10 Greatest UFC Heavyweights Ever [Ranked]

Being a UFC heavyweight automatically puts you in a group of elite individuals who are among the toughest men on the planet. Being one of the select few UFC heavyweights to ever step into the Octagon and leave with gold wrapped around your waist makes you one of the baddest men in history.

Below, we have used a series of factors to help us rank who truly is the best at heavyweight in UFC history, including dominance of the sport, head-to-head victories and strength of competition. Some true UFC legends have made the list, alongside some of the greatest fighters of today.

10 Randy Couture

19-11 (7 KOs, 4 submissions)

Randy Couture had a marvelous run in the UFC light-heavyweight division with memorable wins over popular fighters like Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, but what makes ‘The Natural’ so special was his willingness to fight anyone at any time and away from his most comfortable weight. Though most UFC heavyweights would weigh around 250 pounds, Couture fought at heavyweight as if he weren’t cutting weight, weighing around 225 pounds.

He was able to contend with the bigger guys by using his speed advantage, and of course, also leaning on his extensive wrestling background. However, his accomplishments at heavyweight may be outdone by his life story behind the scenes. Couture was striving to be an Olympic wrestler like his friend and teammate Dan Henderson, but when those plans did not work out, Couture started fighting professionally at the late age of 33-years old. It was one of the best decisions he ever made.

The UFC’s first ever two-division world champion’s biggest win at heavyweight came against Tim Sylvia. A high-paced boxing approach, mixed with countless take-down attempts wore out ‘The Maine-iac’ and got Couture’s hand raised in the main event of UFC 68.

9 Tom Aspinall

15-3 (12 KOs, 3 submissions)

He may not have a resume that can match some of the names on this list, but the impact Tom Aspinall has had in the UFC heavyweight division over a relatively short period of time sees him make the cut. The reigning interim heavyweight champion has beaten every man he has ever faced inside the Octagon (after avenging his loss – through injury – to Curtis Blaydes) and has won all of those bouts inside the first two rounds.

In terms of speed of finishing, it’s a run that no other UFC fighter can match. Next up for the Brit is expected to be a unification fight with Jon Jones. If Aspinall can do to ‘Bones’ what he’s done to the rest of his UFC opponents, then he will have a legitimate claim to be considered one of the greatest heavyweights ever to set foot in the UFC.

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8 Frank Mir

19-13 (5 KOs, 9 submissions)

Frank Mir had some incredible fights during his UFC career. From tapping out foes like Tim Sylvia, Cheick Congo and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira to winning world titles against phenoms like Brock Lesnar, Mir had a high-respectable run inside the Octagon.

Mir’s career could have been even greater had he not suffered life-threatening injuries due to a motorcycle accident following his title win against Sylvia. This spell on the sidelines caused the UFC to strip away his title due to inactivity. Thankfully, the jiu-jitsu black belt was able to come back strong from injury and finished his UFC career as one of the top performers of his era.

7 Jon Jones

28-1 (11 KOs, 7 submissions)

Despite only competing in the weight class on two occasions, reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has handled the jump up from the light heavyweight division with ease. ‘Bones’ submitted Ciryl Gane without even throwing a strike to win the title in his divisional debut at UFC 285, before demolishing former champion Stipe Miocic with a brutal spinning kick to the body at UFC 309.

Jones had teased retirement in the run-up to that fight, but now looks set to continue his career as he looks to add to his incredible legacy by establishing himself as a dominant champion at heavyweight.

6 Fabricio Werdum

24-10 (6 KOs, 12 submissions)

Brazil’s Fabricio Werdum has built a strong case to be considered one of the greatest UFC heavyweights of all-time. The world jiu-jitsu champ was able to catch Cain Velasquez in a guillotine that shocked the world in their UFC 188 main event, which elevated his resume to a whole other level.

Like Velasquez, Werdum was able to put his extensive grappling background to one side, while he focused on improving his striking. The patient approach paid off as he was now able to defend and attack in every scenario in a fight. His well-rounded game and desire to be the best he could be means he ranks well among some legendary names.

5 Brock Lesnar

5-3 (3 KOs, 1 submission)

Lesnar may only have fought seven times in the UFC, but his impact on the company was massive. From being a headline-level act on marquee shows such as UFC 100 and UFC 200, to his incredible athletic ability, Lesnar arguably had a greater aura inside the Octagon than he did in WWE. Despite debuting with no real MMA experience, Brock was a natural, and remarkably won the UFC heavyweight title in just his fourth ever MMA fight by defeating Randy Couture at UFC 91 in November 2008.

Lesnar’s success came after a rocky start in the Octagon. Matched up against jiu-jitsu black belt Frank Mir, a man who he couldn’t overwhelm with his brute strength and smashing style, he truly struggled. Mir was a wizard on the mats in his heyday, and pulled off a rare leglock submission on Lesnar to hand him a defeat on his UFC debut.

