4 fighters who could dominate the UFC heavyweight division once Jon Jones moves on
Earlier this year, Jon Jones became the UFC heavyweight champion when he claimed the title vacated by Francis Ngannou. However, it’s unlikely that ‘Bones’ intends to stick around for that long, previously talking about retiring after facing Stipe Miocic.
With Jon Jones looking to step away from MMA in the near future, who could rule over the UFC heavyweight division in a post-‘Bones’ landscape?
Thankfully for the promotion, there are a number of potential contenders to fill this spot. Here are four fighters who could dominate the UFC heavyweight division once Jon Jones moves on.
#4. Ciryl Gane
Okay, so it’s fair to say that Ciryl Gane was made quick work of by Jon Jones when the two fought for the vacant UFC heavyweight title earlier in 2023.
‘Bon Gamin’ was unable to get anything going against the former light heavyweight kingpin, and quickly found himself grounded and pinned to the fence. Moments later, a guillotine choke ended the fight.
Given that Gane was also beaten by Francis Ngannou, who departed the promotion under a cloud earlier this year, it perhaps wouldn’t impress Dana White and company to see the Frenchman climb back to the top.
However, there’s every chance that ‘Bon Gamin’ pulls it off in a post-Jones world.
After all, it’s arguable that he’s still the most dangerous striker in the division from a technical standpoint, as he’s already dealt with the likes of Tai Tuivasa, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov.
Ciryl Gane WENT TO WAR with Tai Tuivasa and came through the victor at UFC Paris! 🇫🇷
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More importantly, he appears to be a bad matchup, on paper at least, for a number of the division’s other big hitters.
Gane will undoubtedly have a tricky road back to a title shot after his bad showing against Jones, but it still wouldn’t be shocking to see him wind up as the top heavyweight in the promotion in the near future.
#3. Tom Aspinall
It’s arguable that the forgotten contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division right now is the UK’s Tom Aspinall.
There’s a simple reason for that, of course. In his headline bout with Curtis Blaydes in London last July, the native of Manchester blew his knee out badly, tearing his MCL and damaging his ACL.
Since then, he hasn’t stepped into the octagon, and due to this, seems to have slipped from the conversation around potential title contenders. However, Aspinall remains one of the most talented heavyweights on the roster right now. He has a huge frame, standing at 6’5” and weighing around 250 pounds, but he’s also deceptively quick.
With fast, heavy hands and a crushing ground game, the 30-year old also has very few weaknesses in the octagon, and his finishes of Andrei Arlovski, Sergey Spivak and Alexander Volkov remain hugely impressive.
Jake Collier
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in the UFC! 
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The only question around Aspinall is how well he’ll have recovered from his knee injury, but that’s something we’ll find out soon. It was recently announced that he’ll be fighting Marcin Tybura in the headliner of the UFC’s next visit to London in July.
If the Mancunian can win that fight impressively, then perhaps fans should look no further for the next dominant heavyweight post-Jon Jones.
#2. Jailton Almeida
Heavyweight prospect Jailton Almeida is flying under the radar to an extent right now, but that may well change this weekend.
‘Malhadinho’ is set to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the headliner of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card. If he wins, it’s likely that he’ll enter the heavyweight division’s top 10.
The fight is likely to be a tough task for him given ‘Bigi Boy’ has headlined numerous events before and has beaten the likes of Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos. However, based on what we’ve seen from Almeida, he’s more than capable of picking up a win.
The Brazilian looks like a high-level athlete, as he’s already moved up to heavyweight from 205 pounds with no problem and without looking out of shape.
While the majority of his opponents in the octagon thus far have been badly overmatched, the fact that he’s gone 4-0 is still impressive. More importantly, his last fight saw him destroy veteran Shamil Abdurakhimov in two rounds.
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‘Malhadinho’ appears to have a crushing and dangerous ground game, something that should make him dangerous to Rozenstruik – and also to some of the division’s other top fighters.
If he can win this weekend, then, the spotlight should shine upon him, and he’ll be a likely contender to take the mantle at heavyweight in the post-Jones landscape.
#1. Sergei Pavlovich – UFC heavyweight contender
If any fighter seems likely to dominate the UFC’s heavyweight division once Jon Jones departs, it’s Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich.
The heavy-handed striker has been so impressive in his octagon career that some fans have even suggested that he could already beat Jones should they ever fight. However, given that ‘Bones’ recently claimed that “nobody knows” who Pavlovich is, that bout seems unlikely to happen in the near future.
Despite this, it’s impossible to deny how dangerous the Russian has looked when he’s been in action. Like the Russian Ivan Drago in the Rocky movies, whatever Pavlovich hits, he seems to destroy.
He has won his last six fights via knockout, needing less than five minutes combined to dispatch Curtis Blaydes, Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis. Put simply, nobody in the division seems to be able to stand up to his punching power.
Proven yourself, Sergei Pavlovich! 💥
The Russian made light work of Curtis Blaydes at #UFCVegas71 with an explosive finish in Round 1. https://t.co/0dSIW1qSEu
There are still a few question marks over Pavlovich, namely around his ground game. However, based on what we’ve seen thus far, it feels like he’s the most likely fighter to take the ball at heavyweight once Jones walks away, and at 30 years old, he could end up dominating for a lengthy period, too.