The 10 Best Heavyweight MMA Fighters

The heavyweight division of Mixed Martial Arts has seen some of the scariest men on the planet deliver the most brutal of finishes for the last few decades, and long may that continue. From the golden days of Pride to modern day UFC, these are the 10 best heavyweight MMA fighters of all time. 

10. Brock Lesnar (5-3)

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Brock Lesnar's career in MMA was quite short-lived, nevertheless he reached the pinnacle of the sport just one year after his professional debut. In 2008, Lesnar destroyed UFC champion Randy Couture to claim the heavyweight crown.

He would defend his title twice before losing two consecutive fights which led to Lesnar taking a break from the sport to pursue other ventures. After five years away from MMA, Lesnar would return to the cage in 2016 to face Mark Hunt. Lesnar would win the fight but the result was later overturned to a no contest after Lesnar failed drug tests.

9. Francis Ngannou (17-3)

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Ngannou made his UFC debut in 2015 where he won via knockout. He then racked up another five stoppage victories, blazing through top fighters such as Curtis Blaydes, Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem, which granted him a shot at the heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

Miocic showed his experience and neutralised Ngannou's crazy KO power by putting him on the back foot and exploiting his wrestling weakness.

Back to back unanimous decision defeats to Miocic and Derrick Lewis only grew Ngannou's hunger for UFC gold.

The Cameroonian powerhouse would go onto win his next four fights by KO or TKO which earned him another shot at the champ Miocic. This time, Ngannou was a more well-rounded martial artist and he dealt with Miocic with ease, delivering one of the heaviest knockouts in recent years to claim the title.

He would defend his belt once, defeating Ciryl Gane, before leaving the UFC to join PFL. 

8. Junior Dos Santos (21-9)

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The masterful Brazilian striker Junior Dos Santos made his debut in MMA back in 2006, and it's crazy to think the 40-year-old is still going strong in the sport - claiming his most recent victory in March 2024.

Dos Santos, the former UFC heavyweight champion, went on tear from 2006 to 2012 where he posted a record of 15-1, dismantling the likes of Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin.

The following period would see him yoyo between victory and defeat - only losing to the best of names such as Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem and Cain Velasquez.

7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-10-1)

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Antonio Nogueira was a very scary fighter back in his purple patch. “Minotauro” dominated the Pride scene in the early 2000's before joining the UFC.

21 of Nogueira's 34 wins came by way of submission. What made the Brazilian must-watch TV was the fact that he could be getting beaten up in a fight and yet somehow snatch a submission victory from the jaws of defeat.

His most notable wins came against Mirko Cro Cop, Bob Sapp, Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson.

6. Mirko Cro Cop (35-11-2)

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Mirko Cro Cop really has one of the most insane knockout highlight packages the sport has seen. The Croatian built a reputation for himself in K1 and Pride for having brutal kicks, winning by head kick as well leg kicks, which is quite rare.

Some of his best wins came against Wanderlai Silva, Josh Barnett and Mark Coleman.

5. Randy Couture (19-11)

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Randy Couture is a three-time UFC heavyweight champion, as well as a two-time UFC light-heavyweight champion. He also won the UFC 13 heavyweight tournament back in 1997.

Couture's achievements in the UFC are quite simply phenomenal. He was a fighter that could do it all: strike, wrestle and grapple - which back in his day was uncommon. 

4. Daniel Cormier (22-3)

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Daniel Cormier was one of the first fighters in the UFC to become a two division champion: winning the light-heavyweight strap and heavyweight title.

His elite wrestling and power made him a difficult matchup for anybody and it was these attributes which saw him go on a legendary run throughout his entire career in both the 205 pound division and the 265 pound division.

“DC” would claim victories over the likes of Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Alexander Gustaffson, Anthony Johnson, Anderson Silva and Stipe Miocic.

The only losses on his record are two defeats to Jon Jones (the last fight being overturned to a no contest) and the incredible trilogy against Miocic - Cormier would lose back-to-back times against Miocic where he would then call it a day on his fighting career.

3. Cain Velasquez (14-3)

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Cain Velasquez, the two-time UFC heavyweight champion was not a man you would want to face back in his hay day.

The proud Mexican American adapted a typical Mexican fighting style: heavy pressure, good volume, great cardio and destructive power.  This was on full display when he beat Brock Lesnar, Junior Dos Santos and Antonio Silva in the late 2000's to early 2010's.

2. Stipe Miocic (20-4)

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Stipe Miocic still holds the record for the most consecutive heavyweight title defences: three - coming between 2016 and 2018 against Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos and Francis Ngannou.

He would later lose his title to Daniel Cormier, a year later he would win it back from Cormier and then he'd settle the score in the trilogy once and for all in 2020.