Brock Lesnar Retirement Rumors: Where Does He Rank Among the Heavyweight Elite?

When he burst onto the UFC scene in June 2007, Brock Lesnar was met with serious skepticism from both fans and fellow fighters. A former pro wrestler, many critics did not believe he could make a successful transition to the sport as anything other than a freak show like Kimbo Slice or Butterbean.

Fast-forward 17 months, and those critics were silenced as the former NCAA Division-I All-American was crowned the UFC heavyweight champion after defeating Randy Couture at UFC 91.

However, after two bouts with the debilitating disease diverticulitis, the former UFC champion has reportedly been told by more than one doctor that it would be unwise for him to return to fighting.

Though nothing has been made official, this news has to be not only crushing for the man himself, but also for the UFC, as Lesnar has proven to be unequaled by any other fighter as a pay-per-view draw.

Still, until we learn more facts surrounding the situation and receive confirmation on a retirement, Lesnar has to remain on the list of current elite-level heavyweights within the UFC.

That said, let’s take a closer look at where exactly he stands within the top five of the UFC heavyweight division.

5. Shane Carwin

After a red-hot start to his career where he ran up a 12-0 record, Shane Carwin was handed the first loss of his career at the hands of Brock Lesnar at UFC 116.

Carwin actually nearly finished that fight in the first round after he connected with some violent punches that sent Lesnar to the mat. Brock was able to regain his composure, though, and he escaped the round, only to submit a gassed-out Carwin later in the fight.

Carwin came thisclose to being a UFC champion, which would have made him the unquestioned top heavyweight fighter in the world.

The loss was the first of two in a row, though, as Carwin would go on to drop a one-sided decision to Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 earlier this summer. Though he made it through the bout without being knocked out, Carwin took a tremendous amount of punishment and has not yet been booked for another bout.

Still, the Colorado native remains one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world and possesses the punching power to end any fight at any time. He just needs to continue to work on that cardio.

4. Frank Mir

Many counted Frank Mir out prior to his UFC 81 fight against a debuting Brock Lesnar. Injuries and poor physical conditioning had led to some brutally bad performances from the former champion, but his career flipped back around that night when he shocked the world by slapping on a picture-perfect kneebar on Lesnar, forcing a submission.

Mir has since gone on to defeat some of the top heavyweights in the world in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Cheick Kongo, Mirko “Cro Cop” and Roy Nelson, between losses to Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar. Unfortunately, his ultimate goal of regaining his UFC heavyweight championship has eluded him, as both losses were in title fights.

There have been rumors that Lesnar will fight Mir in a “rubber match” if he does return sometime in late 2011 or 2012. Other rumors have also begun circulating that a rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira could be in order.

No matter his next opponent, though, Mir would be right back in the title hunt with a victory, and his unique jiu-jitsu and boxing skills make him a tough matchup for any heavyweight fighter.

3. Brock Lesnar

Even though he has spent the past 10 months outside the Octagon, Brock Lesnar remains a top-three heavyweight in the UFC just due to his tremendous physical presence.

Though there are more technically skilled fighters in the division, no one has the intimidating combination of strength and size that Lesnar does.

His 6’3”, 265-pound frame makes him an unbelievably difficult matchup for the division’s smaller fighters, and his wrestling prowess is among the very best we have ever seen in the sport.

If Brock does return to the UFC, it will be under his own terms, but certainly he will be put on the fast track to another championship fight.

He is the largest cash cow in the organization’s history, and as we’ve seen before, time away from the cage won’t change that.

He has a loyal group of fans who will cheer him on and seemingly just as large of a group of “haters” who want to see him fail.

No matter if they are cheering or booing him, though, Lesnar gets a reaction from the crowd, and he indisputably generates big increases the company’s pay-per-view buys. More money, more title shots.

2. Junior dos Santos

Undefeated in the UFC, Junior dos Santos will finally get his shot at UFC gold when he fights Cain Velasquez at UFC 139 later this year.

Dos Santos has been on a warpath since joining the organization in October 2008 at UFC 90, when he surprised everyone by knocking out the heavy favorite Fabricio Werdum. It was that night when his career really took off, as he has since gone on to run his UFC record to an impressive 7-0.

That record includes finishes in five fights and victories over numerous top-10 opponents, including the always dangerous Shane Carwin at UFC 131 in June.

Dos Santos was the favorite in that fight but dominated the fight in a way that few thought would happen by completely crushing Carwin on the feet and avoiding any sort of takedown.

It will be interesting to see if this same strategy comes into play against the current UFC champ...

1. Cain Velasquez

The consensus top-ranked heavyweight in the world at the moment is UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, whose record sits at a sparkling 9-0.

After defeating Cheick Kongo by decision early in his UFC career and following that up with a knockout victory over Ben Rothwell, Velasquez went on to destroy the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110, knocking him out less than halfway through the first round. But it was his next fight at UFC 121 that could define his career.

Velasquez came into his fight with Brock Lesnar as an underdog given his 20-pound weight disadvantage, but he used both technique and power to punish Lesnar on his way to becoming the UFC heavyweight champion with another first-round knockout.

October 2010 was the last time we have seen Velasquez in the cage, though, as he has been recovering from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.

The injury was originally not expected to keep him out for quite this long, but he is not expected to return to the cage until November at UFC 139, when he will defend his title against Junior dos Santos.

As the UFC champion, Velasquez is the unquestioned top heavyweight at the moment, but that could all change when he fights an opponent who will have no problem standing and throwing bombs with him in the center of the Octagon.