Many fans believe the UFC heavyweight division is struggling, but the issues extend beyond Francis Ngannou’s exit. Since “The Predator” left, the heavyweight division has faced challenges such as vacant titles, injuries, accidental fouls like eye pokes, and ongoing debates about who truly deserves the championship.
Ngannou remains the last heavyweight champion to capture the belt by defeating the titleholder directly inside the Octagon, having claimed the championship by beating Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, thereby becoming the undisputed leader of the division.
However, the heavyweight division isn’t unique in this regard—currently, five UFC champions hold belts without having beaten the previous titleholders in direct championship bouts. While these fighters are all legitimate champions, none of them took the titles by defeating the reigning champions head-to-head.
Alexander Volkanovski (Featherweight)
Volkanovski’s recapture of the featherweight crown was unique. He won the vacant 145-pound title at UFC 314 by defeating Diego Lopes by unanimous decision. The belt was vacant because former champ Ilia Topuria vacated it to move up a weight class and pursue a separate UFC title. Volkanovski, already a former dominant champion, and Lopes fought for the vacant championship. Despite being knocked down in round two, Volkanovski triumphed and reclaimed the title after losing it to Topuria at UFC 298 in 2024. Since then, he has defended the belt successfully again, underscoring his dominance with 25 wins in 28 fights and 11 consecutive title bouts.Natalia Silva (Women’s Flyweight)
Silva earned her championship by capitalizing on a vacant title opportunity, defeating Wang Cong at UFC 332. The belt was available after former champ Valentina Shevchenko relinquished it due to a shoulder injury. Before UFC 332, Silva was on a 14-fight winning streak with an unbeaten UFC run, including wins over former champions Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso, and Rose Namajunas. Silva won the title fight by unanimous decision, making her the new flyweight queen.Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)
Gane’s path to the UFC heavyweight title was complicated. Initially, he won the interim heavyweight belt by defeating Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250. Tom Aspinall later vacated the undisputed heavyweight title due to an eye injury, and Gane was promoted to undisputed champion without defeating the reigning champ in a title fight. Notably, Gane accidentally caused Aspinall’s eye injury during their UFC 321 bout, an incident that led to Aspinall relinquishing the belt. Gane’s first fight defending the undisputed title will be against the unbeaten Josh Hokit at UFC 334, adding another intriguing chapter to his championship tenure.Carlos Ulberg (Light Heavyweight)
Ulberg claimed the light heavyweight belt at UFC 327 by defeating former champion Jiří Procházka for the vacant title, which was available after Procházka moved up to heavyweight. Although Procházka was not the reigning champ at the time, Ulberg still defeated a former titleholder decisively with a first-round knockout. His win introduces a fresh face at 205 pounds following years of championships circulating among names like Jon Jones, Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira, Jamahal Hill, and Procházka.Mackenzie Dern (Strawweight)
Dern’s championship win mirrored Volkanovski’s in that the belt was vacant when she fought Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321. Zhang Weili vacated the strawweight title to move up and challenge in the flyweight division. Dern, holding a 15-5 record, beat Jandiroba, who had a significant winning streak and victories over top contenders, by unanimous decision, earning the strawweight championship without having to defeat Zhang directly.
Six current UFC champions have, however, won their belts by defeating the reigning champions directly:
- Joshua Van (Flyweight) beat Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323
- Petr Yan (Bantamweight) beat Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323
- Sean Strickland (Middleweight) beat Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328
- Kayla Harrison (Women’s Bantamweight) beat Julianna Peña at UFC 316
- Islam Makhachev (Welterweight) beat Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322
- Justin Gaethje (Lightweight) beat Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250
Fan Take:
This trend of champions capturing vacant titles rather than defeating the reigning champ underscores the evolving dynamics in the UFC, where injuries and weight class shifts frequently disrupt the traditional championship pathway. For fight fans, it highlights both the unpredictability and depth of talent across divisions, signaling an era where adaptability and opportunity are just as critical as direct championship conquests in defining greatness.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
