When fans of the fight game think of fighting as a whole, they often first think of the heavyweight division. That is a lot more so the case in boxing than it is in mixed martial arts, but there have still been a lot of great heavyweight UFC fighters throughout its history.
The division that is capped at 265 pounds is currently under a lot of heat. Jon Jones, the current Heavyweight Champion, is the greatest UFC fighter ever, but he hasn’t shown much interest in fighting again, particularly against Interim Champion Tom Aspinall.
Jones’ recent twitter spree even made it seem as though he might be vacating the belt. Regardless, the heavyweight division has been around since UFC 12, which is when divisions were first implemented. The big boys like to stand up and bang, and it usually results in somebody hitting the canvas. So check out the gallery to see the five best UFC heavyweights ever.
5. Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou has all of the talent in the world, and he had by far the most potential to become the heavyweight GOAT. Unfortunately, contract disputes with the UFC led to him leaving the company as the reigning champion while still in his prime. Now, Ngannou dabbles with boxing and fights MMA for PFL.
Even though he didn’t reach his full potential in the UFC, he still established himself as one of the greatest heavyweights ever. Ngannou’s knockout power was unmatched. Seven of his 14 UFC fights were ended via knockout before the two-minute mark in the first round.
Ngannou won his first six UFC fights and his last six UFC fights. Sandwiched in between were a loss to the best UFC heavyweight ever, but more on that later, as well as a fluky dud against Derrick Lewis where neither fighter seemed willing to engage in a slugfest.
Even so, Ngannou’s resume includes wins over Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, and Junior Dos Santos.
The Predator was a legend killer of sorts, and his power made him one of the scariest human beings to ever walk planet Earth. He wasn’t necessarily a jiu-jitsu technician, but he was a freak of nature who only needed one punch to end fights.
4. Randy Couture
Randy Couture is one of the UFC’s original legends. He was a natural light heavyweight and had tons of success in that division, even twice winning the 205-pound belt. Couture didn’t care who he fought, though, so he spent a lot of time fighting much heavier opponents at heavyweight. He’d even take on fighters who weighed 100 pounds more than him.
Couture’s speed and wrestling prowess made him a threat regardless of who he fought and at whatever weight class. Couture won the Heavyweight Championship three times and was even the Interim Champion an additional time. He was also the UFC 13 Heavyweight Tournament winner.
All in all, Couture fought in 16 championship bouts. He won five title fights at heavyweight, and he retired with a 19-11 record.
Couture’s lost a lot more fights than other heavyweight legends, but he was a pure fighter who was a threat to beat anybody at any given time. Couture was the first fighter to win belts in two divisions in the UFC, and mixed martial arts wouldn’t be where it is today without the fighter nicknamed “The Natural.”
3. Junior Dos Santos
Dos Santos lost each of his last four fights, so his 21-9 record doesn’t pop as much as it could have. He was certainly one of the best heavyweight UFC fighters ever during his prime, though.
This is illustrated by his nine-fight winning streak at the start of his UFC career, which is the longest in heavyweight history. In a weight class where fighters possess so much knockout power, even the best fighters rarely last nearly that long without a loss.
Dos Santos continued to win even after his early UFC days. His 15 heavyweight wins are the most of anybody on this list, as are his 14 knockdowns landed.
Dos Santos obviously had tons of power, but he didn’t just throw blind haymakers. Dos Santos’ boxing ability was impressive because he was elusive on defense and could throw combinations when he was on the attack. His spinning kick that knocked out Mark Hunt is also one of the most agile finishing moves a heavyweight has ever done.
2. Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez’s first ever loss actually came against Dos Santos, but Velasquez won the seven UFC fights before that loss and each of the next four fights that succeeded it. That included a revenge victory against Dos Santos at UFC 155 and the trilogy victory at UFC 166. They both knocked out 10 opponents in the UFC, but with a 2-1 record against Dos Santos, Velasquez deserves to rank higher on this list of the greatest UFC heavyweights ever.
In addition to winning the Dos Santos rivalry, Velasquez bested Brock Lesnar at the peak of his powers, and he won four title fights in total.
Velasquez is one of the most versatile heavyweights ever. His background came as a collegiate wrestler, but he quickly mastered the standup game, too. His overall record was only 14-3, so he doesn’t have the longevity of some of his peers, but Velasquez was close to unbeatable during the entirety of his career.
1. Stipe Miocic
Fedor Emelianko has a case as the greatest heavyweight MMA fighter ever, but he doesn’t qualify for this list because he never fought under the UFC umbrella. Other fighters worth mentioning who didn’t make the top five are Derrick Lewis, Daniel Cormier, Frank Mir, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, Lesnar, Aspinall, and Jones.
Lewis’s 15 knockouts in the division are the most ever, but he was just as likely to be knocked out as he was to get a win. Aspinall is still up-and-coming, and Jones and Cormier were best at light heavyweight. Lesnar wasn’t great for long enough, and Arlovski has fought 42 times in the division, but he also has 24 total losses.
Stipe Miocic is the clear-cut UFC heavyweight GOAT. Miocic won a record six heavyweight title fights, and he racked up a record nine fight night bonuses in the process. The best heavyweight ever was precise with his punches and effective when fights went to the ground.
Miocic ended his career with a 20-5 record, but of his losses, he avenged a defeat against Dos Santos, had a win over Ngannou, and won the trilogy against Cormier. Miocic fought for the Heavyweight Championship nine times in total and carried the belt during two separate reigns.
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