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 Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Where We Stand: Heavyweight Division | November 2024

Jon Jones Cemented Himself (Again) As The Best In The World, But Every MMA Fan On The Planet Is Eager To Watch Him Face Tom Aspinall

In what was a vintage Jon Jones performance, the heavyweight crown stayed atop the head of the G.O.A.T. after a master class against the most accomplished heavyweight champion in UFC history, Stipe Miocic. Jones picked apart the former two-time champion for as long as the fight lasted, but questions still linger, mostly in the form of interim champion Tom Aspinall. That said, “Bones” is also entertaining a fight against a particular Brazilian knockout artist. 

This is where we stand in the heavyweight division. 

Champion: Jon Jones

Last Fight: TKO Win vs Stipe Miocic (11/16/2024)

Next fight: N/A

Jon Jones of the United States of America kicks Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Jon Jones of the United States of America kicks Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Outlook: After a cameo at heavyweight in his submission win versus Ciryl Gane, MMA fans got a full sampler plate of Jon Jones, The Heavyweight, at UFC 309. The result? The same as virtually every other one of his fights. Jones dominated the space, pace and action in each moment of the fight. His offensive arsenal was the big standout as he utilized all of his varied arsenal on Miocic until he uncorked a gorgeous spinning back kick to the body that crumpled Miocic. Afterward, Jones seemed to brush off an incoming fight with Tom Aspinall, instead expressing his desire to fight Alex Pereira. Whether the UFC grants him that fight instead of one against the defending interim champion is up in the air, but Jones reminded any wayward doubters that he is still as good as he has ever been. 

Interim Champion: Tom Aspinall

Last Fight: TKO Win vs Curtis Blaydes (7/27/2024)

Next fight: N/A

Tom Aspinall of England punches Curtis Blaydes in the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Tom Aspinall of England punches Curtis Blaydes in the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Outlook: Aspinall weighed in as the backup at UFC 309, but his shot at Jones is still yet to come. UFC CEO Dana White did express his ultimate interest in an Aspinall-Jones matchup to unify the title, saying it is the clear fight to make in the UFC 309 post-fight press conference. It’s the only real fight that makes sense for Aspinall, but if Jones decides to dangle the carrot further down the road, Aspinall could defend his interim title for a second time over the winner between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov.  

2) Ciryl Gane

Last Fight: TKO Win vs Sergei Spivac (9/2/2023)

Next fight: vs Alexander Volkov (12/7/2024)

Ciryl Gane of France punches Serghei Spivac of Moldova in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at The Accor Arena on September 02, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Ciryl Gane of France punches Serghei Spivac of Moldova in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at The Accor Arena on September 02, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

Outlook: Gane’s year-plus away from the Octagon hasn’t done anything to dissuade people of his quality and place in the heavyweight title picture. If he snags a second win over the resurgent Alexander Volkov, he’ll cement himself as the third-best heavyweight in the world at present. Amidst the noise for a fight between Jones and Aspinall, it’s easy to forget about the buzz for a potential Gane-Aspinall fight at some point. That matchup should feature a tantalizing display of speed and technique, but Gane must first defend his spot in his first fight since September 2023. 

3) Alexander Volkov

Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Win vs Sergei Pavlovich (6/22/2024)

Next fight: vs Ciryl Gane (12/7/2024)

Alexander Volkov of Russia kicks Sergei Pavlovich of Russia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Alexander Volkov of Russia kicks Sergei Pavlovich of Russia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Outlook: After dropping two fights against Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall, Alexander Volkov went back to the drawing board and got back on track in a big way, scoring four wins in a row. Along the way, Volkov picked up three finishes before outclassing Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia. One could argue Volkov is in the form of his life as he looks to have a full-circle moment against Gane at UFC 310. Should he get revenge, he could find himself in a fascinating position below Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

4) Sergei Pavlovich

Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Loss vs Alexander Volkov (6/23/2024)

Next fight: N/A

Sergei Pavlovich of Russia punches Alexander Volkov of Russia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Sergei Pavlovich of Russia punches Alexander Volkov of Russia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Outlook: After going on a six-fight winning streak (all knockouts) that led him to an interim heavyweight title shot and status as the most feared power puncher in the division, Pavlovich has gone on a bit of a journey. He followed his knockout loss to Tom Aspinall with a disappointing performance against Alexander Volkov. Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, Pavlovich will likely need to defend his spot next time out. That could come against someone like Jailton Almeida, Marcin Tybura or Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but 2025 is a crucial year for him.

5) Curtis Blaydes 

Last Fight: KO Loss vs Tom Aspinall (7/27/2024)

Next fight: N/A

Curtis Blaydes punches Tom Aspinall of England in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at O2 Arena on July 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Curtis Blaydes punches Tom Aspinall of England in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at O2 Arena on July 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Outlook: Because Curtis Bladyes has competed in the UFC since 2016, it’s easy to forget he is only 33 years old and therefore still quite young as far as heavyweights go. In 2024, it felt like the full Blaydes experience to date. He halted the Jailton Almeida hype train in emphatic fashion before dropping a rematch against Aspinall for the interim heavyweight belt just a minute into the fight. Blaydes is a no-nonsense type who will fight anybody as long as it makes sense. He just needs fresh faces because he has fought the who’s who of the division for nearly a decade.  

In the Mix: Alex Pereira, Jailton Almeida

Outlook: Jon Jones mentioned Alex Pereira several times in the lead-up to UFC 309. The light heavyweight champion has expressed interest in going for a third belt, and a fight with Jones would certainly be massive after his red-hot 2024. A fight against Tom Aspinall would also be must-see TV. “Poatan” has what any fighter would want: options, and he’s keen to cash in on them. 

Meanwhile, his Brazilian counterpart Jailton Almeida was able to pick up a bounce-back win over Alexander Romanov at UFC 302 to draw his 2024 record to 1-1. The 33-year-old can regain traction in his run up the division in 2025 if he can get the right fights and get back to his dominant ways.