Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez (9-0)
Coming off a nearly 13-month hiatus due to surgery on a torn rotator cuff, Velasquez will look to extend his violent unbeaten streak defend his UFC title for the first time against fellow smasher Junior dos Santos. On Nov. 12, the pair will become the first UFC bout to be broadcast on Fox when they throw down in Anaheim, Calif.

2. Junior dos Santos (13-1)
Dos Santos took a chance, and it paid off. Instead of sitting on the shelf while UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez recuperated from shoulder surgery, No. 1 contender “Cigano” took a June 11 bout with Shane Carwin, a replacement for original opponent Brock Lesnar. The Brazilian boxed his way to a unanimous decision win, taking Carwin the distance for the first time in his career and keeping his trajectory for his Nov. 12 showdown with Velasquez.

3. Alistair Overeem (35-11, 1 NC)
Overeem appeared to be on the outs with Zuffa after turning down a Sept. 10 booking with Antonio Silva in Strikeforce and being stripped of his heavyweight title. However, just as quickly, the Dutch “Demolition Man” was back in: on Sept. 6, the UFC revealed that it had signed Overeem for a Dec. 30 matchup with former champion Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas.

4. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1)
On June 18, 51 weeks after submitting Fedor Emelianenko in a shocking upset, Werdum found himself in an entirely different type of fight. Despite showing flashes of strong standup, the Brazilian spent much of his Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix quarterfinal attempting to pull guard and lure Alistair Overeem into his realm. The Dutchman stayed upright for almost the entire bout and did enough to walk away with a unanimous decision, evening the pair’s series at 1-1.

5. Brock Lesnar (5-2)
He has had nearly 12 inches of his colon removed on account of his latest diverticulitis battle, but Lesnar is about ready to return to action. On Dec. 30, the hulking Minnesotan will face fellow physical specimen and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in Las Vegas.

6. Shane Carwin (12-2)
Carwin did not tire as he did in his title fight with Brock Lesnar, but the massive Coloradoan had little answer for Junior dos Santos’ strong striking in a three-round decision loss on June 11. After beginning his career with 12 consecutive stoppage wins, Carwin has now lost two in a row and will need to rebound in his next trip to the Octagon to stay among the company’s top big men.

7. Frank Mir (15-5)
Mir will attempt to follow up on a dominant May decision over Roy Nelson against an old foe. Having already punched out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in December 2008, Mir will have the chance to prove it was no fluke when he meets the Pride legend for a second time on Dec. 10.

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1, 1 NC)
Having been punched out in two of his last three starts -- the first stoppage losses of his storied career -- Nogueira was in need of a statement win. That’s exactly what he got on Aug. 27, when, before a riotous hometown crowd in Rio de Janeiro, “Big Nog” defied bookmakers and served hot prospect Brendan Schaub a first-round knockout. The 35-year-old will have revenge on his mind for his next bout: On Dec. 10, Nogueira will try to avenge his first knockout loss when he rematches Frank Mir.

9. Josh Barnett (31-5)
The sport’s preeminent catch-wrestling stylist added another major name to his resume on Sept. 10, handing fellow Pride veteran Sergei Kharitonov a first-round submission loss and advancing to the final of Strikeforce’s world heavyweight grand prix. Awaiting the “Warmaster” in the to-be-scheduled last round is unbeaten upstart and freestyle wrestling convert Daniel Cormier.

10. Daniel Cormier (9-0)
The two-time wrestling Olympian secured the biggest win of his short fighting career on Sept. 10, as he knocked out massive Brazilian Antonio Silva in the semifinals of Strikeforce’s world heavyweight grand prix. Less than two years into his MMA career, Cormier will now have the chance to tangle with all-time heavyweight great Josh Barnett in the tournament final, though the American Kickboxing Academy product’s broken hand may delay that bout.

Other contenders: Fedor Emelianenko, Cole Konrad, Roy Nelson, Brendan Schaub, Antonio Silva.

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