Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Heavyweight
1. Tom Aspinall (14-3) | UFC [1]
After accepting a short notice call, Aspinall rolled through Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds to claim the interim heavyweight strap at UFC 295. The Team Kaobon representative has finished all seven of his promotional victories inside of two rounds, and his injury-shortened defeat to Curtis Blaydes in July 2022 is looking more and more like a blip on the radar. The Englishman’s next move will be interesting, as the UFC appears intent on rebooking Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic once Jones has recovered from the torn pectoral that forced him out of the UFC 295 main event.2. Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) | UFC [2]
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. The longtime light heavyweight king was scheduled for a UFC 295 showdown with ex-heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden for his first title defense before a torn pectoral forced him to withdraw from the bout. The hope is that Jones vs. Miocic can be rebooked at some point in 2024.3. Sergei Pavlovich (18-2) | UFC [3]
Pavlovich entered UFC 295 with as fearsome a resume as anyone in the Las Vegas-based promotion, but the Russian’s six-bout first-round finishing streak came to a thudding halt against Tom Aspinall in a 69-second KO loss at Madison Square Garden. While Pavlovich’s dreams of holding a UFC title were denied, he still hovers near the top of a volatile division — which means another opportunity might not be all that far off for the knockout artist.4. Ciryl Gane (12-2) | UFC [4]
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.5. Curtis Blaydes (17-4, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
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. The fight against Almeida has been rebooked for UFC 299.6. 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. The Pole will next square off against Tai Tuivasa in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on March 16.8. Jailton Almeida (20-2) UFC [8]
Given an opportunity for a showcase fight against Derrick Lewis in the UFC Sao Paulo main event, Almeida generated mixed reviews. Though “Malhadinho” was in complete control for five rounds, his lack of killer instinct while in dominant positions on the canvas was almost maddening for many observers — including, on occasion, referee Marc Goddard. In Almeida’s defense, Lewis’ power can give most any heavyweight pause, and he was rarely threatened by “The Black Beast” en route to his sixth-consecutive victory within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Next, Almeida will meet Curtis Blaydes, his originally scheduled foe, in Sao Paulo, at UFC 299.9. 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. His next assignment will be Marcin Tybura in a main event clash on March 16.Other Contenders: Renan Ferreira, Philip De Fries, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Derrick Lewis, Ryan Bader.
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