Fighters.com's July Heavyweight Rankings

The heavyweight division paces like a heavyweight slog.  I’m tempted to switch to a semi-annual evaluation…but not until after this weekend.

There were a couple of shakers this month, but no movers.

In London 7 June, seventh-ranked “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1) played a samba on “The Truth” Brandon Vera‘s (8-2) noggin for a first round TKO.

Werdum remains the top contender to “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira‘s (31-4-1) UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Of course, Big Nog’ is pitted versus struggling, but dangerous former UFC Champion Frank Mir (11-3) in a made-for-TUF match-up in October.

Werdum will probably draw the winner of 9 August’s eighth-ranked “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-13) versus Brock Lesnar (1-1) fight, maybe on the same October UFC card to build the follow-up versus the winners.

Also in action this rankings period, tenth-ranked “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) blew through confidence-booster Justin McCully (8-4-2) in Las Vegas 5 July to break a two-fight losing streak for the man who sentenced “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) down a spiral the Croatian has yet to ascend from.

This weekend in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, Affliction will twist the heavyweight Rubik’s cube and a lot of colorful riddles will turn black-and-white.

With bated breath, the MMA world awaits the answer to biggest mystery in the division:  How good is sixth-ranked “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1)?

Many rank the Russian tops, but even his minions struggle like “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1) in an armbar to defend Emelianenko’s two-year dearth of top competition.

Will third-ranked “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4) shake his history of choking in the face of the big challenges?  Sylvia has always fought tougher as an underdog…

On the same card, fourth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (12-5) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (29-5) have heavyweight questions to face-up to.

Can Arlovski regain his pre-Sylvia KO tenacity that earned him the nickname “Pitbull”; or, is he comfortable fighting “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) for the title of “MMA’s Most Elusive”?

Is Rothwell “Big” enough for the top ten?

Also, fifth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5) will try to avenge a vicious 2001 knockout to “Rock” Pedro Rizzo (16-7) and earn a fight versus the winner of Sylvia/Emelianenko.

Finally, ninth-ranked Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3) will slug it out with “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (25-10) on the undercard’s main event, possibly the most exciting fight of the night.

Fighters.com will be live in Anaheim Saturday for the biggest heavyweight MMA card in history.  Get the true scoop as it happens right here.

The odd man out is legally-challenged top contender “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8), who could lose his top contender status this weekend if Emelianenko beats Sylvia by stoppage.

July Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)

It ain’t pretty! Nogueira has turned “blocking punches with your face” into a winning strategy versus top teners Sylvia, Herring, Barnett, and Werdum in the last two years, earning him the Fighters.com Heavyweight Championship.

2. “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8)

The best strategist in a weight class of brutes returned to solve the 6’8″ riddle of Sylvia over five grueling rounds to reclaim UFC’s title, then forced Cro Cop-slayer Gonzaga to wish MMA had timeouts in a bloody three-round TKO.

3. “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4)

The oft maligned “Maine-iac” has meshed his stature with world-class striking, championship cardio, and a Jeff Monson-tested ground game. His losses are to legends Nogueira and Couture, but he’s failed to lay out ripe KO candidates Arlovski and Monson.

4. “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (12-5)

“Pitbull” has fought like a poodle since getting neutered by Sylvia in an ‘06 KO loss, but was able to steal a decision from Werdum in the most disappointing fight of ’07.  Perhaps free agency will reignite the once explosive fighter’s fire.

5. “The Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5)

“The Babyface Assassin” returned to tap Hidehiko Yoshida and UD Jeff Monson and is the last man to beat Noguiera. He also holds a submission of hard-headed Mark Hunt in the last two years.

6. “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1)

Rankings reflect what has happened in fights with a predilection towards the most recent and Emelianenko hasn’t fought another top ten heavyweight in 33 months.   He’ll take sixth and like it or take first by defeating Sylvia in July.

7. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1)

“Vai Cavalo” spanked Gonzaga like a bad monkey in January, then played a samba on Brandon Vera‘s head in June.  Werdum is streaking into a rematch with Noguiera for the UFC and probably Fighters.com title.

8. “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-13)

Herring’s bungle versus Nogueira was beefed-up with a strong decision over Cheick Kongoin March.   Three losses to Nogueira stop-gaps a potential UFC title challenge, but the “Texas Crazy Horse” will fight an even bigger name in Brock Lesnar.

9. Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3)

Fedor’s li’l bro’ isn’t lost in the shadow of “The Last Emporer”. In the last two years, the man with the coldest stare down in MMA has outclassed his brother in competition, losing only to top ten heavies while TKOing fellow Russian Sergei Kharitonov.

10. “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3)

After mauling Mirko Filipovic in Manchester, “Napao” risks becoming a footnote in MMA history with consecutive stoppage losses to Couture and Werdum.  The big man has the tools to remain top ten for years to come, but does he have the heart?