The UFC heavyweight division has been a bit top-heavy for the past year, mainly because of the lack of depth when it comes to talent at the highest weight division, because of one big thing: injuries. Most of the higher profile heavyweight fights in 2011 have involved fringe contenders like Frank Mir and Roy Nelson or prospects like Dave Herman and Brendan Schaub.
The UFC as a whole has hit a bit of a rough patch when it comes to significant injuries to top of the line fighters and coming off a banner PPV year in 2010, 2011 has fallen short because many of the top line fighters scheduled to be on 2011 cards haven’t been able to do so. And it starts with the heavyweight division, where two of the top fighters haven’t competed in 2011 so far.
The Heavyweight Champion (Cain Velasquez) has spent most of the year recovering from a torn rotator cuff. The man he dethroned for the title (Brock Lesnar) has been on the sidelines with diverticulitis. One of the big names that have also been on the sidelines was Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Almost forgotten for a moment, which is what nearly two years between fights can do, Nogueira had UFC 134 as the chance to show what he had left. And he delivered with a shocking KO over Schaub, who had been groomed for a title shot with a victory over Big Nog and perhaps another win or two. And now it leaves the UFC in a fairly advantageous position.
With the year almost over, and Nogueira healthy and having buzz due to a big KO victory over Brendan Schaub, the highest profile division in the UFC is about to get a bit more busy at the top. Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos are scheduled to fight in October. Alistair Overeem is on the verge of signing to the UFC. Frank Mir is currently in need of a fight, as well, and the top fighters in the division are all appearing to be healthy for the first time in a while. With 2011 looking to end on an upswing for the division, 2012 could potentially be the year of the heavyweight in MMA. And it needs to start with one fight: Brock Lesnar vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Both Lesnar and Nogeira are at the same place in their careers for the same general reason; we don’t know how much either has left. Nogueira knocked out a top prospect and showed he has something left in the can but this isn’t the same Big Nog who took Fedor Emelianenko to the limit. He still has something left in him but we can’t be sure exactly how much. The images of him being knocked out by Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez are still fairly fresh in the mind, fresh enough to make one wonder whether or not this was a fluke.
Lesnar is in a similar spot. The last time he fought he too was knocked out by Velasquez. It’s been a year since he last fought and he had a tougher opponent to overcome than the current heavyweight champion. A foot of intestine removal later, Lesnar has recovered and has proclaimed to feel the best he’s felt in years. But the doubts have to remain; major surgery like that has changed the careers of many professional athletes and we don’t know if Lesnar will be the exception to the rule. Will having that sort of massive surgery change his body to the point where he won’t be anywhere near the man once referred to as “the baddest man on the planet” by many MMA commentators.
Brock’s comeback fight will be looked on with as much anticipation as Big Nog’s next fight.
Both are in a position to need to prove something. Nogueira has always wanted a fight with Lesnar, specifically listing him as a wanted future opponent after his victory at UFC 134, and Lesnar wants top competition. What either has left will be on full display and there’s one card to do it on: the first card of 2011.
The UFC needs to start the year off in a big way.
With Overeem’s debut being targeted for the last card of 2011, both Frank Mir and Shane Carwin have been rumored to be the man to welcome the kickboxing champion to the Zuffa banner. Either fight could give you the next challenger to the winner of Cain/JDS; pending an injury or justification for an immediate rematch you also now have a default title eliminator set up to bide time between that.
Either way the best way to prove that the UFC Heavyweight Division is back is by starting out the year with a fight people have wanted since Brock stepped into a cage.
