UFC's Junior dos Santos is the Future of Heavyweight - Fighters.com's January Heavyweight Rankings

Brazilian heavyweight “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (10-1) climbed to the fifth spot in Fighters.com’s December Heavyweight Rankings after knocking out “Hurricane” Gilbert Yvel (33-14-1) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January second.  He’s now just beneath his sensei, fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1), and just out of the UFC’s big three champions, one of whom has held a portion of the UFC title for the last two years.

Both seventh-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) and unranked Cain Velasquez (7-0) have been hyped as top contenders ahead of dos Santos primarily because Carwin is all-American and Velasquez is Mexican-American, two key UFC demographics.  Dos Santos has a better record than both Carwin and Velasquez over the last two years and with every bit as exciting finishes as either.  But, dos Santos has been underhyped also because Nogueira is both still a contender and a big draw.  Only one of them can be marketed as a potential contender at a time because they won’t fight each other, and Nogueira is the bigger name.

But, Fighters.com thinks dos Santos’s time gaining experience versus quality opponents like Yvel and “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) will benefit him in the long run more than being rushed to a title shot like Carwin and Velasquez have been.

In boxing, prospects take a long road to a title shot, building their record and experiences on the path.  They beat power punchers, technical fighters, European stylists, pressure fighters, brawlers, and every look they can get while gradually increasing their level of competition.  They might even lose a fight or two along the way and good fighters will learn from those losses as much as from their wins.  By the time they fight for a title, if they’re management has served them well, they’ve seen it all and are confident going into their first title challenge.

In MMA, prospects are often rushed through the ranks and granted title shots because they’re getting a lot of hype or are marketable, not necessarily because they’re ready physically and mentally.

However, because dos Santos’s rise through the ranks has been limited by his teacher’s contendership, he’s earning an eventual title shot the old fashioned way.  And, he’ll benefit from that in the long run.

Just in the UFC, he’s beaten a world-class submission grappler and certified top ten heavyweight ninth-ranked “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1), a 6’11″ young thoroughbred “SkySkraper” Stefan Struve (23-3), an MMA legend and patient kickboxer Filipovic, and now a intimidating, wild kickboxer in Yvel.  Dos Santos also has one loss under his belt, a 2007 armbar submission to Joaquim Ferreira (3-3).

Dos Santos is already a top contender, though you wouldn’t know it in the UFC’s marketing.  However, when his time finally comes, he’s going to have the skills, experiences, and seasoning to be a long-serving champion.

Fighters.com January Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1)

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

3. Frank Mir (13-4)

4. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1)

5. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (10-1)

6. “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-1)

7. Shane Carwin (10-0)

8. “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5)

9. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)

10. “The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10)