FLAMES TRIVIA | FLAMES AUDIO | FLAMES DIRECTORY | Peter Maher's Blog | Mike Rogers's Blog | Bryn's Blog | Pat's Blog
For so long, the weak link for the UFC was their heavyweight division. We saw plodding fights with personalities hard to get behind; ala Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski. But with new top names being developed, the return of a legend, and a very good crop of potential future contenders, the heavyweight division is no longer an afterthought.
I look at it and pinpoint a few different names who have redefined the division. There is still work to be done, the lightweight division and light heavyweight division; even the welterweight division are more stacked. But the improvement we’ve seen in the weight class has been dramatic, and certainly notable. Here are the main reasons why…
Brock Lesnar – The current UFC Heavyweight Champion is one of the most polarizing figures we’ve seen in a long time. Whether or not you like the road he took to get it, you can’t deny the fact that he is the champ…no “interim” tag. He won the belt fair and square off Randy Couture and has been nothing short of dominating his last 2 fights. Lesnar is one of the biggest signings Dana White and the UFC have ever made, for so many reasons. He has a following, coming from his collegiate and WWE wrestling background. He’s a straight-up jerk on camera, which means people either love him or hate him. And what he does inside The Octagon polarizes people too.
There are some, myself included, who believe his loss to Frank Mir was a fluke and he’s as scary a force as we’ve seen in the sport. Those people believe he is a legitimate heavyweight force and have no problem with him holding the strap right now. His wrestling is perhaps the most dominant ever in MMA and his ability to take down opponents is second to none. His raw power is also superior to most in the sport, and one shot that connects can send a fight spiralling out of control…just ask Heath Herring. But the skeptics point to 2 things. First, his lack of finish. Granted, he dominated Herring but couldn’t finish the fight. However, Brock took a TKO win over Randy Couture, so that eliminated that argument right there. The second, he’s too 1 dimensional. He was submitted early in a fight by Mir and has relied on his superior wrestling fairly heavily. To which I say…so? If you’re good at something, do it. I believe he’ll have no problem with Mir in their rematch.
Frank Mir - The current Interim Heavyweight Champion polarizes people as well, and has helped boost the division in a huge way as well. First of all, there’s a story behind Mir’s return to the top of the mountain. The former undisputed champ was involved in a major motorcycle crash in 2004 and had to relinquish his title as a result. It took a long time, including some lackluster outings, to return to any sort of relevance in the UFC. But Mir perservered, and earned a shot at Antonio Nogueira, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.
But Mir has more going for him than just the tearjerker story. He, similar to Lesnar, can come off in a not-so-great manner, which has fans either love him or hate him. When I talked to him a few months back, it took a little while for him to start answering my questions in more than 3 or 4 words. He was great once he got going, however. So, again, people will watch the guy to cheer or jeer him. Inside The Octagon, Mir has transformed his game. His win over Noguiera was extremely impressive because of the way he was able to dominate the standup game. We’ve known Mir was great on the ground, but the improvement while standing was very remarkable.
Randy Couture – The UFC Hall of Famer was a huge boon for the UFC, albeit short term. One of, if not the, most popular fighters in UFC history left on a lengthy hiatus before being convinced to return against Lesnar. He’ll fight again in a few months against Noguiera. It doesn’t matter if The Natural is fighting Chuck Liddell, Brock Lesnar, or Gabriel Gonzaga; he’ll always draw a huge buyrate, and he’ll always give the UFC more visibility. His return to the heavyweight division was extremely helpful.
Antonio Minotauro Nogueira – The addition of Nog to the heavyweight roster was a very underrated move when it was made in 2007. The former PFC Heavyweight Champion gave the UFC instant credibility in the minds of hardcore fight fans, and Nogueira did the rest with his personality and fighting style. Nog did a few things for the division. First, he gave them a myriad of intriguing potential matchups they can put a lot of marketing force behind. The history of Minotauro is such that any fight he has will be against a top name…so you can either bill it as a rematch (Heath Herring, UFC 73) or a first time meeting (Sylvia, Couture, Mir). He’s also very likeable, and came across as such in his run as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter.
