For years, the UFC heavyweight division has been somewhat stale. For a number of years, the division has been held up due to inactivity, injuries and contract disputes. As it stands, Jon Jones rules over the heavyweight division after making a three year transition to heavyweight. The interim champion, Tom Aspinall is scheduled to defend the interim belt at UFC 304 at home in England.
Are these two men the best two heavyweights on the planet? We rank the best UFC heavyweights below. The best way to do this is looking at ratings and features by checking this review of Tipico at Overtime Heroics.
Ranking the Best UFC Heavyweights
1 – Tom Aspinall
Despite never holding the undisputed belt, there’s a strong argument to put Tom Aspinall at the number one heavyweight in the world. At 31 years old, 6’5 and weighing in near the heavyweight limit of 265lbs, Aspinall is a rare breed. Despite being so heavy and carrying so much power in his hands, he moves like many a welterweight fighter. His in and out movement, constantly on his toes and utilising elite head movement, Aspinall is one of the most dangerous heavyweights on the planet.
You’d be wrong to assume that being so quick on his feet that he doesn’t hold power. 11 of his 14 wins have come via knockout, most importantly, his interim title bout back in November 2023 at UFC 295.
On top of that, he’s got slick takedowns, making the most of his elite timing when looking to ground his opponents. Once the fight is on the floor, he can then work his BJJ, something that, believe it or not, he was brought up on. A black belt on the ground and an enigma on the feet. Our #1.
2 – Jon Jones
The undisputed heavyweight champion, Jon Jones (and Dana White’s #1 P4P fighter) has a lone win at heavyweight and just two wins in over four years. With that being said, he’s the youngest UFC champion in history, capturing the belt at light heavyweight all the way back in 2011. Following that win, he went on a tear, beating some of the best light heavyweights the UFC has ever seen. But there is one key element when considering his undefeated run. It was at 205lbs.
It took him three years to make the transition to heavyweight and debuting in March 2023, Jones dominated. He took on Ciryl Gane for the undisputed belt, dominating the Frenchman to a submission in just 2:04. With that being said, Gane is a very favourable match-up on paper. He has questionable takedown defence and once on his back he is extremely uneffective.
He’s been out of action since that bout, having to pull out from a fight with former champion, Stipe Miocic due to injury. He could easily sit atop this list, however, due to his lack of activity in recent times as well as just a lone fight at heavyweight, he’ll remain second best for now.
3 – Sergei Pavlovich
Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich competed against Aspinall for the interim champion and had it gone his way, he’d likely be #1 on this list. Holding a near unprecedented six straight first round knockout wins, Pavlovich looked like a wrecking machine until he ran into Aspinall.
With four performance of the night bonuses to his name, he’s all action and at just 32 could reasonably make waves in the heavyweight division again soon. Don’t be surprised to see him clash with Aspinall in a rematch at some point down the line in both men’s careers. First though, he has to get back in the win column against Alexander Volkov at UFC on ABC 6.
4 – Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes is the nearly man in the division. Every time it appears he will finally get his elusive title opportunity, he loses his fight. He enjoyed a six fight winning run before getting knocked out by Francis Ngannou in 2018. He then enjoyed a four fight winning run before being finished by Derrick Lewis. Most recently, he enjoyed a three fight run before Pavlovich finished him in the first round.
Vitally, Blaydes holds a win over Aspinall, albeit due to injury in 15 seconds for the Brit. With that being said, the two men are matched again to compete for the interim belt at UFC 304 and Blaydes provides problems that few do at heavyweight. He can maul opponents with his wrestling heavy game plans. Aspinall vs Blaydes 2 is certainly one to watch.
5 – Jailton Almeida
Talking about people who can dominate in the wrestling realm, Jailton Almedia is arguably the best wrestler in the heavyweight division. To kick off his UFC career, he recorded six straight wins, with five coming via finish. He went the distance with Derrick Lewis in a five round mauling and was seemingly on his way to beating Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299. Blaydes caught the Brazilian, however, handing him his first promotional loss.
He bounced back with a dominant win over Alexander Romanov at UFC 302, however, his style isn’t always the most entertaining. Despite finishing the majority of his opponents, fans don’t seem interested in seeing him fight. With that being said, expect a big fight for Almeida next.
