Amadi's Take
AMADI: With major UFC bookings, heavyweight division taking over as the premiere weight class in MMA
Sep 7, 2011 - 1:30:54 PM AMADI: With major UFC bookings, heavyweight division taking over as the premiere weight class in MMA

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By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist

To this point, light heavyweight has always been the glamour division in mixed martial arts. After all, the first dominant champion in UFC history was Frank Shamrock, a light heavyweight. After Shamrock, MMA's first true superstar was Tito Ortiz, a light heavyweight. Chuck Liddell became MMA's biggest superstar by thumping Ortiz and claiming the top spot for himself. After two consecutive losses at heavyweight, Randy Couture revived his career at light heavyweight by beating Liddell and Ortiz in succession and parlayed those fights into legendary status. There is no way around the fact that a considerable amount of the sport's all-time greatest stars have emerged from the primordial ooze that stemmed from Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz back in 1997.

However, in the same way that Shamrock vs. Ortiz lit the spark for the light heavyweight division in 1999, Randy Couture coming out of retirement to defeat Tim Sylvia almost a decade later brought similar life to the heavyweight division. The buzz around that fight revitalized heavyweight MMA in a way that transformed the division from the red-headed stepchild of mixed martial arts to the sport's most popular weight class.

While Brock Lesnar has brought in more muscular numbers than any UFC fighter in history, it isn't fair to give him all the credit for the new buzz surrounding the heavyweight division. Randy Couture recapturing the heavyweight crown was the initial step in a rebirth of the division. Gabriel Gonzaga concussing Mirko Cro Cop with a high kick continued the buzz; Couture's title defense against Gonzaga carried it further, and even Couture's attempt at walking away from the UFC at the height of his popularity only added to the intrigue. Couture eventually dropping the title to Lesnar in 2008 led to UFC 100, which led to Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, which led to Lesnar-Velasquez, which brings us to today's landscape.

Meanwhile, outside the UFC, pre-Forza era Strikeforce earlier this year assembled the strongest heavyweight tournament in MMA since the 2004 Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix. Before Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce, Zuffa providing health insurance to all of its fighters, and the FOX deal, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix was thought to be a lock for the biggest story of 2011. Obviously Zuffa purchasing Strikeforce changed the stakes a bit, and the removal of Alistair Overeem made it a bit of a joke, but the tournament still raises the profile of five heavyweights that will more than likely be rolled into the UFC when the tournament concludes.

The way that heavyweight news is overshadowing the UFC's loaded fall lineup only crystallizes how far the division has come since Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia were playing hot potato with the UFC Heavyweight Championship in the mid 00's.

There is a UFC Fight Night event a week and a half, a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship fight the week after that, a UFC Bantamweight Championship fight the week after that, and then two title fights the week after that. Yet the conclusion of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, the recently announced bout between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem in December and the UFC Heavyweight Championship fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos dominate the consciousness of the MMA community, and likely will continue to do so until 2012.

Last week when Dana White asserted that the Heavyweight Championship was the most prestigious title in sports, the notion was quickly shot down in many circles. Perhaps resistance to the idea stems from the UFC's once meager heavyweight division, but public interest and strong pay-per-view numbers can no longer be denied; MMA fans love big hulking fighters who gas out within two rounds, and they will pay top dollar to see them.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi. Who cares if we gas out? We've got great physiques!