Top UFC Heavyweights

Former professional wrestler Brock Lesnar displays the superhuman strength, mind-blowing speed, and penchant for aggressive violence that keeps small children and grown men awake at night. After losing to Frank Mir by submission in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut, Lesnar obliterated Heath Herring and then scored a TKO victory over UFC icon Randy Couture to win the heavyweight title. He will rematch Mir at UFC 100 and will try to prove to the world that the title is in the hands of the rightful UFC champion.

Relatively new to MMA, Shane Carwin is light on experience but heavy on power. A strong wrestler with heavy hands, Carwin has an 11-0 record with his most recent victory being his most impressive. He defeated Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO after weathering an early storm and then dropping Gonzaga with a right hand less than two minutes into the bout. It remains to be seen whether Carwin can make the leap from promising prospect to top contender, but he will definitely have the opportunity to prove himself in the heavyweight division.

Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira is a veteran of wars against top fighters like Fedor, Cro Cop and Bob Sapp. He came to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and immediately made an impact, beating Heath Herring and then Tim Sylvia to claim the Interim Heavyweight Championship. Nogueira lost the Interim belt to Frank Mir, although it is important to note that he was coming off a staph infection that put him in the hospital for five days just two weeks before the fight. “Minotauro” will get his chance to prove that the wars he’s been through haven’t taken too much from him when he faces Randy Couture at UFC 102.

Long known as the man who broke Tim Sylvia’s arm in an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title fight, Mir’s career seemed to be derailed before its peak by a catastrophic motorcycle accident. After coming back to losses and subpar performances in victory, a reinvigorated Mir submitted the massive Brock Lesnar and then out-boxed legendary “Minotauro” Nogueira en route to a TKO for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Title. He will look to beat UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar for the second time at UFC 100, thereby cementing his place at the top of the division.

Known as “The Natural,” and also “Captain America,” Randy Couture has won five Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) titles in two different weight classes. He is the most revered fighter in UFC history. After retiring following two losses to Chuck Liddell in the light heavyweight division, Couture returned to the UFC at the age of 43 and dominated then-champion Tim Sylvia en route to a five-round decision victory. He successfully defended the belt against Gabriel Gonzaga before losing to Brock Lesnar by TKO. Couture is also the owner of the Las Vegas gym, Xtreme Couture, home of some of the best MMA fighters in the United States.