Known as “The Last Emperor,” if there’s a better heavyweight on Earth, we haven’t seen him. Emelianenko has bested former champions Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filopovic, Andrei Arlovski, and Tim Sylvia. He looks unassuming, but the Russian blends speed and power with a supernatural aggressiveness and the ability to take punishment. His lone loss was due to a cut in 2000. If he can best Josh Barnett in August 2009, all that will remain for him to conquer will be the Ultimate Fighting Champion’s heavyweight class.

With almost superhuman quickness and power for a man his size, the massive Lesnar actually has to lose weight in order to make the 265 pounds heavyweight limit. Coming off a victory over mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture, Lesnar is looking to avenge a previous loss to Frank Mir in July 2009. With only four professional fights, Lesnar is already a star and a true threat to the elite of the division.

A former Pride Fighting Championship champion, “Minotauro” Nogueira is a fan-favorite and a legend in the sport. Only 32 years old, Nogueira has seen a lifetime of wars inside the ring. He is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace and also displays solid boxing skills against top competition. With a record of 31-5-1, only Fedor Emelianenko can boast a more respected heavyweight career than “Minotauro.”

The current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Interim Heavyweight Champion, Mir is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace who has developed a solid standup game over the past couple years. The only thing that can hold Mir back is his unwillingness to commit to his training. A second victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 will cement Lesnar’s place as the second best heavyweight behind Fedor Emelianenko.

“The Babyfaced Assassin,” Josh Barnett is extremely popular in Japan. After defeating Randy Couture to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight title in 2002, Barnett began a career of fighting overseas in organizations such as Pride and Sengoku. Barnett made his U.S. return with victories over Jeff Monson and Pedro Rizzo under the Affliction banner. He is slated to test top-ranked Fedor Emelianenko in August.