Shane Carwin – I put Carwin in here because of the heat starting to build behind him. He’s now 11-0 in his MMA career, and the UFC has done a very good job in protecting a valuable asset and building him up to be a perceived power. His first real test was at UFC 96 against the aforementioned Gonzaga, and he passed with flying colors thanks to a devestating knockout 69 seconds in. He’s got a great wrestling pedigree, a great look, and an undefeated record to exploit to gain followers. If he holds up his end of the bargain, he could be looking at a very nice run the next few years.
The Rest – What I really like is the depth in this division behind the guys we’ve already pinpointed. Chiek Kongo is a guy that impresses me more and more every time he fights. He’s big, and he delivers scary strikes. His all round game has come around, as he no longer looks like a fish out of water on the ground. Heath Herring is always a tough fight and even if he never gets to the top of the pack, he’s always capable of pulling out an upset over a top name. Mirko Cro Cop will be back with the promotion, and Gonzaga is going to be on a mission to get him back to the top of the pack.
I really like what has happened in this division as of late, and I really like that it’s going to continue for the next little bit. Let me know if I left anyone out!
I think that list is pretty complete. Great article.
I’m excited to see Kongo’s progression come UFC 97. Although, as you mentioned, his weak spot has always been his ground game. Which, i’m sure we won’t see against Hardonk, a kickboxer. This will be stand up all the way.
The talks of Overeem migrating to UFC has heated up. He was ringside at UFC 93 and said he’s ready to fight in UFC. I’d be anxious to see where he fits in this group. Also, every so often, you hear Sem Schilt’s name come into play.
Anyways, sorry – a little off topic. I know we’re talking UFC signed heavyweights.
Let me bring up another name to you Pat – Junior dos Santos. Still pretty green, but his 2 UFC KO’s were pretty vicious (i.e. Werdum). Let me know if you see him moving into the ‘known fighters’ group for UFC heavyweights; obviously after a few more wins and fights.
I’d love to see a Carwin v. Kongo match somewhere down the line. Worlds would shake when those 2 hit each other.
PS: Kongo seems to have developed a real chip on his shoulder, which is awesome, because a guy with his tools needs a little aggression to go along with it. His fight at 97 should be real interesting. As for Overeem, I Youtubed a couple fights and the dude is scary, and if and when he comes to the UFC, he will certainly make an impact. As for JDS, I think he is on his way to being in the discussion. He’s already KO’d a former top heavyweight in Werdum and he has some really great all round skill. Clearly he has the KO power, but he also is Brazilian, so we know he’s good on the ground as well. I think 1 or 2 more fights and we’re talking about dos Santos in the discussion as well.
- TyFirst, a couple of thoughts on Lesnar and the upcoming match up with Frank Mir.
Looking at the sheer brute strength and size of Brock Lesnar, there is little doubt he’s a daunting challenge for anyone. Frank Mir is an excellent striker, but I find it hard to believe that Mir could knock out Lesnar. That being said, I’m not so sure Mir would have an easy time submitting Lesnar again. Look at the size of the guys arms and the sheer girth of his upper body. You think you can choke that guy out? You think you can lock in an arm bar and not have him just tear it free? Brock’s only real vulnerability I’ve seen thus far might be his lower body. Mir’s best bet might be to look for a knee lock or a heel hook and hope for the best.
Cheik Kongo for me can be one of the most electric guys in that division when he wants to be. It seems that he either shows up ready to roll, or just flat out isn’t mentally in it. When he’s on, he is scary good. That being said, he’s another very strong and very large heavyweight. I’d love to see Congo in the running for a title shot in the near future.
I for one am totally jacked for Couture v BigNog. World class wrestling against world class Jiu Jitsu. Promises to be a very good matchup against two of the best ever.
Keep your eyes on Cain Velasquez as well. The kids young, and the kid is VERY exciting. He’ll be a title contender by the end of the year.
PS: Jordan, I 100% agree with you on the Lesnar front, very well said. The problem with trying to submit Lesnar is just that, his sheer size. I find it very hard to believe that a guy like Mir is going to be able to outstrike Lesnar to the tune of getting a knockdown. As soon as Lesnar feels he is being outstriked, he’ll take the match to the ground and work top position. Can Mir work for a knee bar or a heel hook? Maybe, but I think Lesnar is much better trained for that this time around. Again, I agree with you on Kongo…I think he has worked on his committment issues and will be locked in for the future. And I love Velasquez, and now feel bad that I left him out, because I totally agree he deserves to be in this conversation. He has raw power and is going to be incredible.
- Jordan P