Being crowned heavyweight champion must be the most exhilarating achievement for a fighter, largely because that title is accompanied by the audacious label «baddest man on the planet.»
This glorified title gained traction in boxing during the late 1980s, primarily thanks to Mike Tyson’s championship dominance. His fierce aggression, formidable punching power, and intimidating presence rendered his opponents defeated more by fear than by fighting skills. No boxer has replicated his daunting presence, and the «baddest man» title has largely transferred to MMA, a discipline showcasing a wider range of combat tactics than ever imagined by the Marquess of Queensberry. Just ask three-weight boxing champion James Toney, who was swiftly taken down by Randy Couture in just 18 seconds, enduring a thorough beating throughout their disparaging 2010 UFC contest.
When an MMA heavyweight is recognized as the «baddest man on the planet,» it’s frequently a result of the compelling story behind their championship victory. Francis Ngannou claimed the UFC title in 2021 by knocking out Stipe Miocic, whose three title defenses set a heavyweight record that remains unmatched. Miocic secured the title in 2016 with a knockout of Fabricio Werdum, a fighter who had previously etched his legacy by defeating two of the greatest fighters in history, Fedor Emelianenko and Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, with his versatile skill set and relentless pace, became UFC champion in 2010 by famously dominating the seemingly invincible Brock Lesnar.
In contrast, the current holder of the UFC heavyweight title, Tom Aspinall, has experienced a more straightforward path to the top. Unlike Ngannou, Miocic, and many other legends who established their greatness through substantial victories, Aspinall ascended without dethroning an existing champion. The UFC simply promoted him from interim champion to undisputed champion four months ago to fill the gap left by the retirement of Jon Jones.
Aspinall is set to defend his title for the first time on Saturday, taking on third-time title challenger Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2 p.m. ET on ESPN PPV, prelims at 10 a.m. on ESPN+). Yet before this new champion steps into the Octagon this weekend, there’s an essential fact to note: Aspinall has already marked himself as the most dominant heavyweight in MMA history.
If that seems premature or absurd, consider that this is not a claim that Aspinall (15-3) is the finest heavyweight of all time. That honor is often awarded to Emelianenko, who achieved a 29-fight unbeaten streak spanning almost the entirety of the 2000s.
Aspinall is not MMA’s most successful heavyweight, either. There’s a compelling 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. Couture is perhaps the most accomplished, being the only fighter to hold the UFC heavyweight championship three times.
All of them are remarkable heavyweights, yet none exhibited dominance in the same manner as Aspinall.
Aspinall has a record of 8-1 in the UFC, with his only loss a consequence of an unexpected non-contact injury. He injured his knee in the first moments of a 2022 fight against Curtis Blaydes, resulting in a 15-second «TKO (Injury)» loss, and he was out of action for a year. He would later rematch Blaydes in 2024 and secure a knockout in one minute. This victory aligns with Aspinall’s UFC record, where all but one of his eight wins concluded in the first round, with the last three finishing within 1 minute, 13 seconds or less.
Per ESPN Research, Aspinall’s seven first-round victories are the most by any fighter across all weight classes in nine Octagon appearances during the promotion’s modern era (since UFC 28 in 2000).
Here are some additional impressive statistics about Aspinall:
• He possesses the shortest average fight duration in UFC history (2 minutes, 2 seconds).
• He has spent the least time in the bottom position of any fighter in UFC history (1 second).
• His average of 4.09 knockdowns per 15 minutes of fight time is the highest in UFC heavyweight history (second-most in any weight class).
• His average of 8.07 significant strikes landed per minute is the highest in UFC heavyweight history (third-most in any weight class).
• His significant strike differential (strikes landed minus strikes absorbed) of plus-5.18 per minute is the best in UFC history.
Aspinall is the embodiment of dominance. Unrivaled dominance.
For all his brilliance, Emelianenko faced perilous challenges during his extensive unbeaten streak, none more significant than in a Pride match in 2004, where he was suplexed onto his head by Kevin Randleman (before recovering to post his 15th consecutive win). And when Emelianenko was submitted by Werdum in a 2010 Strikeforce fight, it marked the beginning of three successive losses. One can be a legendary figure yet not show constant dominance.
Miocic has encountered his own ups and downs. While he holds the record for heavyweight title defenses, he has been knocked out four times in the Octagon—though his last knockout, against Jones nearly a year ago, can be attributed to a long retirement of 3½ years, returning as a 42-year-old version of his former self. Even during his prime, Miocic didn’t dominate in the same fashion as Aspinall.
Couture, too, doesn’t compare to Aspinall’s level of dominance. Ngannou, Werdum, and everyone else fall short as well. Although Couture had three heavyweight reigns, he also lost three heavyweight title matches. Ngannou is explosively skilled, perhaps matching Aspinall’s energy, but faced back-to-back losses to Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018. Werdum possessed exceptional grappling skills—with 12 submissions among his 24 victories—but lost nine times in his career. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira conquered Couture, Werdum, Mark Coleman, Mirko «Cro Cop» Filipovic, and Dan Henderson but also faced 10 losses. Then there’s Jones, widely regarded as the greatest ever at light heavyweight, yet with only two heavyweight fights under his belt, he cannot be fully evaluated.
If anyone from MMA’s history displayed Aspinall-level supremacy, it’s Ronda Rousey. She won her initial 12 fights, each by finish, mostly within the first round. The last three bouts of that remarkable streak concluded in 16, 14, and 34 seconds. However, her reign collapsed at the hands of Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
At heavyweight, the narrative is similarly poignant with Shane Carwin. He too boasted a 12-0 record filled with quick finishes—all in Round 1. Carwin was on the verge of a 13th win before Lesnar endured a first-round assault and persevered till the end of the round. When Round 2 commenced, Carwin was untested, and Lesnar ultimately defeated him. That was the end of dominant success.
Some may argue Aspinall, akin to Jones, merits an incomplete evaluation. Yet although he has yet to defend the undisputed title, Aspinall already put his interim championship on the line once while waiting (in vain) for Jones to come back. He has a win against a former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski. Should he triumph over Gane on Saturday (he’s a -425 favorite according to ESPN BET), Aspinall will have taken on and beaten the four UFC heavyweights directly below him in the ESPN divisional rankings. This speaks volumes about the dominance he’s shown in a career that seems to barely have begun.
At just 32 years old, Aspinall has plenty of time to achieve even more and confront any challenges that may lie ahead. Thus far, no one has hindered his ascent. Will this weekend add another extraordinary chapter to a narrative wholly his own, or will it redefine the story of Tom Aspinall completely?
