Athletes
Where We Stand: Heavyweight Division | August 2024
Tom Aspinall Defended His Interim Belt In Style And Awaits A Potential Chance To Unify The Belt
Jon Jones might be the undisputed champion, but Tom Apsinall is doing all he can to dispute the New Yorker’s seat on the throne after yet another lightning-fast finish. Aspinall’s one-minute knockout of Curtis Blaydes further pushed his claim to being the Baddest Man On The Planet. That said, UFC CEO Dana White remains steadfast that we will see Jones and former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic duke it out once and for all. That fight is yet to be rescheduled, but it seems to be the only thing in the way of Aspinall’s chance at Jones. Whether Aspinall defends his interim title once again before that remains to be seen and seems to be a case of timing.
This is where we stand in the heavyweight division.
Champion: Jon Jones
Last Fight: Submission Win vs Ciryl Gane (3/4/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: After blowing through Ciryl Gane to become the sport’s eighth two-division champion, Jon Jones was up for a legacy bout with Stipe Miocic. A chest injury suffered weeks before the fight scratched that, and that fight is likely on hold until deep into 2024. It was a bummer for fight fans, in general, especially considering the abbreviated action Jones gave us in his first heavyweight bout. He is still a mystery in the division, and Miocic would’ve provided quite the challenging platform on which Jones could show how his plethora of skills would translate. Still, it seems as though Jones fully intends to come back and duel Miocic.
Outlook: Aspinall did it again. For as much as he wants to get pushed into deep waters, Manchester’s own interim heavyweight champion had a quick night in the office to rectify his loss to Blaydes. The 31-year-old seems to have no other opponent in mind other than Jon Jones, nor should he. As long as Jones continues to compete after his fight with Miocic, that is the fight to make.
Outlook: Bon Gamin” bounced back well at home when he pieced up Serghei Spivac in Paris. It was a bit of redemption after his underwhelming performance against Jones in his chance at undisputed gold, but Gane still has to answer the questions that come until you win The Big One. Nearly every fight fan would love to watch Gane and Aspinall fight in what could be a defining matchup for this generation of heavyweights, as well as Europe’s MMA scene at the moment, but he has work to do to give himself that opportunity likely against another Top 5 opponent.
3) Alexander Volkov
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Win vs Sergei Pavlovich (6/23/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: The 35-year-old Volkov is debatably in the form of his career after picking up his fourth consecutive win with a unanimous decision over Sergei Pavlovich. Volkov has now pushed himself very much back into title contention and could potentially earn a title shot with another Top 5 win.
4) Sergei Pavlovich
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Loss vs Alexander Volkov (6/23/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: After seeming bound for title contention in the lead-up to his interim title fight with Aspinall, he is now coming off two losses in a row and will need to string together a couple more wins before finding himself back in the title picture. Fights against Gane and Jailton Almeida both make sense and would be fascinating matchups.
Outlook: Blaydes was disappointed in his performance against Aspinall after finally getting a long-awaited chance to get a piece of UFC gold, but the 33-year-old is not unfamiliar to the process of picking himself back up and remaining in the title picture. Blaydes already holds a win over Volkov, as well as Jailton Almeida, but he could be in for a rematch if a fight against Gane doesn’t come together soon. Blaydes is never one to wait things out, so whatever fight comes up for him, he’ll likely accept, regardless of its title implications.
In the Mix: Stipe Miocic, Jailton Almeida
Outlook: Nobody is sure if Miocic’s career will continue past his impending fight with Jones, and he is well-cemented as one of - if not the - greatest heavyweight champion in the promotion’s history win or lose.
Almeida continues to try to build his own legacy as a heavyweight in this early chapter of his UFC career. He bounced back very well after his first loss in the Octagon to submit Alexander Romanov at UFC 302 to right the ship, and he is due for another shot at the division’s Top 5. He had a fight with Alexander Volkov scrapped, but that matchup could still be made in the coming months. A fight against Pavlovich would also be an interesting stylistic matchup.
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