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?
1Stipe MiocicThe 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.
2Jon JonesThe 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.
3Randy CoutureThree-time UFC heavyweight champion who kept reinventing himself across different eras, known for gruff determination and masterful clinch work.
4Daniel CormierA two-division champion who added the heavyweight belt by knocking out Stipe Miocic, renowned for his technical wrestling and finishing ability.
5Cain VelasquezA ferocious brawler and wrestling specialist who dominated the division with unmatched cardio, holding the title twice before injuries cut his reign short.
6Francis NgannouThe hardest puncher ever recorded by science, Ngannou held the UFC heavyweight title from 2021–2023 with knockout power that shook the sport.
7Fabricio WerdumBrazilian submission specialist who shocked the world by submitting Fedor Emelianenko and later became undisputed UFC heavyweight champion in 2015.
8Junior dos SantosBrazilian knockout artist known as 'Cigano', the former UFC heavyweight champion whose right hand was one of the most dangerous weapons in the division.
9Frank MirTwo-time interim UFC heavyweight champion and devastating submission finisher, one of the most technically skilled grapplers ever in the division.
10Brock LesnarWWE star turned UFC heavyweight champion, whose freakish athleticism and wrestling base let him dominate the heavyweights despite a limited MMA career.
11Tom AspinallThe current-era British heavyweight sensation, interim champion known for electrifying first-round finishes and the most feared striking in today's division.
12Andrei ArlovskiBelarusian striker and former UFC heavyweight champion whose cat-like footwork and technical boxing were ahead of the division's time in the mid-2000s.
13Tim SylviaTwo-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.
14Mark ColemanThe original 'Hammer' and UFC 10 tournament winner, widely regarded as the godfather of ground-and-pound who laid the blueprint for the modern heavyweight.
15Kevin RandlemanAn explosive collegiate wrestling champion turned UFC heavyweight titleholder, whose athletic gifts were rarely matched in the early 2000s era.
16Ricco RodriguezUFC 43 tournament winner and former heavyweight champion, a skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner who briefly reigned before falling to Tim Sylvia.
Comments 1
Only one of the two ever won this belt, stopping Randy Couture in the second round at UFC 91: https://youpick.best/articles/john-cena-vs-brock-lesnar-ranked
YP
ypb-teamSep 7
