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Originally Posted by Zakuraba
HW:
1. Fedor Emelianenko - Undisputable.
2. Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic - The only other logical person who could be placed ahead of Cro-Cop is Nog. However, after the loss to Hunt, Cro-Cop has re-established himself and been on a tear lately. The strongest argument for his placing over Nogueira is the fact hat he has beaten Barnett 3x (2, if you don't count the freak injury), and has even finished him convincingly in their last meeting. Nogueira is 1-1 with Barnett.
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - After his recent victory over Barnett, Rodrigo solidifies himself as the last component in the Fedor-Mirko-Big Nog triumverate of dominance.
4. Josh Barnett - His ranking is also undisputable because there is simply no one else who deserves this spot. Barnett may have lost against both Cro-Cop and Nog, but the simple fact that he has fought some amazing competition and managed to win (against Big Nog), is a testament to his ability.
5. Randy Couture - This is debatable, however, it is probably also the most logical. Sylvia had a solid lock on this spot, and even challenged Barnett for his ranking. However, Couture completely and utterly dominated Sylvia, AND has actually fought at HW before and had success, so you cannot simply write it off as a BJ Penn beating Matt Hughes or Nick Diaz beating Gomi situation. Randy Couture is a proven HW, so that is why I do not hesitate to give him Sylvia's former spot after defeating him.
6. Fabricio Werdum - Has been very impressive, even though he is 3-2 in his last 5 fights. His only losses were decisions against top fighters in Nog and Kharitonov. He just defeated Aleksander and has wins over top competitors in Jon Olav Einemo and Alistair Overeem. The HW division is in disarray right now, with a lot of A-B-C situations, but Werdum's win over Aleks secures his spot.
7. Brandon Vera - Funny how everyone automatically forgets that Brandon Vera fights in the HW division once he leaves the UFC. The guy has definitely proved himself, and with wins over Mir, Eilers, and especially Assuerio Silva, he proves that he has what it takes to compete at the top level.
8. Tim Sylvia - After his lost to Couture, his stock has significantly dropped. But despite the haters and naysayers rejoicing, Tim Slyvia has not dropped off the face of the planet, nor the Top 10 rankings. He lost to Couture convincingly, yes, but luckily for him due to the HW ranking's complete disarray, he can make claim to the 8th spot. This spot could conceivably belong to Aleksander Emelianenko, but Sylvia's overall recent credentials are more impressive than Aleks. Both Sylvia and Aleks are coming off losses, but Sylvia before that had beaten Arlovski 2x, Monson, and Assuero Silva, whereas Aleks had beaten Kharitonov and Nastula, and lost to Barnett.
9. Aleksander Emelianenko - Recently lost to Werdum, but before that KO'ed Sergei Kharitonov.
10. Sergei Kharitonov - The only reason I rank him above Arlovski is because despite them having a similar W/L pattern, his overall competition has been higher. His win over Werdum before the 2 losses gives him an edge over Arlovski, IMO, despite both their recent wins being unimpressive.
11. Andrei Arlovski - This spot could easily belong to Hunt, but since Arlovski losses belong only to Sylvia as of late, I give him the edge.
12. Mark Hunt - Hunt has beaten Cro-Cop, which is highly impressive, but it is a fight he is tailored to win. If Hunt and Cro-Cop 10 times, Hunt would win the majority, unless Cro-Cop suddenly learned takedowns. Hunt just matches up against Cro-Cop all too well. Equally skilled striker with a better chin. His losses over Barnett and Emelianenko don't exactly destroy his reputation, but he is still relatively unproven. The win over Cro-Cop is what is keeping him here.
13. Roman Zentsov - You may think this is insane, having a guy who is 15-10 in the Top 15, but think about it. The HW division is in shambles past the Top 10 right now. With the Kharitonov-Werdum-Aleks triangle and Sylvia's loss to Couture, there is simply a lack of competitors past the Top 10. Zentsov is 6-0 in his last 6 fights, and has KO's over credible opponents like Ibragim Magomedov, Gilbert Yvel, and Pedro Rizzo.
14. Jake O'Brien - Again, a lack of competitors. His win over Herring gives him this spot.
15. Gabriel Gonzaga - Ditto. Although you can argue that Zentsov, Gonzaga, and O'Brien are all interchangeable.
Also, you can stick Fujita or Coleman into any of the last 3 spots, and it could be understandable. LHW's coming up next.
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