Usually noted as the division in combative sports that brings the large crowds, the Heavyweight division today in the UFC has been relegated to the back of the bus for the much more exciting Lightweight division. Even with the more exciting battles taking place recently in the Lightweight and Light Heavyweight divisions, the Heavyweight division still gets a lot of attention from fans across the board whether they be hardcore or casual. Nonetheless, the division is declining and it's time for Dana White to begin searching for some talent.
Division on the fall
The most notable reason for the fall is the destruction of the PRIDE veteran talent pool that was brought over to invigorate the division. Most notably, Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic is 0-2 in his last two fights in the UFC. He wa supposed to be the catalyst that would bring droves of fans to see his exciting head kick knockouts and tactical striking. Unfortunately, Mirko ran into problems dealing with elbows, the cage, and a very tall Frenchman. The non-signing of Fedor Emelianenko was the last chance to bring over a huge name who had huge talent. Barnett still remains the x-factor, although he seems to be more interested in training fighters these days.
Couture's departure from the championship role has also left the division hurting at the top of the totem pole. Although Zuffa maintains that Couture is the champion, we all know that it is only a matter of time before a legal battle ensues. The fans won't be seeing Fedor vs. Couture in the UFC and unfortunately won't be seeing Couture take on the tough and legitimate opposition in Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira.
Poor matchups have also seemed to be hurtful toward the impression of the Heavyweight division. Sylvia vs. Vera was deemed a decent matchup before the fight began, but quickly turned south wtih Vera breaking his hand inside a minute and both fighters hugging each other. Arlovski played patty cake with Fabricio Werdum in their matchup and has been relegated to the bench until the UFC and his management can work out a new deal, a deal that is probably much lower than Arlovski deems as an acceptable offer. Even at UFC 79, Eddie Sanchez vs. Soa Palelei featured sloppy standup and zero technical ability from each fighter. When are we going to see an increase in the roster and the talent pool in this division?
Upcoming matchups
Let's look at some of the matchups coming up to get a feel for exactly how lacking this division is right now:
Interim Title Fight: Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira vs. Tim Syliva
Matchup: Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar
Matchup: Fabricio Werdum vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Matchup: Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo
Matchup: Colin Robinson vs. Antoni Hardonk
Other Heavyweights
Andrei Arlovski - Contract Problems
Randy Couture - Contract Problems/Resigned his position
Mirko Crocop - Upcoming Fight TBA
Justin McCully - Offered Kongo, missed deadline to take fight
Soa Palelei - Lost to Sanchez at UFC 79
Eddie Sanchez - Defeated Palelei at UFC 79
Brandon Vera - Broken Hand
Looking at this list, it is nearly a certainty that Couture won't return. Arlovski is still up in the air, although it's looking more like he will go into the free agent market to get more money. Mirko is a dark horse as he is apparently up to 230 and sporting more muscle. Sanchez, Palelei, McCully, Robinson, and Hardonk are in the lower-echelon of talent in the division. Those fighters most likely won't make runs into the upper-echelon of the UFC.
Herring, Kongo, Werdum, Mir, and Lesnar are all in the mid-echelon right now. Mir, Lesnar, Kongo, and Herring have chances coming up to break into the low end of the upper-echelon of the division, but for the most part, Sylvia and Nogueira maintain the top spots. Taking in that information, there is a significant talent gap near the top, much like the Middleweight and Welterweight divisions.
The difference is that those divisions have a lot of talent in the middle that can at least battle it out to move into the upper spots. Those divisions have also benefited from The Ultimate Fighter and the heavyweight division hasn't had another season focus on it yet. 185 and 170 also have more numbers worldwide, therefore the talent pool has more potential to increase in the UFC.
TIme for a change
The Ultimate Fighter could help swell the numbers in the division, but the UFC needs to start scouting talent worldwide and bringing in talent that could potentially be the next Randy Couture or Fedor Emelianenko. The Middleweight division seems to be gaining ground again, and the Welterweights have obtained some help from PRIDE veterans moving to that weight class. It's time to help the big guys out.