Who is the greatest UFC heavyweight champion of all time?

The UFC heavyweight division has seen scientific freaks of nature and stone-cold technicians trade knockout power at the highest level. Who stands as the greatest champion ever to hold the big belt?

Stipe Miocic

The longest-reigning heavyweight champion in UFC history with a record four consecutive title defenses, a two-time champion who fought legends like Cormier, Ngannou, and Velasquez.

1/16

Jon Jones

The former light heavyweight GOAT who moved up to claim the UFC heavyweight title in 2023 by submitting Ciryl Gane, cementing his case as the best ever.

2/16

Randy Couture

Three-time UFC heavyweight champion who kept reinventing himself across different eras, known for gruff determination and masterful clinch work.

3/16

Daniel Cormier

A two-division champion who added the heavyweight belt by knocking out Stipe Miocic, renowned for his technical wrestling and finishing ability.

4/16

Cain Velasquez

A ferocious brawler and wrestling specialist who dominated the division with unmatched cardio, holding the title twice before injuries cut his reign short.

5/16

Francis Ngannou

The hardest puncher ever recorded by science, Ngannou held the UFC heavyweight title from 2021–2023 with knockout power that shook the sport.

6/16

Fabricio Werdum

Brazilian submission specialist who shocked the world by submitting Fedor Emelianenko and later became undisputed UFC heavyweight champion in 2015.

7/16

Junior dos Santos

Brazilian knockout artist known as 'Cigano', the former UFC heavyweight champion whose right hand was one of the most dangerous weapons in the division.

8/16

Frank Mir

Two-time interim UFC heavyweight champion and devastating submission finisher, one of the most technically skilled grapplers ever in the division.

9/16

Brock Lesnar

WWE star turned UFC heavyweight champion, whose freakish athleticism and wrestling base let him dominate the heavyweights despite a limited MMA career.

10/16

Tom Aspinall

The current-era British heavyweight sensation, interim champion known for electrifying first-round finishes and the most feared striking in today's division.

11/16

Andrei Arlovski

Belarusian striker and former UFC heavyweight champion whose cat-like footwork and technical boxing were ahead of the division's time in the mid-2000s.

12/16

Tim Sylvia

Two-time UFC heavyweight champion and one of the division's dominant gate-keepers of the mid-2000s, known for his 6'8" frame and jab-heavy game plan.

13/16

Mark Coleman

The original 'Hammer' and UFC 10 tournament winner, widely regarded as the godfather of ground-and-pound who laid the blueprint for the modern heavyweight.

14/16

Kevin Randleman

An explosive collegiate wrestling champion turned UFC heavyweight titleholder, whose athletic gifts were rarely matched in the early 2000s era.

15/16

Ricco Rodriguez

UFC 43 tournament winner and former heavyweight champion, a skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner who briefly reigned before falling to Tim Sylvia.

16/16