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Heavyweight
1. Francis Ngannou (17-3) | UFC [1]
Ngannou displayed a significant step in his evolution at UFC 270, as he relied on takedowns and positional control to grind out a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane to unify the heavyweight title at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 22. While it wasn’t the most thrilling performance, the effort speaks volumes about Ngannou’s resolve, when in previous fights he struggled to do anything of note when forced to go past the second round. “The Predator” now faces an uncertain future, as he is unhappy with the way he has been treated by the UFC and seems willing to sit out for a significant period of time unless the two sides are able to come to terms. Regardless of how that happens, Ngannou will be sidelined for much of the remainder of 2022 due to knee surgery.2. Ciryl Gane (11-1) | UFC [2]
After coming up short in his bid to unify the heavyweight belts against Francis Ngannou this past January, Gane rebounded in emphatic fashion with a third-round knockout victory against Tai Tuivasa in the UFC Fight Night 209 headliner at Accor Arena in Paris. Gane was his usual technical self, landing stiff jabs and a variety of kicks to the legs and body virtually at will, but perhaps the most impressive aspect of his latest triumph was his ability to recover after being dropped in Round 2. With victories in eight of nine Octagon appearances since his debut in 2019, Gane assured that he will remain a major player in the heavyweight division.3. Tai Tuivasa (14-4) | UFC [3]
Tuivasa didn’t win at UFC Fight Night 209, but he did something nobody else has done in the Octagon: score a knockdown against former interim heavyweight king Ciryl Gane. Though the affable Aussie would go on to fall to “Bon Gamin” via third-round KO, he managed to raise his stock in defeat thanks to a gutsy effort against perhaps the most athletic fighter in the division. “Bam Bam” saw a five-bout UFC knockout streak come to an end in defeat. Tuivasa will face another stern test in his next assignment when he locks horns with Sergei Pavlovich at UFC on ESPN 424.Sergei Pavlovich (16-1) | UFC [4]
Pavlovich made a statement at UFC 277, stopping two-time title challenger Derrick Lewis with punches just 55 seconds into the opening round of their encounter at American Airlines Center in Dallas on July 30. While the stoppage was controversial, Pavlovich deserves credit for rocking and dropping “The Black Beast” to force the referee’s hand. The Eagles MMA representative has won four straight promotional appearances since falling to Alistair Overeem in his Octagon debut in 2018. Pavlovich will get another opportunity to make a statement when he meets Tai Tuivasa in the UFC on ESPN 42 co-main event in Orlando.5. Derrick Lewis (26-10, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
While the stoppage was controversial, Lewis nonetheless was on the wrong end of a first-round technical knockout loss against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 277 in Dallas on July 30. The two-time heavyweight title challenger has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances — all inside the distance. The Houston native remains one of the promotion’s most popular fighters, but his days as a championship contender could very well be behind him. “The Black Beast” will return for a five-round headlining clash against Sergey Spivak on Nov. 19.6. Curtis Blaydes (17-3, 1 NC) | UFC [6]
For the second consecutive fight, Blaydes faced a rising contender in the heavyweight division at UFC Fight Night 208 in London. Though he was once again victorious, the method was not what “Razor” would have preferred, as the bout ended when Tom Aspinall suffered an apparent knee injury just 15 seconds into Round 1. That unfortunate ending aside, Blaydes is still 7-1 in the UFC’s heavyweight division since 2019 — with his lone loss during that stretch coming via KO against Derrick Lewis.7. Tom Aspinall (12-3) | UFC [7]
Aspinall entered UFC Fight Night 208 with a chance to cement himself as perhaps the top contender in the heavyweight division with a victory over Curtis Blaydes. Instead, a knee injury short-circuited those hopes 15 seconds after the headlining bout began. Not only does Aspinall see an eight-fight professional winning streak—including five victories in UFC competition—come to an end, but he could be facing a lengthy road to recovery before he returns to the Octagon.8. Alexander Volkov (35-10) | UFC [8]
Volkov returned to the win column in emphatic fashion at UFC Fight Night 207, when he dispatched Jairzinho Rozenstruik with power punches 2:12 into the opening round of their heavyweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The former Bellator and M-1 Global champion flashed the power in his hands in earning his 23rd career KO/TKO victory, and he maintains his relevance in the division. Volkov has alternated wins and losses in his last four UFC outings, but his two defeats — Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane — have come against two of the top new talents in the weight class.9. Ryan Bader (30-7) | Bellator [9]
It certainly wasn’t pretty, but Bader’s wrestling-heavy approach was plenty effective in propelling him to a five-round verdict over Cheick Kongo in the Bellator 280 main event in Paris on May 6. Not only does Bader gain some closure in his rivalry with Kongo after their first meeting ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke, but he has two successful heavyweight title defenses to his credit after fending off interim champ Valentin Moldavsky earlier in 2022. It appears that Bader will remain at heavyweight for the foreseeable future after a run in the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix did not go as hoped.10. Marcin Tybura (23-7) | UFC [10]
Tybura ended Alexander Romanov’s 16-fight unbeaten run, winning a majority decision against the Moldovan at UFC 278 on Aug. 20. The former M-1 Global champion bounces back from a decision defeat to Alexander Volkov at UFC 267 and has won six of his last seven promotional appearances overall. It’s been quite the turnaround for the Pole, who once lost four of five in UFC competition from November 2017 to September 2019.Other Contenders: Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Valentin Moldavsky, Chris Daukaus, Philip De Fries, Sergey Spivak.
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