2016 UFC Fighters To Watch: Heavyweight
2016 UFC Fighters To Watch: Heavyweight
FloCombat breaks down the UFC fighters you need to watch in the heavyweight division during 2016.
By T.P. Grant
Mixed Martial Arts can be a difficult sport to follow at times, to all but the most hardcore of followers of the sport it can seem a confusing mess of weight classes and champions. The UFC roster currently sits at over 500 fighters, not to mention the thousands of fighters outside of the promotion, so it’s understandable to have a hard time keeping so many names straight.
So to help with that, FloCombat is going to run down each UFC weight class and highlighting fighters that the new or casual MMA fan should be watching.
Heavyweight is a paradox of a division, at times it has been MMA’s most forgettable division but at other times it has produced MMA’s biggest stars. Currently the division has more quality fighters than ever before in its history, even if some of them are aging. There is real talent at the top of the division and with the title changing hands new match ups have opened up making Heavyweight a very exciting division once again.
One of the best Heavyweight jiu jitsu competitors of all time, Fabricio Werdum has fighting pro since 2002 and has fought in Pride, Strikeforce and the UFC. Werdum has fought nearly every Heavyweight of note of the last 15 years. Werdum famously handed Fedor Emelianenko his first loss in a decade with an iconic triangle armbar victory in Strikeforce.
A multiple time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion, Werdum’s work at Kings MMA under Rafael Cordeiro has slowly turned Werdum into a deep and technical striker at range and in the clinch. Since returning the UFC in 2012 Werdum has steadily looked better and better as he climbed the ranks and then finally choked out Cain Velazquez to claim the UFC Heavyweight title.
Werdum is possibly the most skilled and craft oriented Heavyweight in the UFC right now. No UFC Heavyweight Champion has defended the title more than twice, Werdum is set to attempt his defense in May of this year and should he succeed there he could go on to be longest tenured Heavyweight champion in UFC history.
A 2-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State, Cain Velasquez made his UFC debut in 2008, just 2 years into his career. Fighting out of the American Kickboxing Association, Velasquez was touted as Heavyweight’s chosen one, the prodigy prospect that would bring order to a division impossible to rule. Velasquez seemed ready to assume that mantle when he dispensed with Brock Lesnar inside a single round to become UFC Champion. Then in his first defense, Velasquez was knocked out by Junior dos Santos live on Fox. Velasquez rebounded from the loss, earned a rematch and has since beaten dos Santos twice.
Velasquez is the best wrestler in the Heavyweight division, which he pairs with strong boxing. What makes Velasquez’s game really click is his excellent endurance, he can keep a pace few Middleweights can match much less Heavyweights. Once he gets opponents to the mat, Velasquez makes them pay for every second they spend there. Velasquez’s greatest challenge has been staying healthy, he keeps an intensive training regime and it has resulted in multiple serious injuries in the last 8 years. Velasquez is healing up waiting for a chance to rebound against, the last time he returned to the cage from a loss Velasquez put one of the most dominant performances of his career. The heavyweight division is one that values experience over youth, and Velasquez still has quite of a bit time left in his career to make another run at becoming the great UFC champion he was predicated to be.
The newest face in the Heavyweight title picture, die hard Cleveland fan Stipe Miocic is hoping to bring a championship back to northern Ohio. A former college baseball player and wrestler at Cleveland State in addition to being a Golden Gloves boxing champion and a firefighter, Miocic is just entering his 6th year of fighting. Much of his career has been in the UFC and while he has suffered a few set back losses, Miocic seems to be finally coming into his own. A striker first and foremost, Miocic has powerful hands and a strong wrestling base to use in the clinch and to keep things standing. Miocic has already beaten several top 10 heavyweights and now with the injury to Cain Velasquez, Miocic is set to fight Fabricio Werdum for the UFC Heavyweight title. This is Miocic’s chance to break out and establish himself as an elite heavyweight for years to come.
A dynamic Russian kickboxer, Ruslan Magomedov is a rising prospect inside the Heavyweight division. Hailing from Dagestan, a Russian state known for producing elite combat sports talent, Magomedov is an amazing fluid athlete, striking together punches and kicks like a fighter half his size. Specifically his movement and his ability to effortless flick out head kicks sets Magomedov apart from his Heavyweight brethren. He has only been in the UFC for two years and is already climbing up the Heavyweight rankings, expect Magomedov to become a fighter the UFC looks to build towards title contention as he continues to develop.