Brock bounced back well, though. He won four straight fights after that loss. His final UFC win saw him defeat the monstrous Shane Carwin at UFC 116. Built like a tank, if Carwin landed flush on his opponents, the fight usually didn’t have long left. Somehow, though, the Minnesota native was able to survive Carwin’s power and ended up getting his first and only career win via submission.

4 Junior dos Santos

23-10 (16 KOs, 1 submission)

Junior dos Santos was one of the best heavyweight punchers the sport has ever seen. With clean boxing combinations, ‘JDS’ was a feared man in his prime. A sweetheart outside of fighting, the Brazilian turned into a cold-hearted assassin when the time was right.

Dos Santos was able to get two huge wins under his belt to put him among the top names on this list. The first, was a wild heavyweight slugfest against Stipe Miocic where he won a five-round technical war. The second saw ‘Cigano’ win the title against Cain Velasquez by first-round knockout in an outstanding performance.

While Dos Santos may still be hanging on to his fighting career without the same power he used to pack, his highlight reel from back in the day is a fun reminder of just how good the former UFC heavyweight champion was.

3 Cain Velazquez

14-3 (12 KOs)

A man who’s stoic look is matched by his physicality and work ethic, Velasquez was one of the best in the sport during his prime and will always be remembered for his tenacity and likability. Once a collegiate wrestler, Velasquez was able to translate his high-paced grappling ability into fighting. In just a few years, he was breaking UFC veterans down by using his wrestling to set up his non-stop ground and pound.

Not many collegiate wrestlers can pick up striking as fluently as Velasquez did. Though he spent years developing his grappling, Velasquez, a student of the game, quickly gained the ability to decide whether he wanted to throw hands on the feet or take down his opponent and drag them through the mud on the mats.

The fight that put Velasquez on the map for mainstream MMA fans was at UFC 121 against global superstar Brock Lesnar. Velasquez was able to survive Lesnar’s gigantic presence with a smart game plan that drained his foe’s energy and gave Cain the opening to end the fight. That fight was huge one for Velasquez, but he earned his lofty spot on this list thanks to his bloody rivalry with Junior dos Santos.

Velasquez’s first fight against Dos Santos couldn’t have gone any worse as the American Kickboxing Academy product was beaten in just 64 seconds. He was able to bounce back in a big way, though dominating Dos Santos in the next two meetings with his full array of weapons on display. Velasquez’s career was cut short because of injury, but at his very best, he was a scary prospect for anyone to face.

2 Stipe Miocic

20-5 (15 KOs)

Stipe Miocic has never been one to seek attention for the wrong reason. The blue-collar fighter has always had a workmanlike mentality to his fighting craft. Though he speaks softly, the firefighter has put on some dazzling performances that see him take second place in this list.

The 42-year-old retired at UFC 309 after being knocked out by Jon Jones. However, while the Ohio native closed out his career inside the Octagon with two losses, his resume during his peak years was truly outstanding.

After upsetting Fabricio Werdum to win the heavyweight title at UFC 198, Miocic went on a winning streak that saw him knock out Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. He then dropped the title to UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, before gaining revenge over ‘DC’ in their next two fights as part of a trilogy.

Although he dropped the title to Ngannou in his next bout – and lost to Jones in his final fight – Stipe should go down as a legend of the UFC heavyweight division. He has a legacy that few can match.

1 Francis Ngannou

18-3 (12 KOs, 4 submissions)

Francis Ngannou only started MMA four years prior to his first UFC title shot. ‘The Predator’ skyrocketed to the top of the heap with his amazing knockouts and charming persona. Compared by some to Mike Tyson, Ngannou followed in the footsteps of his idol by being a marauder on fight night. The Cameroon native was able to earn 10 knockouts in 12 of his UFC victories. Seven of those knockouts came in the first round.

At one point in his UFC career, Ngannou had a combined Octagon time of just two minutes and 43 seconds over a four fight stretch! The stats and streaks Ngannou produced in the UFC were great, but his crowning moment came when he beat a man he had previously lost to in Stipe Miocic. With more time and grappling training under his belt, Ngannou was able to win a rematch against Miocic at UFC 260 to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Ngannou’s next fight, at UFC 270, would be his toughest challenge yet as he would be facing former training partner Ciryl Gane. He went into that fight against all odds, as he was dealing with partially torn ligaments in both knees and a contract dispute with the UFC brass. To his credit, Ngannou did not make excuses, nor did he pull out of the fight. Instead, he ground his way through to a successful title defence.

Unfortunately, he was unable to resolve his contractual issues with the UFC and ended up being stripped of the title when he left the organisation. He still hasn’t lost an MMA fight since his departure and is widely considered to be one of the top fighters in the weight class today. It remains to be seen if he will even get the chance to set foot in the Octagon again.

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