5 biggest heavyweight fights in UFC history
At UFC 270, Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane will fight to unify the heavyweight championship. With both men seemingly in their prime and among the best heavyweights we've ever seen inside the octagon, their fight will be among the biggest in heavyweight history. But where will it rank all-time?
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The promotion has a mixed history with the heavyweight division. Over the years, they have struggled to create a deep division like in other weight classes. With that being said, we have still seen huge fights at times and there's something about the unpredictability of heavyweight fights that draws fans in.
To determine which fights were the biggest, public interest, the quality of competitors, historical significance and more have all been taken into account. Here are the five biggest heavyweight fights in UFC history:
#5. Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture - UFC 68
The story heading into this one was whether Randy Couture could do the unthinkable. The Hall-of-Famer had retired from the sport 12 months earlier and had not competed at heavyweight for almost five years. He was also the much smaller man, giving up seven inches in height to the bigger Tim Sylvia.
The returning hero storyline and the unpredictability of this one translated into big business. This was the first event held by the promotion in Ohio. A crowd of 19,049 attended, making this the highest attended mixed martial event in North America at that time.
Mar3.2007
10 years ago today,
Randy Couture put on one of the greatest performances in UFC history,
when he defeated Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 https://t.co/ESaiSQcRKP
The fight also reportedly sold over 500,000 pay-per-views, which was a big deal back in early 2007. Ultimately, Randy Couture pulled off the upset, winning the heavyweight title for a third time. The fight, being the crowning moment for one of the sport's biggest stars, earns it a spot as one of the biggest fights of all time.