase scrambling to get their fix from Bellator and regional promotions.

Though the UFC has been out of sight it certainly has not been out of mind, the break in action having functioned as an offseason typical of most major sports.

During this offseason fans have not let discussions, debates and projections fall off with the action. On the contrary, the offseason has been a time when anything seems possible and anything may lie on the MMA horizon.

In this spirit, let us look ahead to the "upcoming season," and examine what each top 10 heavyweight should seek to accomplish before January 1, the unofficial end to the 2012 season.

Still to Come

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Light Heavyweight

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Middleweight

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Welterweight

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Lightweight

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Featherweight

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Bantamweight

2012 MMA to do Lists for Each Top 10 Flyweight

Antonio Silva

Silva's To-Do-List:

Transition from Strikeforce to the UFC with a win

Silva will kick-off his UFC career this May, when he takes on resident big man Roy Nelson. The Brazilian is coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Cormier, and "Big Country" has enough power to cause Silva deja-vu.

To make his promotional debut a positive one, Silva will have to avoid Roy's overhand right and use his size advantage to bully his opponent.

Stay Active

The power vacuum created by Alistair Overeem's failed drug test allows for a lot of upward mobility in the heavyweight division. For a newcomer like Silva, there is no better time to make a dash towards the belt.

After battling Nelson, Silva should lobby hard for a recognizable opponent in his reprisal bout.

A couple quick wins and Silva can throw his hat into the ring for an end of the year title shot.

Work on Protecting That Chin

It isn't that Silva's chin is particularly vulnerable, but he is coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Cromier, a fighter not considered to be a top level striker.

You know where the top level strikers play? The UFC. With guys like Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem (maybe), this policy is a must for anyone hoping to garner contender status, Silva not excepted.

Minotauro Nogueira

Nogueira's To-Do-List:

Heal up 

Frank Mir set "Big Nog" on the road to recovery with a nasty kimura arm break last December. Before the Brazilian is ready to do anything else, he has to be sure his body is as willing as his spirit.

Get Back in the win Column

Guys with as many miles on their body as Nogueira have limited time to make a title run. At 35-years-of-age, the Brazilian's window is rapidly closing, and arm surgery doesn't provide a whole lot of additional leverage.

Minotauro's next fight will signify whether he climbs back on the horse or into a rocking chair.

Seriously Consider Retirement

Nogueira is a legend of MMA and has nothing left to prove, but he is a competitor and wants to keep fighting.

The results just aren't coming the same way they used to, and a man once regarded as unfinishable has been stopped three times over the course of his last five fights.

He may have some fight left in him, but retirement can't be too far off for the former Pride and UFC heavyweight champion.

Daniel Cormier

Cormier's To-Do-List:

Win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Cormier is a bit unusual in that he is widely heralded as a tremendous prospect at the age of 33. Many fans thought he would be unready for Antonio Silva, but he proved them wrong, knocking out the Brazilian in his last bout.

While the semi-finals win is a nice feather in his cap, defeating Josh Barnett to take home Grand Prix honors would be the official announcement that Cormier has arrived as a star.

Transition to the UFC

This one is predicated on the assumption that the Strikeforce heavyweight division is soon to be obsolete. If it sticks around, Cormier can build his name by ruling over it. But if not, the sooner he gets to the big show the better.

Keep Improving That Striking

Cormier's bread and butter is his wrestling, but he has developed some nice striking of late. He is a naturally powerful guy and a great athlete, so there is no reason he should not be a high level striker in time. 

He is certainly on the right track and should get to set a personal benchmark when he combats fellow wrestler Josh Barnett this May.

Josh Barnett

Barnett's To-Do-List:

Win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Despite Barnett's lengthy hit list, steroid scandals have dimmed his star and made fans skeptical about his potential to consistently battle top-tier heavyweights into his mid-thirties.

Winning the Grand Prix would make an emphatic statement to announce the return of "The Warmaster."

Smooth Things Over With Dana White

Barnett and White have not always been on the same page. Clashes of personality have grown from Barnett's past PED issues, and both men have attracted the ire of the other for a plethora of reasons over the last decade or so.

Recently, Dana White said Josh could find his way back into the UFC. So long as he plays nice.

Prove That You are Still an Elite Fighter

Barnett has not exactly been reeling off wins over the best heavyweights on the planet lately. His most recent win came against Sergei Kharitonov, but prior to that victory, which came last September, Barnett's last meaningful win was over Minotauro Nogueira, back in September of 2006.

It's time to mix it up with the best.

Fabricio Werdum

Werdum's To-Do-List:

Keep Your Focus

Werdum looked spectacular in his decision win over Roy Nelson in February. Putting in a similar performance against upcoming foe, Mike Russow, would get Werdum's name mentioned in title discussions.

