Tom Aspinall: Absolute Dominance in UFC Heavyweight ¿The Greatest?

Tom Aspinall: The Most Dominant Heavyweight in UFC History?

The heavyweight champion title, with his nickname “the baddest man on the planet”, is the pinnacle for any fighter. This title, which evokes aggressiveness and power, has historically been synonymous with dominant figures in the world of combat. Although boxing was where this nickname originated, especially with Mike Tyson in the 80s, MMA has taken over as the sport that truly embodies this description. The versatility and variety of fighting styles in MMA surpass the limitations of boxing.

The rise of a heavyweight to the top is often linked to the story of how they conquered the championship.

Alofoke Deportes

Francis Ngannou, for example, won the UFC belt in 2021 by knocking out Stipe Miocic. Miocic, in turn, had won the title in 2016 by defeating Fabricio Werdum, who had previously defeated legends like Fedor Emelianenko and Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, with his set of skills and endurance, became UFC champion in 2010 after an iconic victory over Brock Lesnar. However, the current UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, has followed a different path. Aspinall did not dethrone a reigning champion to obtain the title. The UFC promoted him from interim champion to undisputed champion four months ago, following Jon Jones’ retirement. Aspinall will defend his belt for the first time on Saturday against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. However, before Aspinall steps into the octagon, he has already established himself as the most dominant heavyweight in MMA history. Aspinall is not necessarily the greatest, an honor often given to Emelianenko. Nor is he the most successful, a title that could belong to Miocic or Couture. However, Aspinall has shown an unprecedented level of dominance.

Aspinall has an 8-1 record in the UFC, with his only loss due to injury. His statistics are impressive, including the shortest average fight time in UFC history (2 minutes and 2 seconds) and the least time in bottom position. In addition, he has the highest takedown average per 15 minutes of fight in UFC heavyweight history, along with the highest significant strikes per minute average. Emelianenko, despite his greatness, had difficult moments during his undefeated streak. Miocic, although with title defense records, was knocked out four times. Couture also suffered defeats in title fights. Aspinall, in contrast, has shown constant dominance.

If anyone in MMA’s past showed a similar dominance to Aspinall, it was Ronda Rousey. She won her first 12 fights, all by finish, most in the first round. However, her streak ended. In the heavyweight division, Shane Carwin had a similar path, but his dominance was interrupted by Lesnar.

Aspinall, despite not having defended the undisputed title yet, has already defeated a former UFC champion, Andrei Arlovski. If he defeats Gane on Saturday, he will have defeated the four highest-ranked UFC heavyweights in the ESPN rankings. At 32 years old, Aspinall has time to achieve even more and face any challenge that comes his way. Will he add another stellar chapter to his story this weekend, or will it completely change the narrative about Tom Aspinall?