UFC 131: Junior dos Santos and the Top 10 Heavyweight Strikers in MMA Today

When UFC heavyweight contenders Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin meet at UFC 131, they will be fighting for a title shot against current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.

All three of them are not only top heavyweights but are also some of the very best strikers in the division.

It's an exciting time to be an MMA fan, and it's even more exciting to be a fan of the heavyweight division. It features some dynamic strikers and many experienced veterans of kickboxing, including a champion in both sports.

This is an overview of the top 10 strikers in the division.

No. 10: Mark Hunt

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 27: Mark Hunt of Australia celebrates his win over Chris Tuchscherer of the United States during their heavyweight bout as part of UFC 127 at Acer Arena on February 27, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty

Mark Hunt made a comeback in kickboxing during 2008 when he took on K-1 Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt. He didn't win the bout and quickly returned to MMA, leaving his 30-13 professional kickboxing record at where it stands today.

Hunt is exclusively a stand-up fighter, and while this helped him achieve his first win inside the UFC, his ground game is what holds him back.

Hunt was only out-struck once in MMA, when he took on powerful kickboxer Melvin Manhoef, but wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Wanderlei Silva and most recently Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 keep fans wanting to see more of him.

No. 9: Cheick Kongo

French MMA fighter and kickboxer Cheick Kongo is 7-4-1 in the UFC and 15-6-2 overall. He also has a professional kickboxing record of 21-2.

Nine of his 15 victories in MMA have come by knockout, including wins over Antoni Hardonk, Mirko Cro Cop and Dan Evensen.

He also displayed his accurate striking when he faced current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez, dropping the champion twice in the fight before losing a decision over three rounds.

No. 8: Frank Mir

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir is primarily known as a grappler with one of the very best guards in the sport, but he has made a change to his overall skill set over the years, adapting very solid striking skills.

Mir became the first man to ever stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira when he defeated the former Pride champion at UFC 92.

He also made a big statement about his continuous improvement in the striking department when he fought, dropped and submitted Cheick Kongo.

He most recently defeated Roy Nelson at UFC 130, where he punished the Ultimate Fighter winner with knees and punches over three rounds.

No. 7: Pat Barry

Pat Barry is still young in MMA, and while he has a 6-2 record in the sport, he also has a 18-6 kickboxing record that he compiled between 2002 and 2008.

Barry owns some of the best leg kicks in the division, and he showed why in his fights with Joey Beltran and Dan Evensen. He also won three of his first four bouts by leg kicks. The equivalent to a body shot, they break down opponents over the distance, leaving them with no base or energy in the later rounds.

His next fight will be against Cheick Kongo on June 26.

No. 6: Fedor Emelianenko

It's rare that someone gets the better of former Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko standing up.

He is currently on a two-fight losing streak, and they followed standout performances against Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers. Emelianenko knocked out Arlovski and Rogers, while he had to settle for a 36-second submission victory over Sylvia after dropping him with a flurry of punches.

The legendary Russian fighter's greatest wins have been over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop.

No. 5: Shane Carwin

Fans will be expecting fireworks when Shane Carwin takes on Junior dos Santos this weekend. Both are powerful strikers, but Carwin holds an advantage in one-punch knockout power, and it has led him to defeating 11 of his 12 opponents.

He displayed his power in his bouts with Gabriel Gonzaga, Frank Mir and Christian Wellisch.

To add to his superior power, he also has a great chin and an NCAA Division II wrestling background.

No. 4: Cain Velasquez

UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez has quickly evolved into one of the very best strikers in the sport.

It was on full display when he defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110. He broke down Nogueira with some of the very best leg kicks in recent memory while punishing "Minotauro" with speed and powerful strikes. He knocked him out two minutes into Round 1.

He followed up on that victory in his championship fight versus Brock Lesnar. He used knees and accurate striking to defeat Lesnar in the first round as well.

No. 3: Sergei Kharitonov

Sergei Kharitonov is the last man to defeat Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, and he did it with his technical striking skills.

Kharitonov won a silver medal at the 2004 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, and he took that experience into MMA when he competed in several tournaments, including the 2004 Pride Grand Prix and the currently active Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

He won his first bout in the Strikeforce tournament when he defeated Andrei Arlovski by first-round knockout.

No. 2: Junior dos Santos

Brazilian heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos arguably has the best technical boxing in MMA, and it will be on full display when he takes on Shane Carwin this weekend.

With punishing body shots and fast counter-shots, dos Santos takes an unmatchable skill into the octagon every time he fights.

Eight of his 12 victories in MMA have come by knockout, including wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzaga, Gilbert Yvel and Stefan Struve.

No. 1: Alistair Overeem

Current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem is the only fighter to win titles in professional kickboxing and MMA at the same time. He is 14-4 in kickboxing and 34-11 in MMA.

If there is one thing holding Overeem back, it's his sometimes questionable chin. It hasn't been a problem as of late, and he has currently riding a nine-fight win streak with one "no contest" versus Mirko Cro Cop.

His next fight will be a Strikeforce Grand Prix bout versus Fabricio Werdum. It will be a rematch of a fight Overeem lost in 2006.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 131, including the latest UFC 131 results, fight card analysis, UFC 131 news and live reaction from Vancouver.