The last time Werdum had garnered some real momentum was back in 2008, when he beat Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera is succession.

That momentum ended when he decided to face an upstart Junior Dos Santos without putting in too much time at the gym. Russow is not Junior Dos Santos, but Werdum cannot make the mistake of taking an opponent lightly ever again.

Prove Your Striking Is for Real

As a jiu-jitsu wizard, no-one expects Werdum to be a great striker. But saying he looked anything short of great against Roy Nelson would not do justice to his performance.

The only question is, can he do it again?

Just Keep Winning

With Alistair Overeem in probable suspension, every top heavyweight in the UFC moves up a rung. If Werdum can make the most of the opportunity and keep momentum on his side, a title shot should not be very far off.

Shane Carwin

Carwin's To-Do-List:

Stay Healthy

This has been a serious problem for Carwin over the past few years. At age 37, how many more yearlong layoffs does he have left in him after the one he is currently serving?

Improve Boxing

Carwin hits like a hammer, but his reliance on strength over technique was exposed when Junior Dos Santos battered him for 15 minutes. 

If Carwin could learn to take less damage, he would better maintain the power that makes him such a dangerous guy.

Get Busy

Carwin is 37. His body is breaking down. If he intends to make a final effort for UFC gold, he best stay active when he gets back into the game, or it will be too late before he knows it.

Frank Mir

Mir's To-Do-List:

Earn a Title Shot

Frank can use Overeem's drug test failure to lobby for a bout against Junior Dos Santos all we wants, but what he needs to do is earn it.

He can do that by beating Cain Velasquez at UFC 146

Work on Clinch Defense

Once known as a one-dimensional grappler, Mir's striking has improved in leaps and bounds since 2008. He has developed a crisp set of punches and strong knees from the clinch. However, there is still work to be done. 

Mir tends to eat a lot of uppercuts when he fights in close quarters, and guys like Junior Dos Santos will not be forgiving of this error. 

To accomplish the first bullet on this list, Mir must complete this one as a prerequisite. 

Work on Takedowns

Let's face it, even if Mir tightens up that clinch defense, standing toe-to-toe with Dos Santos is not going to work out very well. 

For his fight against Velasquez, Mir may be better served in practicing his sprawl, but if he wants to take out the kingpin, he'll have to improve his double-leg, or trips from the clinch.

Cain Velasquez

Velasquez's To-Do-List:

Dominate Frank Mir 

Until Junior Dos Santos halted the Cain Velasquez hype-train, the Mexican-American was running a muck on the UFC's heavyweight division.

In spite of the loss, Cain remains a rare talent in MMA and needs to show he is better than ever by doing away with jiu-jitsu master Frank Mir.

Demand a Title Shot

With Alistair Overeem seemingly removed from contendership, Velasquez is near to top of the ladder. A dominant win over fellow contender Frank Mir would go a long way for convincing Dana White that a rematch with Dos Santos is in order.

It wouldn't hurt his chances to demand the fight in a post-fight interview. Assuming he wins, of course.

Stop Taking Big Punches on the Chin

Velasquez has good standup, but his chin seems to ooze Kryptonite.

He weathered the storm against Cheick Kongo but not so much against Junior Dos Santos. 

While his striking offense is too good to abandon in an effort to avoid taking damage, Cain needs to protect himself better and mix in takedowns with strikes to keep his opponents guessing.

Alistair Overeem

Overeem's To-Do-List:

Pray for a Miracle

When that fails....

Apologize

Because there are a lot of people pretty upset about his fight against Junior Dos Santos being (likely) called off.

Stop Using PEDs

Just say "Naaaaaayyyyyy" to PEDs!

Junior Dos Santos

Dos Santos' To-Do-List:

Keep Focused

It's hard to give Dos Santos a fair task for his upcoming fight when it is uncertain who he will be fighting, if he is fighting at all.

Right now, there is nothing the Brazilian can do but train hard and be ready for anything.

Do Not Get Complacent

Dos Santos has entered into the pantheon of MMA living legends by displaying a combination of technical boxing and impressive power. And while the hype is difficult to avoid, the worst thing JDS can do is believe that he is untouchable.

Perhaps a close, competitive fight would do him wonders in the long run, but right now, he is probably just wondering whether there will be a fight at all.

Keep on Boxing

Being a well-rounded fighter is a key to success when a mixed martial artist reaches the top, and Dos Santos should try to become as good as he can be in every facet of the game.

That said, he needs to keep boxing his opponents until someone figures out how to beat him. Case in point: Ben Askren. Fans boo him mercilessly for pinning his opponents to the mat, but why stop unless someone can make you stop?

Dos Santos would be wise to round his game out as much as possible, but for emergency's sake only. If he can help it, he just needs to keep on boxing.