Best UFC Heavyweights of All Time: Top 10 Ranked

Tom Aspinall went 8-1 with one no contest in the UFC, and the only loss was a knee that gave out 15 seconds into his fight with Curtis Blaydes in July 2022. He knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in 69 seconds for the interim title at UFC 295 on Nov. 11, 2023, then Blaydes in one minute at UFC 304 on July 27, 2024.

He became undisputed champion on June 21, 2025, when Jon Jones retired. His first defense, against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on Oct. 25, 2025, ended in a no contest after a first round eye poke. After eye surgery in February 2026 and a setback in sparring, he announced on Sept. 14, 2026 that he was vacating the belt because he could not get medically cleared.

He owns the highest significant strike rate in division history. If the eyes heal, he climbs fast. For now, 10 is what the record supports.

Andrei Arlovski fought in the UFC 42 times, from UFC 28 on Nov. 17, 2000, to UFC 303 on June 29, 2024, and won 23 of them. He was still winning titles in 2026, taking the BKFC heavyweight belt from Ben Rothwell on Feb. 7.

He took the interim title from Tim Sylvia with an Achilles lock in 47 seconds at UFC 51 on Feb. 5, 2005, then knocked out Paul Buentello in 15 seconds at UFC 55 on Oct. 7, 2005, as undisputed champion. Sylvia got him back at UFC 59 and UFC 61 in 2006.

Junior dos Santos knocked out Fabricio Werdum in his UFC debut at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, 2008. He took the title from Cain Velasquez in 64 seconds at the first UFC on Fox show on Nov. 12, 2011, then stopped Frank Mir in the second round at UFC 146 on May 26, 2012.

The problem was Velasquez. Cain beat him by unanimous decision at UFC 155 on Dec. 29, 2012, and by fifth round TKO at UFC 166 on Oct. 19, 2013. He lost his last title shot to Stipe Miocic at UFC 211 on May 13, 2017. Still, wins over Werdum, Shane Carwin, Mir, Velasquez and Miocic make a champion.

Fabricio Werdum submitted Fedor Emelianenko in Strikeforce on June 26, 2010, which does not count here. His submission of Cain Velasquez does. At UFC 188 on June 13, 2015, in Mexico City, he wore down a prime Cain and finished him with a third round guillotine to become undisputed champion.

He had already taken the interim belt from Mark Hunt at UFC 180 on Nov. 15, 2014, by second round TKO. The reign ended in his first defense, when Stipe Miocic knocked him out in the first round at UFC 198 on May 14, 2016, in Brazil. The best grappler the division has ever had, one defense short of ranking higher.

Randy Couture won the UFC heavyweight title three times, which nobody else has done: over Maurice Smith at UFC Japan on Dec. 21, 1997, over Kevin Randleman at UFC 28 on Nov. 17, 2000, with two defenses against Pedro Rizzo in 2001, and then the comeback.

At 43 years old, after a run at light heavyweight and a retirement, he outpointed Tim Sylvia over five rounds at UFC 68 on March 3, 2007. He defended against Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74 on Aug. 25, 2007, then lost the belt to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 on Nov. 15, 2008. His 19-11 record looks ugly until you notice who he fought.

Jon Jones is probably the greatest fighter ever. At heavyweight, he had two fights. He won the vacant title by guillotining Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023, and defended it by stopping a 42 year old Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick in the third round at UFC 309 on Nov. 16, 2024.

Both were dominant. But two fights in 20 months, then a retirement announcement on June 21, 2025, with Tom Aspinall waiting the whole time, is a career measured in cameos. On talent, he is first. On heavyweight results, five is fair.

Daniel Cormier never lost to a heavyweight not named Stipe Miocic. He won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix over Josh Barnett on May 19, 2012, beat Frank Mir and Roy Nelson in the UFC in 2013, then dropped to light heavyweight rather than fight his teammate Cain Velasquez.

He came back up, knocked out Miocic in the first round at UFC 226 on July 7, 2018, to become a two division champion, and submitted Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 on Nov. 3, 2018, for his lone defense. Miocic stopped him in the fourth round at UFC 241 on Aug. 17, 2019, and took the trilogy by unanimous decision at UFC 252 on Aug. 15, 2020. Cormier retired that night at 22-3 with one no contest, having won the belt at 39.

Francis Ngannou went 12-2 in the UFC. He knocked out Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 on Dec. 2, 2017, with the ugliest uppercut in the sport's history. He lost a decision to Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 on Jan. 20, 2018, and another to Derrick Lewis six months later, then rebuilt with four straight first round knockouts: Cain Velasquez in 26 seconds, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds, and Miocic himself at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021.

People forget the defense. With a torn knee ligament, he wrestled Ciryl Gane for five rounds at UFC 270 on Jan. 22, 2022, and won a decision. Then he walked away over health insurance and fighter pay, and the UFC stripped him on Jan. 14, 2023. One reign and one defense rarely gets you top three, but he beat three former UFC champions plus Overeem, and he knocked out Philipe Lins in May 2026. The power is still there.

Cain Velasquez at his best was the most complete heavyweight ever. He took the title from Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 on Oct. 23, 2010, by first round TKO. After Junior dos Santos caught him with one punch on Nov. 12, 2011, he won the title back by unanimous decision at UFC 155 on Dec. 29, 2012, then beat dos Santos down for five rounds at UFC 166 on Oct. 19, 2013, until a slam and a punch ended it.

In between, he stopped Antonio Silva in the first round at UFC 160 on May 25, 2013. Two reigns, two defenses, a pace nobody has matched. Then the body gave out. He fought twice more after the Werdum loss at UFC 188 and finished 14-3. His legal troubles since retirement are widely reported and a separate story. Inside the cage, healthy, there was no one better.

Stipe Miocic knocked out Fabricio Werdum for the title at UFC 198 on May 14, 2016. Then he stopped Alistair Overeem in the first round at UFC 203 on Sept. 10, 2016, stopped Junior dos Santos in the first round at UFC 211 on May 13, 2017, and outpointed Francis Ngannou at UFC 220 on Jan. 20, 2018. Three straight defenses, a record that still stands.

Daniel Cormier knocked him out at UFC 226 on July 7, 2018. Miocic broke him down with body shots and stopped him in the fourth round at UFC 241 on Aug. 17, 2019, then won the trilogy by unanimous decision at UFC 252 on Aug. 15, 2020. Second reign, fourth defense. Ngannou finally got him at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021.

He retired at 20-5 after the Jon Jones loss at UFC 309 on Nov. 16, 2024, at age 42, having worked as a part time firefighter in Ohio for most of his reign. No hype, no entourage, just more title fight wins than anyone at 265. The heavyweight GOAT conversation starts and ends with him.