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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
The UFC's heavyweight division has always been one of the most popular. At the moment, it's also one of the most confusing.
The big boys have been enjoying the spotlight lately. On March 9, Curtis Blaydes faced off against Jaylton Almeida in a key heavyweight matchup at UFC 299, resulting in a victory for Blaydes. Marcin Tybura submitted Tai Tuivasa in the heavyweight main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday.
These were important battles within the division, but given the context at the top, it's hard to pinpoint their significance. Jon Jones is the champion, but he is recovering from an injury. Tom Aspinall is interim champion, but strangely, he is not expected to face the real champion anytime soon.
To make sense of it all, we want to break down the UFC's top heavyweight divisions into weight classes to give you a better picture of the situation.
NO. No. 1 heavyweight in the world
Aspinall is the present and future of the department. By the time it's all said and done, he may go down as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He's a total package in a department you don't need. need To be the whole package for success. Aspinall is more athletic and skilled than any of his colleagues. He has many ways to win and his fighting IQ is high as you can see. Jones may have an official UFC championship and he is the best fighter of all time, but Aspinall is the best heavyweight in the world right now.
It's a goat, but it's different. 2 World Heavyweight
1:25
Jon Jones celebrates after first round submission of Cyrill Gane
Jon “Bones” Jones celebrates with his team after winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship with a first-round victory over Cyrill Gane.
I'm going to use a few words here that some people may not like, but let's be real — Jones is a paper champion in the UFC heavyweight division. He was unable to defeat former champion Francis Ngannou to win the belt. He won the vacant title by defeating Cyril Gane in what was probably the most “championship-worthy” victory over Junior dos Santos in the last fight of dos Santos' UFC career. Let me be clear: Jones is having none of that. It's not his fault he couldn't challenge Ngannou. And it's not his fault that the opponent who won the vacant title was Gane. However, Jones is 1-0 as a heavyweight, and that alone doesn't make him the best heavyweight in the world. The big question for Jones now is how many more fights he will have and whether he has enough motivation to persist and prove he is the best.
Retired No. 1 Title Challenger
That's the problem with the current UFC heavyweight division — but some might say it's the appeal. Two of the top three players, Jones and Miocic, are effectively retired. Miocic hasn't fought in three years. Jones fights once every four years. He has two games combined in four years. That said, we have the GOAT of MMA in Jones and the GOAT of heavyweight history in Miocic. The UFC sees an opportunity to facilitate that and is essentially allowing these two to take over the division for a year. I think we'll see the heavyweight title fight between Jones and Miocic in New York in November, and it's going to be a big box office fight. And it's going to be a fun night for sports. The downside is that for a year, the UFC has to pretend that one night of fun and sales is anything but. Essentially, it looks like Jones and Miocic have entered their own two-man division for now. That's great, but it leaves the rest of the division in a weird place. However, if these two fight, things should change.
big question mark
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Curtis Blaydes hammerfists TKO victory over Jaylton Almeida
Curtis Blaydes landed a series of hammerfist punches to earn a TKO win over Jaylton Almeida.
Pavlovic has eight appearances in the UFC, including one time as interim champion. Blaydes is 17(!). Considering what we've seen so far, it feels strange that he would still describe these two as “question marks.” But the truth is, I feel like I haven't yet identified the perfect ceiling for each. To Blaydes, he was the epitome of consistency. All four of his losses have come by knockout to some of the division's best: Ngannou (twice), Pavlovic and Derrick Lewis. Is that who Blaydes is at this point? Will he be able to defeat everyone in front of him, except for the savvy, powerful and one-punch knockout artists?
History would say yes, that's exactly what Blaze is.But he Appearance He should be better than that. I don't think he's a gatekeeper. This guy has a feeling he's going to win the title. But if he loses by hammer knockout again, his reputation will be pretty solidified.
And Pavlovich has a big question mark. Because he can sleep with anyone in the division at any time. Although he lost to a more accomplished heavyweight in Aspinall, no one can safely say he won't win the title within the next 12 to 18 months.
in my world
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Cyril Gane overwhelms Sergei Spivac with a flurry of punches and wins by TKO
Cyril Gane overwhelmed Sergei Spivac with a series of fists and knees, earning him a TKO victory.
Gain is so unique that he is on his own level. In terms of his athleticism, he is just as talented as players like Aspinall and Jones. However, he is relatively new to MMA. His first professional match was at the age of 28. His stand-up is outstanding, but his grappling is a big responsibility and the division knows that. Based on his natural talent alone, Gane has the potential to be the best heavyweight in the world, but his overall outlook is lower than guys like Blaydes and Pavlovic due to holes. .
small question mark
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Robelis Despaigne takes just 18 seconds to brutally knock out Josh Parisien
Robelis Despaigne dropped Josh Parisian with a powerful right punch and won by knockout.
Almeida proved to be a bit one-dimensional, suffering a TKO loss to Blaydes at UFC 299. His prowess on the ground keeps him relevant in this heavyweight conversation. This weight class isn't incredibly deep, so if Almeida finds something and gets some finishes, he'll be in contention for the title. But his game needs to grow.
Despaigne, who has an accomplished taekwondo background and stands out for his athleticism and size, is 35 years old and competing in his sixth professional mixed martial arts bout. Expectations need to be tempered, at least when it comes to championship aspirations. But these two have immense potential, even if a lot has to go right to reach the top.
old guard
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Marcin Tybura defeats Tai Tuivasa via rear naked choke
Marcin Tybura won the main event by submitting Tai Tuivasa in the first round.
There's not much to say about this group. They are who they are and there is nothing wrong with that. They are the top heavyweights in the world, but you can guess it at this point. They rarely disappoint you, but they also rarely really surprise you. Spivak is the most interesting of the group, partly because of his age. He's been a little inconsistent at times, but if there's one name that could rise in this tier, it's him.
the bangers
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Tai Tuivasa (15-7), 31 years old
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Derrick Lewis (27-12), 39 years old
If you're the UFC, put these guys on the card, sit back and relax. Your job is done. At the moment, these two men are not being factored into the title conversation. Maybe one of them gets hot and changes, or maybe it doesn't. No one cares. They are two of the most beloved fighters on the roster, and fans flock to watch them. Their popularity has nothing to do with their UFC title, and it has nothing to do with wins or losses in general.
