Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos and the 5 Best Upcoming HW Fights

With the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix just around the corner and the title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos set to go down on Fox, fans will be anticipating the action that is about to ensue in the sport's heaviest division.

While UFC heavyweights Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin and Frank Mir are currently awaiting their next fight, there are a bunch of matchups featuring the best of the rest of the division that promises to provide fireworks in the upcoming months.

It all starts with Strikeforce on Sept. 10, which will feature heavyweight fighters Josh Barnett, Sergei Kharitonov, Daniel Cormier and Antonio Silva.

The featured HW matchup of 2011 and in recent history will be the Velasquez vs. dos Santos championship fight for the UFC HW title. Velasquez won the title when he defeated Brock Lesnar last year.

These are the five best upcoming heavyweight matchups that you don't want to miss.

Notable Mention: Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve

Both Stefan Struve and Pat Barry come into their Oct. 1 bout looking to rebound from devastating knockout losses in their last fights.

Struve suffered his third KO loss in the UFC when he was hit with a superman-punch by Travis Browne. Barry was on the brink of a KO victory when he was knocked out himself by Cheick Kongo.

Even more telling than the storylines is the height disparity between the two. Struve comes into the fight at 6'11" while Barry stands at 5'11".

Whether this fight takes place on the ground or on the feet, it will definitely be interesting to watch.

Expect a finish in this one as well. Only two of their combined 35 matches have gone the distance.

No. 5: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson

Will the fight with Roy Nelson be Mirko Cro Cop's last stand?

Everyone will find out at UFC 137 when they take the center of the Octagon and prepare to engage in a battle for their careers in the UFC.

Nelson comes into the fight on a two-fight losing streak, but against tough competition in Frank Mir and Junior dos Santos. Both were decision losses.

Cro Cop has lost his last two fights—KO losses to Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub.

The fighters' chins may be the key to success, but it's only Nelson who possesses the chin to withstand the power his opponent carries. Fans can still expect the Croatian to come in looking to let everything go, so don't expect him to go out easy.

No. 4: Mike Russow vs. Dave Herman

Dave "Pee Wee" Herman could be the UFC's most exciting heavyweight fighter, but he will have to increase his technical ability if he has any plans of getting past former NCAA Division I wrestler Mike Russow.

The fight takes place on the main card of a stacked UFC 136.

Russow comes into the fight on a three-fight win streak in the UFC. His most notable victory came in a 2010 fight with Todd Duffee when he claimed a come-from-behind, one-punch KO to knock out Duffee in the third round.

Herman also had to overcome adversity in his UFC debut against Jon Olav Einemo. The 6'5" heavyweight was on his heels before knocking out the Norwegian in the second round.

Herman comes into the fight having finished 20 of his 23 opponents. Russow showed he is incredibly hard to finish in his fight with Duffee, so it will be interesting to see if Herman can get the job done.

"Pee Wee" may need to also start believing in jiu-jitsu, which he stated he doesn't at the post-fight press conference at UFC 131. Russow has eight submission victories to his credit and is one of the better submission artists in the HW division.

No. 3: Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo

Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo will fight at UFC 137 for a shot at a top contender in 2012.

Mitrione is 5-0 in MMA and in the UFC. At 33, his career got started late but got started in the right place fighting among the best fighters in the world. He holds wins over Christian Morecraft, Kimbo Slice and Joey Beltran.

Kongo was recently seen in one of the year's most exciting fights with Pat Barry. Kongo recovered from two knockdowns to knock out Barry with a vicious uppercut in the first round of their fight.

Kongo is by far the most skilled, experienced and toughest fighter Mitrione has yet to face. This will be the fight that proves whether or not he really can make a run for the title. If Mitrione makes it past him, he will have definitely earned a shot at a top contender.

This is just as important for Kongo, who comes into the fight only having won two of his last five fights.

No. 2: Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov

Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov will be headlining the Sept. 10 Strikeforce card, and it will be for a spot in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. The winner will face the winner of the Antonio Silva vs. Daniel Cormier bout, which will also take place on the card.

After Alistair Overeem pulled out of the tournament, Barnett became the new favorite to win. He will have to make it past the elite striking ability of Kharitonov—who comes into the fight off a knockout victory over Andrei Arlovski—if he wants to be considered among the top 10 in the heavyweight division.

Some already do give Barnett a spot in the top 10, and it's because of his win streak that dates back to 2007.

Neither fighter likes to win fights by decision. Kharitonov has only one decision victory in 22 fights while Barnett has four wins by decision in 35 bouts.

No. 1: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos haven't met anyone quite like each other in their MMA careers.

Dos Santos is no Brock Lesnar, and Velasquez is no Shane Carwin. Both overcame serious size disadvantages to dominate their bigger and stronger opponents to set up this mega-fight that is scheduled to take place on Nov. 12 for the UFC's debut on Fox.

This fight is one of the more unpredictable title fights in recent memory, and it is certainly one of the most anticipated heavyweight matchups in quite some time or arguably of all time.

Both fighters have had little trouble defeating every opponent placed in front of them, which leaves many questions still left unanswered about both.

Expect to get answers about both fighters come fight night.