Originally Posted by IronMan @ MMAOpinion

Unlike Georges St. Pierre (18-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC, #1 IWMMAR) vs. Thiago Alves (16-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC, #2 IWMMAR, the heavyweight title figh at UFC 100 will do nothing to establish the #1 fighter in the division.

At the end of the night, whether the crowd chooses to chant his name or not, Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-0-1 MMA, #1 IWMMAR) will still be the greatest heavyweight in the world. He will still be ranked #1. The best that Frank Mir (12-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC, #2 IWMMAR) or Brock Lesnar (3-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC, #4 IWMMAR) can hope for is to slip ahead of Fedor’s upcoming opponent and lay claim to the second place position.

Of course, claiming the number two sport with any authority will demand an impressive performance, especially from Lesnar. If there’s controversy in this fight, there’s a chance that Josh Barnett (24-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC, #3 IWMMAR) could find himself in that number two position. In international MMA, winning decisively means a lot more than simply winning, and if you want to claim a real top spot in a division, it’s important to make sure that you establish authority by destroying opponents. Emelianenko has done that, while Mir and Lesnar haven’t exactly put together dominant runs.