Young Guns' Sweep Completed: Retiring of the Old Guard at Heavyweight

Kevin Sampson

Correspondent Written on March 29, 2010

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Results - Author Poll

Which of these four men will be Champion in the end?

Brock Lesnar 29.4%
Shane Carwin 35.3%
Cain Velasquez 18.5%
Junior dos Santos 16.8%
Total votes: 119

Who are the greatest heavyweights in MMA history?

Any list should include: Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Frank Mir, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipović, Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Bas Rutten, Mark Kerr, Dan Severn, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Ken Shamrock.

Some have faded into retirement, and some are still fighting today.

How many are legitimate contenders for the UFC Heavyweight title? None!

In contrast to every other division, the UFC heavyweight division has been completely cleaned out by newer, younger, and terrifyingly good fighters.

After UFC 111, the heavyweight division has just completed its total rebirth. Old familiar legends have been dropping like flies and new faces have taken over the division.

The first step was on April 21, 2007 at UFC 70. Coming in as a huge underdog, Gabriel Gonzaga delivered a crushing head kick to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović . After that day, Cro-Cop would never be the dominant fighter he once was.

Cro-Cop would put his career back together, and took yet another run at success in the UFC. Unfortunately for Mirko, Junior dos Santos was in the way, and Junior stopped his return to greatness dead in its tracks at UFC 103.

Nov. 15, 2008, at UFC 91, Brock Lesnar defeated legendary champion Randy Couture by TKO and took his Heavyweight Title. Couture tried to come back, but lost the very next fight to Antonio "Minotauro" Rodrigo Nogueira, effectively ending his heavyweight career in MMA.

Josh Barnett has effectively juiced his way to irrelevance. He might be great, but can he stay off the steroids long enough for it to matter? At this point, he UFC is going to be as interested in Barnett as a blood bank in interested in a 30 year heroine junkie.

Fedor Emelianenko is not a factor in the UFC title hunt for obvious reasons. He's not in the UFC, and I don't think he ever will be. That is by his own choice of course.

After beating Randy Couture at UFC 102, Nogueira was back in the title picture and looking to move a step closer to a shot at the belt.

At UFC 110, the always impressive legend Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira was dropped well out of title contention at the hands of Cain Velasquez with a vicious first round knockout.

Coming into UFC 111, only one legend from the past was clinging to legitimate title contention. Frank Mir had already been thoroughly beaten at UFC 100, but his loud mouth, trash-talking, and an impressive first round win against Cheick Kongo had him back in the hunt.

At UFC 111, Shane Carwin’s crushing TKO victory dropped the final legendary heavyweight form title contention.

Frank Mir’s loss to Carwin finished the sweeping out of the old guard. The Heavyweight Division is now ruled by four new faces:

Which one will reign supreme as the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion?