"Fighting Randy Couture is one of the things that motivated me to fight in the UFC.... Once you have the title, you have to defend it. He and Fedor are some of the best fighters in the world but if they want to be THE best then they have to fight here in the UFC. If they want to have any belt in any organization they have to be prepared to fight the best fighters in the world every two or three months -- that's how you hold the title."

-- UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira speaks the truth in a recent interview with the Press-Telegram. However, the recent -- and possible -- departures of some key players such as former champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, in addition to Couture, could leave the UFC heavyweight cupboard looking rather barren. Nogueira, Frank Mir, Brandon Vera, Fabricio Werdum, Heath Herring, Cheick Kongo, Brock Lesnar, Mark Coleman, Gabriel Gonzaga, as well as promising prospects Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, would essentially be the crux of the top talent in a worse case scenario. Is that good enough to be considered the best?