UFC 137 Results: Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo and the Top 10 Heavyweights in the UFC
On Saturday night, there were two heavyweight bouts, and all four men had a chance to make it into the top 10 with a win.
First, Roy Nelson beat Mirko Cro Cop via third-round TKO and likely ended Cro Cop's career.
After that, Cheick Kongo earned a unanimous decision victory over Matt "Meathead" Mitrione.
Nelson and Kongo were both top 10 heavyweights already, but after their victories, where do they stand in the heavyweight division?
Are either of them close to a shot at the title?
Only one way to tell...
No. 10: Stefan Struve
1 of 10Stefan comes in at the No. 10 spot, and always has the potential to move further up this list.
With an impressive submission over Barry, Struve reminded everyone that he is more than just a kickboxer.
Unfortunately, he is becoming more and more like a gatekeeper, suffering losses to Travis Browne, Junior dos Santos and Roy Nelson—all of whom are ranked above him on the list.
No. 9: Travis Browne
2 of 10Travis Browne is the first of three people on this list who have beaten Struve.
Browne knocked out Struve at UFC 130, then earned a sloppy decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 135.
Browne may not have looked impressive in his last fight, but he did still earn the win. He is slowly but surely moving up the heavyweight ranks and proving he could be a contender in the future.
No. 8: Cheick Kongo
3 of 10Cheick Kongo is another person who could be considered a gatekeeper in the UFC. He has defeated the likes of Paul Buentello and Pat Barry, but has lost against the upper echelon, such as Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir.
Kongo also fought Travis Browne, and that fight ended in a draw.
On Saturday night, Kongo stopped the Matt Mitrione hype train and earned a unanimous decision victory over "Meathead."
Kongo may be a gatekeeper, but that doesn't mean he isn't a handful for anyone to deal with.
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No. 7: Roy Nelson
4 of 10On Saturday night, Nelson got back in the win column with a third-round (T)KO victory over Mirko Cro Cop.
Prior to this fight, Nelson has fallen on some hard times, dropping two straight fights to Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir.
Not only did he get the win on Saturday but he also looked to be in much better shape. It was clear he had lost some weight, and his cardio looked much better.
No. 6: Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira
5 of 10Minotauro Nogueira is in the midst of a career resurgence after defeating Brendan Schaub via first-round knockout at UFC 134.
Nogueira is 2-2 in his last four fights, but the losses have come to Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez—certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
Nogueira looked very good in the fight against Schaub, and he could have some miles left in the tank.
His next fight will be with Frank Mir at UFC 140.
No. 5: Frank Mir
6 of 10Frank Mir is the former UFC heavyweight champion, but has been less than impressive as of late.
Mir's last two fights have both been victories, but first it was a boring fight against Mirko Cro Cop, then it was a boring fight against Roy Nelson.
Before that, Mir dropped two out of three to Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar.
His next fight will be against Minotauro Nogueira at UFC 140.
No. 4: Shane Carwin
7 of 10Shane Carwin is the former UFC interim heavyweight champion, and is a force to be reckoned with.
Unfortunately, he was manhandled by Junior dos Santos in his last fight; JDS earned a 15-minute beatdown of Carwin and the unanimous decision victory.
Carwin is currently out dealing with injuries, and isn't likely to return until the middle of 2012.
No. 3: Brock Lesnar
8 of 10It's pretty clear that the No. 3 heavyweight is the former champion, Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar has beaten No.'s 4 and 5 on this list, and is definitely a top heavyweight.
After coaching on season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter, Lesnar was supposed to fight Junior dos Santos for the No. 1 contender spot, but was forced to pull out of the fight due to a recurrence of diverticulitis.
Lesnar makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC 141 against Alistair Overeem.
No. 2: Junior dos Santos
9 of 10No surprise here, as JDS is the clear No. 2 heavyweight in the UFC and the world.
JDS has beaten No. 4, No. 7, No. 10, Fabricio Werdum and more. He's got a hell of a resume.
In his last fight, dos Santos beat Shane Carwin to earn the No. 1 contender spot and set up the most anticipated heavyweight title fight (not featuring Brock Lesnar) in recent memory.
JDS and Cain face off Nov. 12 during the UFC's debut on Fox.
No. 1: Cain Velasquez
10 of 10Cain Velasquez is the current UFC heavyweight champion, and is therefore the No. 1 fighter in the UFC heavyweight division.
Velasquez is 9-0 in his MMA career, with eight of those victories coming via (T)KO, and he holds wins over No. 8, No. 6 and No. 3.
Cain is known as the "Terminator." Let's see if he can complete his mission against Junior dos Santos on Nov. 12.
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