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ROY BIG COUNTRY'S TOP 10 LIST

The Heavyweight title in many organizations is meaningless unless you can fight the best on the planet. Unless you work for an organization that is willing to work with fighters, other promoters, and who ever... to bring the best together. Not to put on a mirage of fights to make believe you have the best. That is called propaganda. Most big organizations have at least one or two legit heavyweight contenders. That is why the world heavyweight MMA title in many organizations doesn’t mean jack squat. The IFL has one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world with Roy "Big Country" Nelson, and here is my case. Also, here is my top 10 list of heavyweight MMA fighters on the planet and, yes, I'm including myself.


10. Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3-0) Aleksander, at 6-6, 253 pounds, is six inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Fedor, his brother. He has better hands than his brother and even hits harder. I love to watch him for the most part because he comes to fight. If you want to see a standup war he is your man but he lacks or has no ground skills.


9. Fabrico Werdum (11-3-1) Werdum is a Brazilian fighter who has good jiu jitsu and has beaten some of the best “PR machines” heavyweights like in Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga.


8. Andrei Arlovski (12-5-0) Arlovski was once the most feared man in the UFC. He has the Tito Ortiz or Mike Tyson persona until he lost it to Tim Sylvia. Now I believe he will be facing his toughest opponent yet in Ben Rothwell. After his fight with Rothwell it will either keep him in the top ten or move closer to me at the number 5 spot.


7. Tim Sylvia (24-4-0) Tim is the first Goliath in MMA. Standing at 6-8, 265 pounds, the former UFC Champ has a longer reach than almost every fighter out there. He is a smart fighter that puts game plans together and executes them even if they are rather boring. In his last fight against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira he earned my respect by out-boxing the "wannabe" Cuban boxer. Tim has a shot against Fedor just off the pure size advantage and boxing prowess. (TIM, WATCH OUT FOR YOUR ARM!)


6. Ben Rothwell (29-5-0) Ben is technically on a 13-fight win streak, but we know he is on three-fight -- soon to be four. In Rothwell’s next fight, he is stepping up the competition in the MMA fans’ eyes with a former Arlovski. Ben and I know that Arlovski is tough fight but the problem is at the top level if you make the mistake the lights go out unless God blessed you with a CHIN. Ben has a CHIN -- I personally tested it. Arlovski doesn't have that gift, so I think Ben should win. If he goes out there, guns blazing, he should KO Arlovski and move up the rankings. If Ben fights like his training partner Tim it is going to be long and boring fight and he will lose. If he loses, my number 6 pick becomes Mirko Filipovic. (23-6-2)


5. Roy Nelson (13-2-0) Roy Nelson -- or also known as Big Country -- is one the most underrated heavyweights in the world. He has one of the best work ethics when it comes to heavyweights. He has trained with some of the best fighters in the world. He is first a teacher, then a fighter, which gives him the advantage over his opponents. He is the only heavyweight besides Fedor who looks like he could be a construction worker, steel mill worker, garbage man, and anybody that can step off the assembly line. With one exception -- he can fight, standing or off his back.


4. Randy Couture (16-8-0) Couture is without question one of the greatest fighters to ever step foot into a cage or a ring; the man is a legend. He has victories over some the best fighters in the world when everything was stacked against him.


3. Josh Barnett (22-5-0) Barnett became the youngest UFC Heavyweight champion ever at the age of 24 years old. He was one the first true MMA fighters, that tried to learn it all; boxing, wrestling, and jiu jitsu. He then went to Japan because of the politic in the states. In Japan he won the Pancrase Grand Prix title, and became a PRIDE Fighting star. He did go on to beat some of the best talent in the division, including Aleksander Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Mark Hunt.


2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1, 1 NC) Nogueira is the only man that I have seen take a beating and be power bomb and survive. He is the guy that is just like newly crowned UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Forest Griffin. He takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. Nogueira has some the most text book jiu jitsu I have ever seen in MMA. (Side Note: watch Nogueira vs Barnett - jiu jitsu textbook) He has fought some of the best and survived only to turn the tables on his opponent and win.


1. Fedor Emelianeko (27-1-0, 1 NC) Fedor is the MAN. He has beaten the best years ago. Times are changing and the Big Boys are coming to beat him. I respect Fedor as a fighter who has the whole package plus he can shrug off a Randleman suplex like it’s nothing, only to kimura him. He is one of the only fighters I know that is like Ivan Drago of Rocky IV with no emotion, just a pure unbreakable fighter.


The top 10 above is just my opinion, but I believe it probably is the most accurate with no biased opinion. I believe that there should be one fighter, one belt, one champ and no politics, no red tape, so we can bring the best fighters together. The problem is easy -- 50% for the promoter, 50% for the fighters. No ‘whore’ contracts where you live in fear of your ‘pimp’ that’s going to beat you. Brandon Vera knows what happens when you get out of line; so does Josh Barnett, and B.J. Penn. As a fighter in the political world I don't know what song and dance goes together but as an entertainer and sports athlete I know what works in any sport. JUST WIN, and WIN SOME MORE! The top 10 list for anything in the commercial world is nothing more then a list, that helps the Fans and non Fans who to cheer for and what to buy.


Roy "BIG COUNTRY" Nelson top ten list, and MMA related articles are featured on RoyNelson.com. Questions or Comments and or Fan Letters please email me personally at Im-A-BigCountryFan (at) RoyNelson.com to be put on the the Big Country's VIP list.