MMA Fighter Rankings: Heavyweight

On the first Wednesday of every month, theScore's MMA editors compile a list of the top 10 fighters in each of the major weight classes.

Rankings
Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight
Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Featherweight
Bantamweight | Flyweight
Women: Bantamweight | Strawweight

Heavyweight

• The waiting is the hardest part. Although nothing is official at this point, Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez will likely renew acquaintances on Super Bowl weekend. Werdum violently wrested the title from Velasquez at UFC 188 in June in one of the most one-sided championship seizures in promotional history.
• Two of the division's most terrifying strikers are set to square off at UFC on FOX 17 when Junior Dos Santos finally meets Alistair Overeem. The two men have been circling each other for years, and they'll finally get a chance to add fist to face on Dec. 19.
• It's the year 2015, and somehow Andrei Arlovski finds himself on the brink of a title shot. Before he can land that title shot, though, "The Pitt Bull" will need to navigate the choppy waters of Stipe Miocic's well-rounded game at UFC 195 in January.
• Unable to land a bout with a top-five opponent, Ben Rothwell finds himself in a tough position against former UFC champion Josh Barnett. A victory over a talented, savvy veteran like Barnett will definitely raise Rothwell's stock, but it's unlikely to land him a shot at the winner of Werdum-Velasquez.