1997 UFC Heavyweight Top 5 Rankings

 

Post UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan 

1. Randy Couture  



Was there ever any doubt? Couture went a perfect 4-0 this year including the upset of Belfort and winning the heavyweight title from Smith.

2. Maurice Smith  











Smith claimed the heavyweight title exposing Colemans conditioning in the process, although he’d go on to defend the title once against Tank Abbott, he would close out the year losing it to Couture.

3. Mark Coleman   










Coleman continued to make history, this time becoming the first UFC heavyweight champion but would lose it to Smith later that year.

4. Dan Severn  




Severns lone fight this year was losing his Superfight title in a fight to determine the first heavyweight champion to the peaking Coleman.

5. Vitor Belfort 




The phenom came out like a bat out of hell blitzing his first three opponents in a combined three minutes until he met his match in fellow newcomer Randy Couture, who would bury him deep in the mud.




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