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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.
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.
#4. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin - UFC 116
This fight sold more pay-per-views than any UFC heavyweight championship bout in history. The matchup sold a ridiculous 1,160,000 pay-per-views in 2010, a figure that has very rarely been beaten since, despite the sport's increasing popularity.
Gold vs. gold fights are always a hit with UFC fans and this one was no different. UFC 116 pitted the interim champion Shane Carwin in a title unification bout against Brock Lesnar. 'The Beast Incarnate' had not fought in close to a year due to his battles with diverticulitis and Carwin had just beaten Frank Mir who held a win over Lesnar.
These factors added intrigue to the bout and Lesnar was such a draw that the fight was always going to garner plenty of attention regardless. Lesnar submitted Carwin in the second round in what would prove to be his last successful title defense.
#3. Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez - UFC 121
Brock Lesnar's status as one of the biggest draws in history can be demonstrated by the fact that this is his second entry to this list. While this bout sold slightly fewer PPVs than the Carwin fight with 1,050,000 buys, the matchup proved much more significant in the history of the promotion's heavyweight division.
Cain Velasquez came into this fight with a perfect 8-0 record. Despite that, he was the underdog heading into the bout given the impressive run Lesnar had been on. With this being a Lesnar fight, plenty of eyes were watching but few might have predicted the changing of the guard that took place on the night.
Velasquez knocked out Lesnar in the first round to snatch the title away. The result built him into a star in his own right and also paved the way for a new generation of heavyweight fighters. The loss also marked the beginning of the end for Lesnar. 'The Beast Incarnate' did not win another fight for the rest of his MMA career.
#2. Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II - UFC 155
The two men clashed three times for the UFC heavyweight championship but the second bout stands out above the rest. Cain Velasquez had been a dominant undefeated heavyweight before he was knocked out by Junior dos Santos in 2011. This set up the rematch to be a massive fight at the top of the division.
The fight may also have benefitted from not being an immediate rematch for the belt. Dos Santos followed up his UFC title-winning performance with a TKO win over Frank Mir. Velasquez bounced back after dropping the belt with a first-round knockout of Antonio Silva.
This established both men as the two top fighters in the division which heightened the interest in the bout. The bout saw Velasquez ultimately get his revenge in a one-sided decision win. This led to the third fight between the pair being a little less intriguing as most correctly felt that the Mexican had figured out Dos Santos.
#1. Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier III - UFC 252
The deciding bout in a three-fight series between two men with claims to be the greatest heavyweight fight of all time was always going to be hard to beat. The nature of their past two bouts also helped build this fight as each man had secured stoppage wins over the other.
UFC 226 saw Daniel Cormier pick up the win and earn champ-champ status in the process. This led to him being the favorite for the rematch. However, Stipe Miocic pulled off a fourth-round finish at that left things perfectly poised for the trilogy bout.
With Dana White stating the winner would cement themselves as the greatest heavyweight of all time and Daniel Cormier announcing he would retire after the fight, there was so much on the line. While Stipe Miocic ultimately picked up the victory, both these men played their part in the biggest heavyweight bout ever.