Mixed Martial Arts can be a difficult sport to follow at times, to all but the most hardcore of followers of the sport it can seem a confusing mess of weight classes and champions. The UFC roster currently sits at over 500 fighters, not to mention the thousands of fighters outside of the promotion, so it’s understandable to have a hard time keeping so many names straight.
So to help with that, FloCombat is going to run down each UFC weight class and highlighting fighters that the new or casual MMA fan should be watching.
Heavyweight is a paradox of a division, at times it has been MMA’s most forgettable division but at other times it has produced MMA’s biggest stars. Currently the division has more quality fighters than ever before in its history, even if some of them are aging. There is real talent at the top of the division and with the title changing hands new match ups have opened up making Heavyweight a very exciting division once again.
Fabricio Werdum
One of the best Heavyweight jiu jitsu competitors of all time, Fabricio Werdum has fighting pro since 2002 and has fought in Pride, Strikeforce and the UFC. Werdum has fought nearly every Heavyweight of note of the last 15 years. Werdum famously handed Fedor Emelianenko his first loss in a decade with an iconic triangle armbar victory in Strikeforce.
A multiple time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion, Werdum’s work at Kings MMA under Rafael Cordeiro has slowly turned Werdum into a deep and technical striker at range and in the clinch. Since returning the UFC in 2012 Werdum has steadily looked better and better as he climbed the ranks and then finally choked out Cain Velazquez to claim the UFC Heavyweight title.
Werdum is possibly the most skilled and craft oriented Heavyweight in the UFC right now. No UFC Heavyweight Champion has defended the title more than twice, Werdum is set to attempt his defense in May of this year and should he succeed there he could go on to be longest tenured Heavyweight champion in UFC history.
Cain Velasquez
A 2-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State, Cain Velasquez made his UFC debut in 2008, just 2 years into his career. Fighting out of the American Kickboxing Association, Velasquez was touted as Heavyweight’s chosen one, the prodigy prospect that would bring order to a division impossible to rule. Velasquez seemed ready to assume that mantle when he dispensed with Brock Lesnar inside a single round to become UFC Champion. Then in his first defense, Velasquez was knocked out by Junior dos Santos live on Fox. Velasquez rebounded from the loss, earned a rematch and has since beaten dos Santos twice.
Velasquez is the best wrestler in the Heavyweight division, which he pairs with strong boxing. What makes Velasquez’s game really click is his excellent endurance, he can keep a pace few Middleweights can match much less Heavyweights. Once he gets opponents to the mat, Velasquez makes them pay for every second they spend there. Velasquez’s greatest challenge has been staying healthy, he keeps an intensive training regime and it has resulted in multiple serious injuries in the last 8 years. Velasquez is healing up waiting for a chance to rebound against, the last time he returned to the cage from a loss Velasquez put one of the most dominant performances of his career. The heavyweight division is one that values experience over youth, and Velasquez still has quite of a bit time left in his career to make another run at becoming the great UFC champion he was predicated to be.
Stipe Miocic
The newest face in the Heavyweight title picture, die hard Cleveland fan Stipe Miocic is hoping to bring a championship back to northern Ohio. A former college baseball player and wrestler at Cleveland State in addition to being a Golden Gloves boxing champion and a firefighter, Miocic is just entering his 6th year of fighting. Much of his career has been in the UFC and while he has suffered a few set back losses, Miocic seems to be finally coming into his own. A striker first and foremost, Miocic has powerful hands and a strong wrestling base to use in the clinch and to keep things standing. Miocic has already beaten several top 10 heavyweights and now with the injury to Cain Velasquez, Miocic is set to fight Fabricio Werdum for the UFC Heavyweight title. This is Miocic’s chance to break out and establish himself as an elite heavyweight for years to come.
Ruslan Magomedov
A dynamic Russian kickboxer, Ruslan Magomedov is a rising prospect inside the Heavyweight division. Hailing from Dagestan, a Russian state known for producing elite combat sports talent, Magomedov is an amazing fluid athlete, striking together punches and kicks like a fighter half his size. Specifically his movement and his ability to effortless flick out head kicks sets Magomedov apart from his Heavyweight brethren. He has only been in the UFC for two years and is already climbing up the Heavyweight rankings, expect Magomedov to become a fighter the UFC looks to build towards title contention as he continues to develop.