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 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. He’ll look to get back on track when he meets fellow Russian Alexander Volkov in Saudi Arabia on June 22.4. 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 (18-4, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
Blaydes slowed the ascent of Jailton Almeida at UFC 299, as he stuffed a takedown and unloaded with hammerfists to the side of the head to force a stoppage 36 seconds into Round 2 of their heavyweight showdown in Miami. After a difficult opening stanza in which he was grounded repeatedly, Blaydes re-established himself as one of the top contenders in the division. Perhaps a rematch with interim king Tom Aspinall could be next for Blaydes, who defeated the Englishman via first-round TKO when his opponent suffered a knee injury in Round 1 of their July 2022 fight.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. Next, he’ll face Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC Saudi Arabia co-main event on June 22.7. Marcin Tybura (25-8) | UFC [7]
Tybura weathered the storm early, then imposed his will on the canvas for a first-round submission victory over knockout artist Tai Tuivasa in the UFC Fight Night 239 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 16. The Polish heavyweight rebounds from a first-round TKO defeat to Tom Aspinall in his last outing and is now 8-2 in the Octagon since 2020. While “Tybur” may never be a title contender, he remains a reliable gatekeeper for up-and-coming talents in the division.8. Jailton Almeida (20-3) UFC [8]
Almeida entered UFC 299 with a considerable amount of hype behind him, but that train hit a wall against Curtis Blaydes in Miami. After dominating the opening stanza with takedowns and control, “Malhadinho” succumbed to a barrage of hammerfists 36 seconds into Round 2. Instead of being on the cusp of a title shot, Almeida must bounce back after having a 15-fight winning streak snapped in emphatic fashion. Next, he’ll lock horns with Alexander Romanov at UFC 302.9. 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. Renan Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) PFL [10]
With the PFL reeling in its head-to-head matchup against Bellator on Feb. 24, Ferreira made a statement in the main event, defeating Ryan Bader via technical knockout in just 21 seconds. It’s a signature victory on the heels of a memorable 2023 campaign for “Problema,” who captured the PFL heavyweight championship. With a four-bout winning streak in tow, the 6-foot-8 Brazilian awaits a showdown with Francis Ngannou, assuming the former UFC heavyweight king elects to return to MMA.Other Contenders: Philip De Fries, Tai Tuivasa, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Derrick Lewis, Ryan Bader.
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