Post-UFC 102 Heavyweight Rankings

These rankings are based on the fallout of UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira. Keep in mind this list is strictly limited to the UFC, so heavyweights competing in other organizations will not be ranked. These rankings are highly unofficial but should give you a good idea of where the heavyweight division is at in terms of contenders and future title shots.

10. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

After going 0-2 in the organization with losses to Cheick Kongo and Gabriel Gonzaga, Cro Cop made his return to the UFC at UFC 99 defeating a very under-matched Mustapha Al-Turk albeit in controversial fashion.

Prior to that fight the Croatian striker bounced back from his first two UFC losses with victories over Tatsuya Mizuno and 7’2" giant Hong Man Choi. He also took on current Strikeforce Heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, but after suffering a knee to the groin he was unable to continue and the fight was deemed a no contest.

Cro Cop will be taking on Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103 and needs a dominant victory in order to remain among the top contenders in the division. Fans that followed Cro Cop back in the old PRIDE Fighting Championship days are hopeful for a comeback. Nothing would please them more than for Cro Cop to head-kick his way up to a run at the heavyweight title.

9. Junior Dos Santos

This Brazilian wrecking machine is coming off two explosive knockouts over Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve in his sole UFC performances. The victory over Werdum was most significant as it was his Octagon debut and at the time Werdum was considered next in line for a heavyweight title shot, Dos Santos spoiled those plans, knocking Werdum right out of the UFC.

At the ripe age of 24, the sky is the limit for Dos Santos, who trains at the Blackhouse gym with The Noguiera Brothers, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida.

An explosive knockout over Cro Cop would launch Dos Santos into bigger fights with higher-caliber fighters as he looks to work his way up to a potential title shot.

8. Randy Couture

After suffering a three-round domination at the hands of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, UFC Hall of Famer Couture drops even further down the heavyweight food chain. The loss comes just nine months after a second-round TKO defeat to current Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

Captain America is likely to benefit with a move back down to the Light Heavyweight division because it would seem at this point in his career the elite heavyweights are too much for him. He was in great shape against Nogueira and, despite losing, still proved he has what it takes to compete.

If he were to drop down to 205, he would likely take on the loser of the Rashad Evans/Quinton Jackson fight that will be taking place at UFC 107 in 2010 or possibly even challenge Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who occasionally competes in the 205-lb. division when not defending his middleweight crown.

However, if he decides to stay put at heavyweight there are still intriguing matchups for him, including a potential bout with former champion Frank Mir. That being said, let’s hope Couture decides to drop down and put on high-profile bouts in the stacked 205-lb. division.

7. Cheick Kongo

The only ranked opponent Kongo holds a victory over is Cro Cop, and that was two years ago. Since then the Frenchman lost a fight to Heath Herring and then scored three straight TKO’s over Dan Evensen, Mustapha al Turk, and Antoni Hardonk.

He came very close to winning his fourth in a row and almost earning a title shot, landing some heavy strikes on Cain Velasquez in his last bout. However Velasquez was relentless with his takedowns and maintained a dominant position on the ground to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Kongo is rumored to battle former champion Frank Mir at UFC 107. If that’s the case, he needs to rip Mir’s head off if he plans on competing for the heavyweight title any time soon.

6. Gabriel Gonzaga

Gonzaga bounced back after his stunning knockout at the hands of Shane Carwin with a first-round TKO victory over UFC newcomer Chris Tuchscherer.

It does feel a bit odd to rank him ahead of Couture considering Couture destroyed Gonzaga in a heavyweight title bout only two years ago, but a lot has changed.

Gonzaga seems focused and determined to climb back up the ladder. He had a minor setback in the Carwin fight, but look for the Brazilian to string together some impressive victories in his next few fights.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

The legend lives on. “Minotauro” Nogueira proves he’s still alive and kicking, defeating Couture in a three round war just eight months after his disappointing loss to Frank Mir. He looked back in his old form, showcasing excellent stand-up and superb Jiu-Jitsu to win all three rounds.

