UFC heavyweight title history: Cormier, Miocic, Aspinall, others

Mark Coleman

Date: Feb. 7, 1997Event: UFC 12Opponent: Dan SevernTotal reign: 170 daysTitle defenses: None

Maurice Smith, UFC 19

Date: July 27, 1997Event: UFC 14Opponent: Mark ColemanTotal reign: 147 daysTitle defenses: Tank Abbott

Randy Couture, UFC 15

Date: Dec. 21, 1997Event: UFC JapanOpponent: Maurice SmithTotal reign: N/ATitle defenses: NoneNotes: Couture was stripped of the title in January 1998 and left the promotion in a contract dispute.

Bas Rutten

Date: May 7, 1999Event: UFC 20Opponent: Kevin RandlemanTotal reign: 34 daysTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Rutten won the title left vacant by Randy Couture. But he quickly vacated the belt when he dropped to light heavyweight, then retired.

Date: Nov. 19, 1999Event: UFC 23Opponent: Pete WilliamsTotal reign: 364 daysTitle defenses: Pedro Rizzo

Randy Couture

Date: Nov. 17, 2000Event: UFC 28Opponent: Kevin RandlemanTotal reign: 490 daysTitle defenses: Pedro Rizzo (twice)Notes: Couture returned to the promotion after a contract dispute and recaptured the title he held three years prior. He also went into the history books as the UFC’s first repeat heavyweight champion.

Josh Barnett

Date: March 22, 2002Event: UFC 36Opponent: Randy CoutureTotal reign: 126 daysTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Barnett was stripped of the title in July 2002 after he tested positive for steroids.

Date: Sept. 27, 2002Event: UFC 39Opponent: Randy CoutureTotal reign: 154 daysTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Rodriguez won the belt vacated by Josh Barnett when he was stripped for a positive steroid test.

Date: Feb. 28, 2003Event: UFC 41Opponent: Ricco RodriguezTotal reign: 229 daysTitle defenses: Gan McGeeNotes: Sylvia was stripped of the title in October 2003 after he tested positive for steroids.

Frank Mir

Date: June 19, 2004Event: UFC 48Opponent: Tim SylviaTotal reign: 419 daysTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Mir’s title win is famous because he broke Sylvia’s arm. But Mir was in a motorcycle accident post-title and was on the shelf long enough to have his belt stripped in August 2005.

Andrei Arlovski

Date: Feb. 5, 2005Event: UFC 51Opponent: Tim SylviaTotal reign: 246 daysTitle defenses: Justin Eilers, Paul BuentelloNotes: Arlovski beat Sylvia, who previously was stripped for steroids, for an interim belt while Frank Mir was out with injuries from a motorcycle crash. After one defense as interim champ, Arlovski was promoted to undisputed titleholder.

Tim Sylvia

Date: April 15, 2006Event: UFC 59Opponent: Andrei ArlovskiTotal reign: 322 daysTitle defenses: Andrei Arlovski, Jeff MonsonNotes: Sylvia won the title for a second time when he beat Arlovski in a rematch. He beat him again three months later to run his record to 2-1 in their trilogy.

Date: March 3, 2007Event: UFC 68Opponent: Tim SylviaTotal reign: 623 daysTitle defenses: Gabriel GonzagaNotes: In one of the most dramatic moments in UFC history, Couture started his third reign as champion and became the first fighter in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Date: Feb. 2, 2008Event: UFC 81Opponent: Tim SylviaTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Nogueira won an interim belt while Randy Couture was in a contract dispute with the UFC.

Dec 30, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Brock Lesnar after being defeated by Alistair Overeem (not pictured) during a heavyweight bout at UFC 141 at the MGM Grand Garden event center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Nov. 15, 2008Event: UFC 91Opponent: Randy CoutureTotal reign: 707 daysTitle defenses: Frank Mir, Shane CarwinNotes: Lesnar at the time became the faster fighter to a UFC title.

Date: Dec. 27, 2008Event: UFC 92Opponent: Antonio Rodrigo NogueiraTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Mir became interim champ by beating an interim champ. Then he lost a unification fight to Brock Lesmar.

Shane Carwin

Date: March 27, 2010Event: UFC 111Opponent: Frank MirTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Carwin became interim champ by beating an interim champ. Then he lost a unification fight to Brock Lesmar.

Dec 29, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Cain Velasquez during UFC 155 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Oct. 13, 2010Event: UFC 121Opponent: Brock LesnarTotal reign: 385 daysTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Velasquez lost the belt in his first attempted defense.

Mar 9, 2019; Wichita, KS, USA; Junior Dos Santos (blue gloves) defeats Derrick Lewis (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at InTrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelly Ross-USA TODAY Sports Images

Date: Nov. 12, 2011Event: UFC on FOX 1Opponent: Cain VelasquezTotal reign: 413 daysTitle defenses: Frank MirNotes: JDS needed just 64 seconds to upset Velasquez to win the title.

May 26, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Cain Velasquez during his fight against Antonio Silva (not pictured) at the MGM Grand Garden event center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Dec. 29, 2012Event: UFC 155Opponent: Junior Dos SantosTotal reign: 896 daysTitle defenses: Antonio Silva, Junior Dos SantosNotes: Velasquez became a two-time champion and avenged his earlier loss to JDS.

Fabricio Werdum

Date: Nov. 15, 2014Event: UFC 180Opponent: Mark Hunt, Cain VelasquezTotal reign: 336 daysTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Werdum beat Hunt for an interim title while Velasquez was sidelined, then beat Velasquez to unify the belts at UFC 188.

Stipe Miocic

Date: May 14, 2016Event: UFC 198Opponent: Fabricio WerdumTotal reign: 784 daysTitle defenses: Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, Francis NgannouNotes: Regarded as the greatest heavyweight of all time by virtue of more successive UFC title defenses than anyone else.

Jul 7, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Daniel Cormier (blue gloves) celebrates beating Stipe Miocic (red gloves) during UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Date: July 7, 2018Event: UFC 226Opponent: Stipe MiocicTotal reign: 406 daysTitle defenses: Derrick LewisNotes: Light heavyweight champ Cormier became the second UFC fighter to hold two titles simultaneously.

Stipe Miocic

Date: Aug. 17, 2019Event: UFC 241Opponent: Daniel CormierTotal reign: 588 daysTitle defenses: Daniel CormierNotes: Miocic recaptured the title from Cormier in a rematch, then beat him in a trilogy fight a year later.

Francis Ngannou

Date: March 27, 2021Event: UFC 260Opponent: Stipe MiocicTotal reign: 659 daysTitle defenses: Ciryl GaneNotes: Ngannou became the first fighter from Africa to win a UFC heavyweight title. His win over Gane was a title unification bout. He was stripped of the title in January 2023 after a contract dispute.

Ciryl Gane

Date: Aug. 7, 2021Event: UFC 265Opponent: Derrick LewisTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Lost to Francis Ngannou in a title unification bout.

Jon Jones

Date: March 4, 2023Event: UFC 285Opponent: Ciryl GaneTotal reign: IncumbentTitle defenses: NoneNotes: Beat Gane for the title vacated when Ngannou left in a contract dispute.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 11: Tom Aspinall of England reacts after his knockout victory against Sergei Pavlovich of Russia in the interim UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Date: Nov. 11, 2023Event: UFC 295Opponent: Sergei PavlovichTotal reign: IncumbentTitle defenses: Curtis BlaydesNotes: Won an interim title after Jones went on the shelf with surgery. In rarity, defended interim title against Blaydes.