Former HW champion most likely to be champion/number 1 ranked again?

Due to the fractured nature of the division and the fact Fedor is the real champion, consider UFC and non UFC fighters who were once champion who could potentially defeat Emelianenko. Interim titles count too.

Andrei Arlovski has a good chance to get a rematch with Fedor eventually and a decent chance to defeat him. Sylvia is washed up and will never get a title fight again. Mir might be the most likely of them all though considering the direction of his career vs the rest of the division. Nogueria would be the natural choice but it's obvious the UFC wants to keep him out of title shots as long as possible.

While I don't agree on the AA part, I do basically agree on the overall. But isn't the fact that Nog keeps getting staph one of the problems dogging him? He has had it twice in the last 13 months and walked away from an earlier fight date because of it. Mir has the best chance to reclaim a Championship, particularly since he has improved so much in his striking while retaining his high level of BJJ.

Should have been a none of them option

Well Frank Mir is pretty much on his way to being the #1contender again.

Frank Mir is the only guy on the list other than Randy that Fedor hasn't already laid waste to. Also, Frank can beat anyone once the fight hits the canvas so he has as good a chance as anyone to beat Fedor.

Arlovski has such a long road to even get back to title contention, likewise for Sylvia. Nog isn't getting any younger, I doubt he will ever hold the UFC belt again.

I'm betting Randy never fights at HW again so he's pretty much out of the discussion IMO. Even if he did move back to HW, there's no way he could hang with guys the size of Mir, Carwin, or Lesnar at this point in his career.

Bigs03 wrote:

Frank Mir is the only guy on the list other than Randy that Fedor hasn't already laid waste to. Also, Frank can beat anyone once the fight hits the canvas so he has as good a chance as anyone to beat Fedor.

Arlovski has such a long road to even get back to title contention, likewise for Sylvia. Nog isn't getting any younger, I doubt he will ever hold the UFC belt again.

I'm betting Randy never fights at HW again so he's pretty much out of the discussion IMO. Even if he did move back to HW, there's no way he could hang with guys the size of Mir, Carwin, or Lesnar at this point in his career.

Come on now. Frank would get schooled if he was on the ground with either Werdum or Big Nog. Fedor would be a horrible matchup for Mir. He would get lit up standing and it would be very hard to get Fedor to the ground. Even he did, Fedor would neutralize everything he did.

Out of the champions listed I would not one. AA would have the best chance because he does have better striking than Fedor. The problem is if anything from Fedor lands he will be out cold again.

Ninja\Rua/Fan wrote:

Bigs03 wrote:

Frank Mir is the only guy on the list other than Randy that Fedor hasn't already laid waste to. Also, Frank can beat anyone once the fight hits the canvas so he has as good a chance as anyone to beat Fedor.

Arlovski has such a long road to even get back to title contention, likewise for Sylvia. Nog isn't getting any younger, I doubt he will ever hold the UFC belt again.

I'm betting Randy never fights at HW again so he's pretty much out of the discussion IMO. Even if he did move back to HW, there's no way he could hang with guys the size of Mir, Carwin, or Lesnar at this point in his career.

Come on now. Frank would get schooled if he was on the ground with either Werdum or Big Nog. Fedor would be a horrible matchup for Mir. He would get lit up standing and it would be very hard to get Fedor to the ground. Even he did, Fedor would neutralize everything he did.

Why would you say that? Frank has never been schooled by anyone on the ground except Lesnar because he was strong enough to hold Frank down and gNp him out. I don't think Frank could beat Fedor but out of the guys listed I would pick Frank as having the best shot.

Bigs03 wrote:

Ninja\Rua/Fan wrote:

Bigs03 wrote:

Frank Mir is the only guy on the list other than Randy that Fedor hasn't already laid waste to. Also, Frank can beat anyone once the fight hits the canvas so he has as good a chance as anyone to beat Fedor.

Arlovski has such a long road to even get back to title contention, likewise for Sylvia. Nog isn't getting any younger, I doubt he will ever hold the UFC belt again.

I'm betting Randy never fights at HW again so he's pretty much out of the discussion IMO. Even if he did move back to HW, there's no way he could hang with guys the size of Mir, Carwin, or Lesnar at this point in his career.

Come on now. Frank would get schooled if he was on the ground with either Werdum or Big Nog. Fedor would be a horrible matchup for Mir. He would get lit up standing and it would be very hard to get Fedor to the ground. Even he did, Fedor would neutralize everything he did.

Why would you say that? Frank has never been schooled by anyone on the ground except Lesnar because he was strong enough to hold Frank down and gNp him out. I don't think Frank could beat Fedor but out of the guys listed I would pick Frank as having the best shot.

Maybe because he never went to the floor with a decent grappler his entire career?

Except for his grappling career, where Roy Nelson, Babalu, Maia have all schooled him.

Unfortunately, we will probably never see Fedor and Frank in the cage or ring together. I disagree with ya'll, though, Frank is very good on the ground. Is he as good as Fedor? No, but that doesn't mean he's not good. His ground skills combined with his size and strength make him a pretty game opponent for anyone IMO. I think he would dominate Roy Nelson right now easily.

People who voted Big Nog need to get slapped.

Big Nog does have a good chance, not a great chance but if given a title shot, if he can avoid the TKO against the good huge wrestlers early, I can't believe they wouldn't tire out and be vulnerable to a slick submission.

Ninja\Rua/Fan wrote:

People who voted Big Nog need to get slapped.

Really? Randy certainly isn't, Timmy no way, AA where? so it's between Frank and Nog, both have tough fights coming up, and if you had to pick one of them, I'd pick Nog, though I think neither will.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Due to the fractured nature of the division and the fact Fedor is the real champion, consider UFC and non UFC fighters who were once champion who could potentially defeat Emelianenko. Interim titles count too.

Andrei Arlovski has a good chance to get a rematch with Fedor eventually and a decent chance to defeat him. Sylvia is washed up and will never get a title fight again. Mir might be the most likely of them all though considering the direction of his career vs the rest of the division. Nogueria would be the natural choice but it's obvious the UFC wants to keep him out of title shots as long as possible.

Wolf the UFC dont want to stop Nog from getting a title shot Frank Mir stopped him. If he would have KOed Mir he would be the lead dog for the title shot. About the question I voted Mir cause I think he will beat Carwin and he is smart so with all the shit he has been saying about Brock he knows Brock will want to fight him again in the rubber match.

Ninja\Rua/Fan wrote:

People who voted Big Nog need to get slapped.

I voted for Nog because of my sheer fandom.

I voted Mir but I would vote AA if he rejoined UFC.

Honestly I think Mir has the best shot to take on Fedor successfully. He has developed a good sense of timing in his strikes over the last year(as shown in the Kongo and Nogieura fights). I think He has the best chance because Fedor wouldn't be too quick to go to the ground with him. If he could put Fedor in the same situation Rogers did by catching him and putting him on his back I think Frank could finish Fedor 6 out of 10 times, maybe 7.

Arlovski has much more crisp striking than Fedor and was exploiting that when he fought Fedor, until he got over excited and forgot his gameplan. In a rematch I think Arlovski could do it so long as he didn't try anything stupid again.

Sylvia shouldn't even be in this discussion.

Couture's career at heavyweight is done, the division is getting too big for him now.

Nogieura, I like his chances against almost anyone else in the world. But We've seen already on three occasions(including the one that was a no contest) what Fedor does to a passive fighting style like Nogieura's. The Homer Simpson method of fighting is only a one way ticket to severe headaches and a losing record against Fedors skillset.