The date and venue remain a mystery for now, but MMA's heavyweight ruler finally has an opponent for his Strikeforce debut. Come autumn, Emelianenko will risk the mantle he's held for nearly seven years when he battles unbeaten power puncher Brett Rogers.
2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
Following his victories over Randy Couture and Frank Mir, many have wanted to see how Lesnar would deal with a fighter who can match his mammoth size. They will now get their wish, as Lesnar's next title defense will come at UFC 106 in November, where he takes on fellow hulking heavyweight Shane Carwin.
3. Josh Barnett (24-5)
Barnett had the chance to vie for the sport’s heavyweight mantle in his slated Aug. 1 bout with Emelianenko. Instead, another positive steroid test for Barnett destroyed the matchup, put the final nail in the coffin of Affliction’s promotional wing and marred the former UFC champion’s career.
4. Frank Mir (12-4)
Most of the attention Mir has received lately has stemmed from talks of a superfight between him and middleweight ace Anderson Silva. However, the real next fight for Mir will come at UFC 107 in December, when he takes on French hitter Cheick Kongo.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 NC)
Through his first three outings in the UFC, Nogueira looked like a shell of the fighter who became one of MMA's greatest over the course of this decade. Nearly 25 pounds lighter, the 33-year-old Nogueira was in vintage form at UFC 102, though. He took an exciting unanimous verdict over Randy Couture, putting himself back in the UFC title mix and also in a much better place in the perceptions of fans and critics.
6. Brett Rogers (10-0)
After a fight with Alistair Overeem failed to materialize, "The Grim" was declared the winner of the Fedor Emelianenko sweepstakes. The unbeaten Rogers will meet MMA's reigning heavyweight king in his Strikeforce debut this fall, with the date and venue to be determined.
7. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
Despite having knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Emelianenko and Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.
8. Randy Couture (16-10)
He was game, but the 46-year-old Couture was soundly beaten by the reinvigorated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their fantastic headlining bout at UFC 102. Though it's now been two years since Couture knocked off Gabriel Gonzaga in his last win, Zuffa still re-inked him to a six-fight contract extension that will allow "The Natural" to finish his career in the Octagon.
9. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Originally expected to meet fellow undefeated prospect Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 in October, Carwin was part of Zuffa reshuffling its heavyweight deck. Now the potent-punching Colorado native will take on Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight crown at UFC 106 in November.
10. Junior dos Santos (8-1)
In his two Octagon appearances, the upstart Dos Santos has punched out quality opponents in Fabricio Werdum and Strefan Struve in less than a combined 2:30. However, the next fight for "Cigano" figures to have a bit more staying power, as he takes on Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic at UFC 103 on Sept. 19.
Other contenders: Aleksander Emelianenko, Jeff Monson, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum.
*With no activity in the last 10 months, the idling Alistair Overeem slips just outside the top 10 and onto the contenders list.