Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
It almost seems like ages ago that Emelianenko was facing criticism over his level of competition. Affliction’s “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 will mark Emelianenko’s third straight bout against a former UFC champion, as he takes on Josh Barnett in their long-awaited heavyweight clash.

2. Josh Barnett (24-5)
The Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted. Barnett will finally take on Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1 at Affliction “Trilogy” in yet another marquee heavyweight showdown for MMA in the coming months.

3. Frank Mir (12-3)
A knee injury postponed Mir’s matchup with Brock Lesnar in May. Now, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion will seek to unify both versions of the promotion’s title when he rematches Lesnar at UFC 100 on July 11.

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Whether it will wind up being the fight for which fans had long hoped remains to be seen, but two of the sport’s most enduring icons will square off at UFC 102 in August when Nogueira finally meets up with Randy Couture.

5. Brock Lesnar (3-1)
The former World Wrestling Entertainment star got a bit of bad news when his UFC heavyweight title rematch with Frank Mir was postponed due to injury. Lesnar will get the chance to become the lone undisputed UFC heavyweight king come July 11 when the two meet again at UFC 100.

6. Randy Couture (16-9)
His bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is long overdue. Hopefully, when “The Natural” and “Minotauro” square off at UFC 102 in August, the clash of heavyweight legends will not prove past its expiration date.

7. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Few would have denied that his heavy hands gave him a chance against Andrei Arlovski, but Rogers took his opportunity and ran with it against the former UFC champion. It took Rogers just 22 seconds to turn out the lights on the Belarusian, setting up an Aug. 15 date with Alistair Overeem for Strikeforce’s heavyweight title.

8. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
Despite having knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.

9. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Just when it looked as if he were on the ropes, Carwin folded Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96. The victory gave the touted heavyweight prospect his 11th stoppage win in as many fights.

10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
With Brett Rogers’ 22-second smashing of Andrei Arlovski, Overeem’s first Strikeforce title defense may now be a tad more daunting. Another freak hand injury notwithstanding, “The Demolition Man” will risk his title against Rogers on Aug. 15.

Other contenders: Junior dos Santos, Aleksander Emelianenko, Jeff Monson, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum.