Skip to main content

The 5 greatest heavyweight wars in MMA history, ranked

The heavyweight division, as defined by the unified rules of MMA via the Association of Boxing Commissions, consists of fighters who are between 206 and 265 pounds.

Prior to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board conceiving a set of rules and weight classes in 2000 that became the base of operations we are now familiar with today, MMA was essentially the Wild West when it started out in the 1990s.

From open-weight matches to one-night tournaments, heavyweight fighters and classifications were a common occurrence in MMA’s early days. However, since the early 2000s, the heavyweight classification has largely stayed consistent across major promotions (despite some disarray amongst the lower weight classes).

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of the classics that this iconic division has given us throughout the years by listing my top five heavyweight wars of all time.

As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and biases and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top five.

So, without further ado …



from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/LVXCRZK
via IFTTT

Popular posts from this blog

'Salsa Boy': The hilarious story behind UFC heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta's nickname

Waldo Cortes-Acosta ’s “Salsa Boy” nickname was not self-appointed – like every proper nickname should be. His curious fight nickname was earned and given by his teammates after a spicy story behind his cooking, not his dancing. Cortes-Acosta (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who fights in the UFC’s heavyweight division, hosted a party years ago at which he invited his friends and teammates from Ultimate Kombat Training Center in Arizona. “I dance well, yeah – but the nickname actually came from salsa I made for a party,” Cortes-Acosta told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “There were guys from Nicaragua, Mexico, Brazil, Colombians – all over the place.” Training with many Hispanic people, especially those from Central America, Cortes-Acosta knew he had to show out with the salsa given the high standards and high tolerance for spicy food at the party – and he might’ve gotten a bit overboard. “A friend of mine, who we call ‘El Chimmy,’ and he already fought in the UFC, tried the sauce, and before he was ...

Max Holloway recalls near-nudity 'towelgate incident' with Justin Gaethje: 'I guess that's the whole beef'

One of the most exciting fights on the  UFC 300 lineup is the BMF title fight between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje, and it’s one that doesn’t have any bad blood boiling over. Or has Holloway been holding onto a grudge since 2017? At the UFC 218 official weigh-ins, Gaethje nearly exposed Holloway’s genitals to the world after volunteering to hold the towel for the former champion who needed to strip down to make championship weight for his fight against Jose Aldo. Gaethje raised the towel in front of the scale, making it impossible to see the weight. The commissioner told Gaethje the towel needed to be placed between the scale and Holloway. An executive decision was made by Gaethje to save time. Rather than have Holloway put his clothes back on, move the towel, and get undressed again, Gaethje saw a quicker solution – and one that likely played into his favor as he was weighing in right after Holloway. “He even told me, he was like, ‘Brother, it just looked like you want...

Deiveson Figueiredo would love to test his striking against Sean O'Malley and Dominick Cruz

AUSTIN, Texas – Deiveson Figueiredo has moved to a different weight class, and with that comes many things – including new matchups. Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 52 , Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC), a former UFC flyweight champion, debuts at 135 pounds when he takes on longtime UFC fighter Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC). Figueiredo said he is happy with his decision to move up a division, and being a powerful and respected striker, the Brazilian is excited to test his skills against the top strikers of the division. “I came to this division to test myself and to test my striking, so that’s what I’m focused on right now,” Figueiredo told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 52 media day Wednesday in Austin, Texas. “I’m focused on the fight on Saturday, and that’s what I’m here for. Let’s see how this one goes. I’m not looking at a title shot right now, I’m looking to win against Rob Font to place myself in the rankings and see where it goes from there. “I would love to h...