Bigger and Badder: The Future of the UFC Heavyweight Division

With the July 3 mega-fight between ufc Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar closer than ever, many fight fans are coming around to the idea that the Heavyweight division is one of the UFC’s strongest, most diverse divisions. Long thought of as the weakest of the UFC’s divisions, barring a few notable exceptions, the Heavyweights have finally taken center stage, and it’s all thanks to several massive men who continue to break and even redefine the mold of a UFC Heavyweight. Looking forward, here are three men that I think will define the UFC’s Heavyweight division for the next several years.

The first and perhaps most obvious choice is Cain Velasquez. Velasquez is seemingly the perfect amalgam of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin: Cain possesses both brutal ground and pound and vicious one-hit knockout power. Cain is also relatively new to the sport of MMA, and like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, his quick and relatively painless run to the top leaves the door open for years of domination. Velasquez is also one of the UFC’s most marketable stars. The son of an illegal immigrant, Velasquez will likely be a key figure in developing and continuing any sort of UFC deal with Mexico, up to and including an event in Mexico or even coaching a “Team Mexico” for The Ultimate Fighter. Even without his heritage, Velasquez’s seemingly unstoppable mix of grounding, pounding, and striking makes him one of the best Heavyweights in the world, a fact that I don’t see changing for quite some time.

Another choice that will likely come as a shocker to none is Junior Dos Santos. I’ve said it in the past, and it bears repeating: I’ve learned to never again bet against Junior Dos Santos. For all the MMA purists that swear up and down that a good ground fight is just as good as and even better than two guys sloppily swinging for the fences, nobody can deny that the chance to see a highlight-reel KO is one of the main reasons we all tune in to this sport of ours. And Junior Dos Santos has delivered at least one highlight-reel moment in every single one of his UFC fights to date. Most fans are well aware that his ground skills have yet to be truly tested, and while I think he will have his hands full if he takes on wrestling powerhouses like Lesnar and Velasquez, I truly believe that Dos Santos could separate any and every man currently competing in the UFC’s Heavyweight division from his consciousness. The UFC Heavyweight Division has lacked a championship-level “pure striker” since the days of Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, and Junior Dos Santos fits that mold perfectly. Even if he won’t be able to stand up to the ground game of some of the Heavyweight elite, I see Junior Dos Santos consistently near the top of the cards for the next several years.

My final choice may shock a few people, it may not. But here it is: Roy Nelson. I’ve been a fan of “Big Country” since his days in the IFL, and his performances inside the Octagon have got me thinking that Roy Nelson has only just begun to realize his potential. His striking has never looked sharper, and his ground game continues to evolve and improve. Plus, he’ll always have the appeal of being a non-standard Heavyweight. Seeing Big Country rub his big belly after turning in another exciting performance will likely never get old. While it’s anyone’s guess as to if he can get past Junior Dos Santos in their upcoming fight, I think Nelson has more than enough skill to consistently be “in the mix”. He may not reach the same heights as Junior Dos Santos or Cain Velasquez, but if he continues to improve, the top-tier better be ready to handle the weight of Big Country.

So what do you think, fans and friends? Who do you see sitting atop or consistently being contenders to the UFC Heavyweight throne?