Heavyweight
1. Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1)
Werdum became the 14th undisputed UFC heavyweight champion on June 13, unifying his interim title with that of two-time champ Cain Velasquez by submitting the American Kickboxing Academy star via a third-round guillotine choke. Once considered a one-dimensional grappler with limited striking, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has evolved into a well-rounded mixed martial artist, as evidenced by the potent standup which precipitated his finish of Velasquez and previous stoppage of Mark Hunt. Since rejoining the UFC three years ago, Werdum has gone 6-0 with two submissions and two knockouts. A rematch with Velasquez is next on the horizon, having been booked for UFC 196 on Feb. 6.2. Cain Velasquez (13-2)
Returning from an injury-laden layoff of nearly two years, Velasquez struggled mightily and ultimately surrendered his heavyweight crown to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 188. Whether due to ring rust or the Mexico City altitude, Velasquez faded fast after the opening round; by the third frame, Werdum’s strikes rocked him into an ill-advised takedown attempt which ended in a guillotine choke submission. It was the first submission loss of Velasquez’s career and his first defeat since falling to Junior dos Santos in November 2011. The American Kickboxing Academy rep will face Werdum in a rematch atop UFC 196 in February.3. Alistair Overeem (40-14, 1 NC)
Overeem collected the 40th victory of his MMA career with an upset knockout of former titlist Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox 17. The action leading up to the finish was hardly scintillating, as the “Demolition Man” fought cautiously and avoided early exchanges before unloading with his famously heavy hands. Overeem has won three fights in a row, his first winning streak since joining the UFC in December 2011.4. Junior dos Santos (17-4)
Since losing the UFC heavyweight title in his 2012 rematch with Cain Velasquez, dos Santos has been unable to gain any sort of momentum in the sport’s most tumultuous division. “Cigano” was a heavy favorite to defeat Alistair Overeem on Dec. 19, but the Brazilian wound up doing very little before he was punched out late in the second round.5. Stipe Miocic (13-2)
Miocic was utterly dominant in his victory over Mark Hunt on May 10, mauling the famously durable kickboxer with ground-and-pound for the better part of five rounds before finally earning an overdue referee stoppage. The win saw the Ohioan rebound from a grueling December loss against Junior dos Santos. Now 7-2 inside the Octagon, Miocic continues to inch closer to title contention. Next up: a date with Andrei Arlovski at UFC 195 on Jan. 2.6. Andrei Arlovski (25-10, 1 NC)
Though his performance left much to be desired, Arlovski got past fellow former champion Frank Mir in the UFC 191 co-main event on Sept. 5, as he took a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The resurgent “Pit Bull” has now won six consecutive fights overall and improved to 4-0 since returning to the UFC in June 2014. He will carry that momentum into a Jan. 2 showdown with Stipe Miocic at UFC 195.7. Travis Browne (17-3-1)
Browne came up on the wrong end of a back-and-forth brawl with Andrei Arlovski at UFC 187, succumbing to punches from the ex-UFC champ late in the first round. It was just the second stoppage loss in 21 professional fights for the towering Hawaiian, who holds a record of 4-2 with four knockouts over the past two years. Browne will return to action on Jan. 17, when he faces Matt Mitrione at a UFC Fight Night event in Boston.8. Ben Rothwell (35-9)
Rothwell used an unorthodox guillotine choke to submit hard-hitting Matt Mitrione on June 6, propelling the 15-year veteran up the ranks in the UFC’s wide-open heavyweight division. It was the Wisconsinite’s third win in as many years, following stoppages of Alistair Overeem and Brandon Vera. Rothwell will take on former UFC champion Josh Barnett at UFC on Fox 18 in January.9. Mark Hunt (10-10-1)
Hunt rebounded from the worst beating of his career against Stipe Miocic to torch Antonio Silva at UFC 193. In the long-awaited rematch of their five-round majority draw in December 2013, Hunt took out “Bigfoot” with a glancing but concussive right hand to the side of the head and follow-up punches just 3:41 into the first round. The 41-year-old “Super Samoan” has gone 2-2 in his last four appearances, with wins over Silva and Roy Nelson sandwiched around losses to Miocic and Fabricio Werdum.10. Vitaly Minakov (17-0)
Bellator’s unbeaten heavyweight champion is back, but he is not competing inside the Bellator MMA cage. Minakov remains under contract with the stateside promotion, though the two parties have reached a “stalemate” regarding his next fight, according to the fighter’s management. In the meantime, Minakov has racked up three wins in his native Russia, most recently scoring a Dec. 11 submission of ex-UFC fighter Josh Copeland.Other Contenders: Josh Barnett, Karol Bedorf, Ruslan Magomedov, Matt Mitrione, Jared Rosholt.
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