The victory propels Nog back into the top five and sets him up for a rematch against Frank Mir in the foreseeable future. Or he could take on other top contenders such as Velasquez or Gonzaga, but you know the Mir fight is what haunts him every night in his dreams.

Nogueira wasn’t even close to being at 100 percent the first time he fought Mir, and it shows with the way he performed against Couture. Nogueira can still take a tremendous amount of punishment and keep moving forward.

Depending on who you ask, it is only a matter of time before Nogueira wins back his heavyweight championship. But can he really overcome powerful wrestlers like Lesnar and Carwin?

4. Frank Mir

Mir’s TKO victory over Nogueira does not seem as impressive now as it first did. Let’s face facts: Nogueira was not even close to his full capabilities that night. He was suffering from a brutal staph infection and was in the hospital a week before the fight.

That being said, it shouldn’t be used as an excuse. Mir got the job done and accomplished what no man has done before by finishing the legendary Minotauro. Recently, Mir was beat down by Brock Lesnar’s lunch box-sized fists at UFC 100, but regardless he will remain among the top four in the division.

As previously mentioned he’s slated to take on heavy-handed striker Kongo at UFC 107. A victory there is crucial if he plans on keeping his spot in the rankings.

3. Cain Velasquez

An undefeated product of the American Kickboxing Academy, Velasquez entered the UFC with a ton of hype and he has so far lived up to. He has four straight victories in the UFC, three coming by way of a first-round stoppage and his most recent was over Kongo at UFC 99 by unanimous decision.

He was originally set to take on powerhouse Shane Carwin at UFC 104 in a bout that would determine the next contender to the heavyweight title, but the UFC decided to grant Carwin the immediate title shot instead. Velasquez will remain on the UFC 104 card, taking on UFC newcomer “Big” Ben Rothwell who is coming over from the now-defunct Affliction fight promotion.

A victory over Rothwell should put the wrestling machine right in line to take on the winner of the Carwin/Lesnar fight at some point in 2010. AKA coach Bob Cook says Velasquez is by far the greatest heavyweight he has ever seen. While that might be a bit of a stretch, he certainly has all the potential in the world to be a champion.

2.  Shane Carwin

This heavyweight monster has an overall MMA record of 11-0 and a 3-0 record inside the UFC’s Octagon. He has finished all eleven of his fights in the first round and is coming off a huge victory over Gonzaga that has earned him the next shot against Lesnar.

Carwin basically knocked the Brazilian out with a pimp slap, so that right there should show you the kind of power this man possesses in his hands. To knock a guy like Gonzaga out with a short right hand is extremely impressive.

Not only does he have Hulk-esque knockout power, he also comes from a great wrestling background. When he gets on top of his oppopnent, he rains down earth-shattering blows. He is the biggest threat that Lesnar has faced in his career thus far, and when these two goliaths meet up in the Octagon it will be like watching a fight between two grizzly bears.

Don’t be too surprised to see Carwin land one of those big rights and claim the heavyweight championship in what could be one of the most brutal knockouts in MMA history.

1. Brock Lesnar

Love him or hate him, Lesnar is the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Ever since coming up short against Mir in his Octagon debut, he dominated in his matches with three straight victories over Herring, Couture, and Mir in their rematch at UFC 100.

Lesnar may be brash and at times arrogant, but he’s proving he’s for real every time he steps into the Octagon. His takedowns are relentless and—just like Carwin—he has cinder blocks for hands. His submission defense has become much tighter since the loss to Mir, and his stand up has improved leaps and bounds as well.

While fans would have preferred a showdown with No. 1-ranked WAMMA Heavyweight champion Fedor Emelienenko, the Russian turned down a fantastic deal with the UFC to sign with the much weaker heavyweight division in Strikeforce.

Lesnar will now battle Carwin in a modern-day version of King Kong vs. Godzilla at UFC 106 in November. If Lesnar can dismantle Carwin the same way he has beaten his last three opponents, then it would be safe to assume that Lesnar will remain atop the UFC heavyweight kingdom for a very long time.

Honorable mentions: Todd Duffee, Ben Rothwell, Heath Herring, Antoni Hardonk, Mike Russow.