By Shawn Smith

The UFC's heavyweight lineup took a hit late Tuesday afternoon, when the promotion announced that Ben Rothwell had been notified of a potential anti-doping violation by USADA, his second such offense under the UFC banner.

While nothing is official yet, it seems likely that Rothwell's UFC 211 bout against Fabricio Werdum on May 13 in Dallas will be rescheduled, if not cancelled entirely. The two heavyweight veterans were set to meet in a clash of perennial contenders, possibly to decide a top challenger for the richest prize in mixed martial arts -- the UFC heavyweight championship.

Rothwell's USADA violation not only puts a dent in UFC 211 but also a heavyweight division that, while growing and evolving, is short on fresh fights and top contenders.

The timeline would have matched up rather nicely for the winner, with the main event of UFC 211 being a bout between UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and Junior Dos Santos. Instead, the UFC could be left scrambling for a top heavyweight contender.

The loss of a heavyweight clash between Werdum and Rothwell forces the UFC to do some shuffling, as it will need another high-quality fight to help fill out what is an intriguing UFC 211 card. Bouts like Henry Cejudo versus Sergio Pettis and Gabriel Benitez versus Enrique Barzola might be interesting to the hardcore mixed martial arts fan but will do little to bring in a casual fan, someone who might be familiar with a former UFC heavyweight champion like Werdum.

If Rothwell is to be replaced, there are very few options that present themselves as fresh matchups. Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt both just competed in early March, which eliminates both from a possible fight in May. Sixth-ranked Derrick Lewis also just competed in late February, saying he'd like to take a long layoff before his next fight. Lewis' recent victim, Travis Browne, also looks to need an extended break.

Without question, Cameroon-born Francis Ngannou, currently ranked fifth in the division, is the most intriguing matchup. He's coming off a career-making knockout of Andrei Arlovski in January.

Another option would be 10th-ranked Stefan Struve, who hasn't fought since October, as well as 11th-ranked Alexander Volkov, who hasn't fought since November.

If the fight is pulled altogether, heavyweight mixed martial arts fans are left with a desolate-looking few months.

Between UFC 209 and UFC 211, roughly a nine-week span, there are five UFC events scheduled with 54 fights between them. Of those 54 fights, there is a single heavyweight fight scheduled, a clash between rising contenders Daniel Omielanczuk and Timothy Johnson on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 107 in London, England.

Neither Omielanczuk nor Johnson will be ready for a world title shot with a win.

The UFC's heavyweight division is aging; some would say not gracefully. The average age of the top five contenders is nearly 35 years old. These are faces who won't be in the division five years from now as the company continues to grow. With this comes extended breaks between each fight. Ask Cain Velasqeuz, who seemingly requires a year between each bout as he approaches 35.

Or, of course, just ask Rothwell. He has fought four times since August 2013.

The UFC's unreliable heavyweight division has reared its ugly head once again. Here's hoping it works out.