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Heavyweight
1. Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) UFC [1]
After a three-year absence, Jones looked as strong as ever in a new division, authoring a first-round submission triumph against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 headliner on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In victory, “Bones” staked his claim to GOAT status while adding heavyweight gold to his trophy case. The longtime light heavyweight king will next focus on a UFC 295 showdown with ex-heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden for his first title defense.2. Sergei Pavlovich (18-1) | UFC [2]
Pavlovich flashed his prodigious power yet again in the UFC Fight Night 222 headliner, overwhelming Curtis Blaydes en route to a first-round technical knockout victory at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. That makes six consecutive first-round KO/TKO victories for the heavy-handed Russian, who cannot be ignored as a top-flight championship contender in the heavyweight division. He’ll likely have to wait for the UFC to book Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic first, however.3. Ciryl Gane (12-2) | UFC [3]
Gane appeared to be a level above Sergey Spivak in the UFC Fight Night 226 headliner, as he battered his opponent en route to a second-round technical knockout victory at Accor Arena in Paris. With the win, “Bon Gamin” silenced some of the doubters who emerged following his quick submission defeat at the hands of Jon Jones at UFC 285. Gane is 9-2 since making his UFC debut in 2019, and it’s a good sign that he has been able to rebound from discouraging losses to Jones and Francis Ngannou.4. Curtis Blaydes (17-4, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
For the second time in his UFC tenure, Blaydes’ rise to title contention was derailed by an opponent with otherworldly knockout power. “Razor” saw a three-bout winning streak come to an end in the UFC Fight Night 222 main event, where he was stopped by Sergei Pavlovich inside of a round. As it stands, Blaydes’ four UFC defeats are as follows: Pavlovich, Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou (twice). Blaydes was scheduled to face surging Brazilian Jailton Almeida at UFC Sao Paulo on Nov. 4 but was forced to withdraw from the headliner due to numerous injuries.5. Tom Aspinall (13-3) | UFC [5]
Aspinall showed no ill effects from the knee injury he suffered one year prior, as he rolled through Marcin Tybura in a first-round technical knockout victory at UFC London. Other than the hiccup against Curtis Blaydes, the Englishman has finished all six of his Octagon opponents. He is aiming high for his next fight, setting his sights on the winner of the Ciryl Gane-Sergey Spivak bout scheduled for the UFC Paris headliner on Sept. 2.6. Alexander Volkov (37-10) | UFC [6]
Though he absorbed more leg kicks than one might like, Volkov was largely dominant in victory against Tai Tuivasa in the UFC 293 co-main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Sept. 9. The former Bellator and M-1 Global champ battered his foe on the feet before imposing his will on the canvas, where he locked in an Ezekiel choke from full mount in Round 2. That makes three straight wins for Volkov, who remains just a step behind the division’s elite contenders.7. Marcin Tybura (24-8) | UFC [7]
It isn’t easy to look good against Tybura, but Tom Aspinall did exactly that in a 73-second TKO victory at UFC London. Tybura, who entered the matchup having won seven of his previous eight promotional appearances, never had a chance to get out of first gear against a more athletic and skilled opponent. With that being said, the former M-1 Global champion remains a solid litmus test for up-and-comers in the heavyweight division.8. Jailton Almeida (19-2) UFC [8]
Almeida continued to impress in the UFC on ABC 4 headliner, where he overwhelmed Jairzinho Rozenstruik en route to a first-round submission triumph in Charlotte. After beginning his promotional tenure at 205 pounds, Almeida has won four straight contests at heavyweight — all inside the distance. Originally slated to meet wrestler Curtis Blaydes in the UFC Sao Paulo main event on Nov. 4, Almeida will face a different kind of test when he locks horns with all-time KO king Derrick Lewis after Blaydes withdrew from the event.9. Sergey Spivak (16-4) UFC [9]
After seeing Jon Jones dismantle Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, perhaps Spivak thought he could utilize his wrestling to do the same in his matchup with the Frenchman at UFC Fight Night 226 in Paris. Instead, “The Polar Bear” didn’t get close to grounding Gane and was eventually overwhelmed by the varied striking of his opponent in a second-round technical knockout defeat. Spivak, who entered the fight with wins in six of his last seven outings, still has some work to do if he hopes to reach the top of the heavyweight division.10. Tai Tuivasa (14-6) | UFC [10]
It wasn’t pretty for Tuivasa at UFC 293, as he suffered a second-round submission defeat to Alexander Volkov in Sydney. The affable, shoey-drinking Aussie has lost his last three Octagon appearances, falling to Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich and Volkov in succession. Given more favorable matchmaking, “Bam Bam” is still quite capable of putting on entertaining performances within the Las Vegas-based promotion.Other Contenders: Ryan Bader, Philip De Fries, Derrick Lewis, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Linton Vassell.
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