The heavyweight rankings are stagnant at the moment, but we’re in store for plenty of movement in the coming months. #2 Lesnar and #4 Dos Santos face off in early June, and the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix resumes later that month.
1. Cain Velasquez
Velasquez has resumed training and awaits the winner of June’s Lesnar/Dos Santos fight. He’ll look to return to action in the fall or early winter.
2. Brock Lesnar
Lesnar’s coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter has been underwhelming television thus far. He’s far more likable, approachable and…well, boring.
3. Fabricio Werdum
Werdum finally has a date for his Strikeforce tourney bout with Alistair Overeem. It’ll go down in June in Dallas. A win would make him the tournament favorite, but winning the fight will be a tough task.
4. Junior dos Santos
Dos Santos has been incredibly likable on The Ultimate Fighter. He goes into his June bout with Lesnar as a distinct favorite courtesy of his powerful boxing skills.
5. Shane Carwin
Carwin finally returns to the cage in June, where he’ll welcome newcomer Jon Olav Einemo to the cage.
6. Frank Mir
Mir faces friend and former jiujitsu rival Roy Nelson at UFC 131. He’s never out of title contention and a win over Nelson would put him near the top of the heavyweight pile once again.
7. Antonio Silva
Silva will await the winner of the Overeem/Werdum bout, so he’ll likely be out of competition until the fall at the earliest.
8. Alistair Overeem
Overeem is the favorite in the heavyweight grand prix, and he may face his sternest challenge in Werdum this summer. Potential superfights with Velasquez, Lesnar and other UFC heavyweights could happen down the line.
9. Roy Nelson
Nelson just got a hair cut, which means the super mullet is back in effect. Will it enable him to beat Frank Mir in May? Only time will tell.
10. Fedor Emelianenko
A superfight with Dan Henderson seems to be in the offing. Would a win restore Emelianenko’s immediate legacy? It’s hard to say, but it should be a fun fight either way.
Under consideration: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Josh Barnett, Brendan Schaub, Cole Konrad
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