Being the heavyweight champion has to be the most exciting experience for a fighter, if for no other reason than the title comes with the smug moniker of “the baddest man on the planet.”
This glorifying title first appeared widely in boxing in the late 1980s, during Mike Tyson's reign as heavyweight. His aggression, punching power and chilling demeanor left his opponents defeated not only by fist fights, but also by intimidation. Since then, no one has been able to replicate his intimidating aura in boxing, and the nickname “the toughest man” has essentially carried over to MMA, a sport with a wider variety of fighting than the Marquess of Queensberry ever imagined. Just ask the three-division boxing champion. James Toneywho was easily knocked down Randy Couture for 18 seconds and beaten for the duration of his 2010 UFC one-sided fight.
When an MMA heavyweight gains recognition as “the baddest man on the planet,” it's often because of the history of how he won the championship. Francis Nganno won the UFC belt in 2021 by knockout Stipe Miocicwhose three title defenses set a heavyweight record that still stands today. Miocic first won the title in 2016 by knockout. Fabricio Werdumwho previously took pride of place in the annals of the sport by achieving two of the greatest ever scores, Fedor Emelianenko And Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, whose multifaceted skill set and powerful engine set him apart from any previous heavyweight, became UFC champion in 2010 after destroying a seemingly indestructible team. Brock Lesnar.
Contrast those meteoric climbs to the top of the mountain with the unchecked rise of the current UFC heavyweight belt holder. Tom Aspinall. While Ngannou, Miocic and many other greats established their dominance with spectacular victories, Aspinall did not dethrone the reigning champion to win the title. The UFC just elevated him. from interim champion to undisputed champion four months ago to fill a vacancy left by retirement Jon Jones.
Aspinall will defend the belt for the first time on Saturday, facing his title challenger for the third time. Cyril Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN PPV, prelims at 10:00 a.m. on ESPN+). But before the new champion steps into the Octagon this weekend, it's important to know something about him: Aspinall has already established himself as the most dominant heavyweight in MMA history.
If that sounds premature or even ridiculous, consider that this is not a statement that Aspinall (15-3) is the greatest heavyweight of all time. It's an honor usually reserved for Emelianenko, who amassed a 29-fight unbeaten streak that lasted for most of the first decade of the 2000s.
Aspinall is also not the most experienced heavyweight in MMA. There is a strong case to be made for Miocic, who has defended the UFC title more than anyone else and holds the heavyweight record with six title fight wins. Perhaps the most successful is Couture, the only fighter to become the UFC heavyweight champion three times.
They are outstanding heavyweights, every one of them, but none of them have been as dominant as Aspinall.
Aspinall has an 8-1 record in the UFC, with his only loss coming as a result of a gruesome non-contact injury. He blew out his knee in the first seconds of the 2022 fight with Curtis Blaydesand aside from a 15-second TKO (injury) loss, Aspinall ended up being sidelined for a year. He will join Blaydes again in 2024 and win by knockout in one minute. The win was in line with the rest of Aspinall's UFC resume, as all but one of his eight wins came in the first round, with the last three coming in 1 minute, 13 seconds or less.
According to ESPN Research, Aspinall's seven first-round victories are the most by any fighter in any weight class in nine Octagon appearances in the promotion's modern era (since UFC 28 in 2000).
Some more brilliant Aspinall stats:
• He has the shortest average fight time in UFC history (2 minutes, 2 seconds).
• He spent the least time in the bottom position of any fighter in UFC history (1 second).
• His 4.09 knockdown average per 15 minutes is the most in UFC heavyweight history (second-most in any weight class).
• His strikeout per minute average (8.07) is the most in UFC heavyweight history (third highest in any weight class).
• His striking differential (punches thrown minus strikes absorbed) of plus-5.18 per minute is the highest in UFC history.
Aspinall is the personification of dominance. Unprecedented dominance.
Emelianenko, for all his greatness, had to endure dangerous moments during his long unbeaten streak, most notably in the Pride fight in 2004, when he was knocked over on his head Kevin Randleman (before turning the tide and achieving his 15th win in a row). And when Emelianenko lost to Werdum in a Strikeforce match in 2010, it was the first of three losses in a row. You can be great all the time, but not always dominate.
Miocic also had his ups and downs. He holds the record for defending a heavyweight title, but has been knocked out four times in the Octagon – although Miocic should get the pass in his last fight. against Jones just under a year agobecause he was retired for 3.5 years before returning to the cage as a 42-year-old shadow of his former self. However, even in his prime, Miocic was not as dominant as Aspinall.
Couture doesn't dominate Aspinall either. Neither does Ngannou, Werdum or anyone else. Couture had three fights as a heavyweight, but also lost three heavyweight title fights. Ngannou is just as explosive as Aspinall, if not more so, but he suffered back-to-back losses in 2018 to Miocic and Derrick Lewis. Werdum had unparalleled wrestling skills – 12 submissions in 24 victories – but lost nine times in his career. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira defeat Couture, Werdum, Mark Coleman, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic And And Henderson but lost 10 fights. Then there's Jones, unquestionably the greatest ever to compete at light heavyweight, but having competed at heavyweight only twice, he's considered underperforming.
If any MMA figure in the past has demonstrated dominance at Aspinall's level, it has been Ronda Rousey. She won her first 12 fights, each by stoppage, all but one in the first round. The last three fights in this unprecedented series ended in 16, 14 and 34 seconds. But then everything fell apart for “Fightless Rhonda” thanks to Holly Holm And Amanda Nunez.
In the heavyweight division the story was much the same. Shane Carwin. He also compiled a 12-0 record in fast finishes – in his case, all of them came in the first round. Carwin was on his way to adding a 13th demolition until Lesnar was defeated in the first round and survived to the horn. When the second round began, Carwin was in uncharted waters and Lesnar sank him. So much for big boy dominance.
Some might argue that Aspinall, like Jones, deserves less than full marks. But while he has yet to make a single defense of the undisputed title, Aspinall once put out his interim belt while waiting (in vain) for Jones to return. He owns a victory over the former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrey Arlovsky. And if he defeats Gane on Saturday (as a -425 favorite according to ESPN BET), Aspinall will defeat the four UFC heavyweights right behind him in ESPN's division rankings. It's a heavy dose of dominance for a career that appears to be just getting started.
At 32, Aspinall has time to achieve much more and overcome any challenges that lie ahead. No one has yet slowed it down. Will this weekend add another stellar chapter to a story that was all his, or will it completely change the narrative of Tom Aspinall?
