UFC Paris Report: Ciryl Gane knocks out Tai Tuivasa, Whittaker defeats Vettori
On Saturday afternoon, the UFC held a Fight Night event at the Accor Arena in Paris, France. This marked the UFC’s promotional debut in France, as the country legalized MMA just two years ago. The card was headlined by France’s own, Ciryl Gane, as he faced one of the heaviest hitters in the division, Tai Tuivasa. Tuivasa had won five consecutive fights going into this bout, and he had knocked each of those opponents out rather quickly. Gane has never been finished in his career, and his lone professional loss in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts came in his last bout, where Francis Ngannou defeated him by unanimous decision to unify the UFC Heavyweight Championships. Despite the recent loss, Ciryl Gane was a massive favorite going into this bout, and to win this fight, Tuivasa would likely have to do what no man has been able to do before and knock Ciryl Gane. In the co-main event, former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker faced Marvin Vettori, as both men looked to keep themselves in title contention following recent losses to Israel Adesanya.
John Gooden provided commentary for this card alongside Michael Bisping and Paul Felder. Performance of the Night bonuses were awarded to Benoit Saint-Denis and Abus Magomedov. Fight of the Night bonuses went out to Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa. The announced attendance for this event was 15,405, with a total gate of €3,420,422.
QUICK RESULTS:
PRELIMINARY CARD:
*Stephanie Egger def. Ailin Perez by rear naked choke at 4:54 of Round 2
*Cristian Quinonez def. Khalid Taha by TKO at 3:15 of Round 1
*Benoit Saint Denis def. Gabriel Miranda by TKO at 0:16 of Round 2
*Fares Ziam def. Michal Figlak by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Nasrat Haqparast def. John Makdessi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Abus Magomedov def. Dustin Stoltzfus by TKO at 0:19 of Round 1
MAIN CARD:
*Nathaniel Wood def. Charles Jourdain by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*William Gomis def. Jarno Errens by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)
*Roman Kopylov def. Alessio Di Chirico by KO at 1:09 of Round 3
*Nassourdine Imavov def. Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
*Robert Whittaker def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Ciryl Gane def. Tai Tuivasa by KO at 4:23 of Round 3
STEPHANIE EGGER (7-3, 145) VS AILIN PEREZ (7-1, 144.5) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Egger was able to take Perez down in the opening seconds of the fight. Perez attempted to scramble to her feet, but Egger was able to transition into side control, where she was clearly looking for an armbar. Perez brought Egger back into her guard, before working her way back to her feet, where she pressed Egger against the cage in search of a takedown of her own. It was Egger, however, who was successful in bringing the fight back to the ground, recording her second takedown of the fight. In the final seconds of the round, Perez escaped to her feet and flurried forward with strikes, which was her best sequence of the opening five minutes.
The fighters wrestled against the cage early in round two, as both women looked to secure a takedown. Egger rolled for an armbar in a creative fashion, but the submission attempt backfired, and Perez took top position on the ground. Egger escaped to her feet, and the fighters continued their battle in the clinch against the cage. Ultimately Egger was successful in taking Perez back to the ground, where she took the back of her opponent. Egger eventually found the rear naked choke, and Perez was forced to submit.
WINNER: Stephanie Egger by rear naked choke at 4:54 of Round 2
Perez was originally scheduled to face Zarah Fairn Dos Santos on this card, but Dos Santos withdrew from the card last week, and Egger took the fight on a week’s notice. Despite typically fighting at bantamweight, Egger did not appear undersized in this featherweight bout against Perez and was largely able to dominate the grappling exchanges in the fight. Egger is now 3-2 in the UFC following this win.
KHALID TAHA (13-4, 1 NC, 135) VS CRISTIAN QUINONEZ (17-3, 136) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Quinonez began the fight with a strong leg kick, which prompted Taha to respond with a heavy left hand. Quinonez was dictating the pace of the action, utilizing his height and reach advantage to keep Taha at range. Quinonez caught Taha with a right hand as he pressed forward, and the shot dropped Taha. As Taha attempted to pick himself up, Quinonez landed one more right hand, and this one finished the fight.
WINNER: Cristian Quinonez by TKO at 3:15 of Round 1
Taha protested the stoppage, but I didn’t take issue with the referee’s decision. Quinonez did a good job of utilizing his physical advantages over Taha to control the range of the fight, and Taha was having trouble getting going offensively as a result. When Taha finally committed to his attack, Quinonez countered strongly, and he was able to secure the first-round finish. This marked Quinonez’s first fight in the promotion.
BENOIT SAINT DENIS (9-1, 1 NC, 156) VS GABRIEL MIRANDA (16-5, 155.5) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Saint Denis opened up with a heavy body kick, and Miranda took him down in response. Miranda went for a guillotine choke, but Saint Denis was able to escape, and they started brawling wildly on the feet. It appeared as though Miranda had Saint Denis hurt at one point, but a spinning backfist from Saint Denis caught Miranda on his way in, shifting the momentum. Saint Denis was able to take Miranda down, but was unable to secure top position, and the fight resumed on the feet. A heavy left hand from Saint Denis dropped Miranda, and this time Saint Denis successfully followed him to the ground. Miranda escaped to his feet, but was dropped one more time before time in the round expired, and if there were just two more seconds left in the round, Saint Denis would have almost certainly secured the finish.
Just seconds into round two, Saint Denis dropped Miranda one last time against the cage, and the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Benoit Saint Denis by TKO at 0:16 of Round 2
This crowd treated Benoit Saint Denis like an absolute superstar, and he gave them a very entertaining fight in response. The fight was a brawl from the opening seconds, but it was Saint Denis who was ultimately able to pull ahead, dropping Miranda repeatedly towards the end of the first round, before finishing him in round two. Honestly, I’m not sure that Miranda should have been allowed to return for a second round after the condition he was left in at the end of round one, but that’s the nature of the sport, and always a tough decision for both the referee and the fighter’s corner. Saint Denis’ UFC record now stands at 2-1.
FARES ZIAM (12-4, 156) VS MICHAL FIGLAK (8-0, 156) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Both fighters landed strong leg kicks in the opening minutes of the bout. Ziam was swinging with some heavy hands, but he eventually opted to take Figlak to the ground, securing the first takedown of the bout. Figlak popped back to is feet, where he began to pressure forward with overhand rights and body shots. Figlak attempted a spinning backfist at one point, but Ziam read the attack well and wrapped Figlak up in the clinch. Ziam took Figlak back to the ground, but Figlak was able to threaten an armbar to improve his position before time expired. Close round. 10-9 Ziam.
Figlak connected with a heavy hook in the opening minute of round one, which prompted Ziam to take him back to the ground. Ziam was able to maintain top position for a short period of time, however, Figlak was able to make it back to his feet without taking much damage. Figlak started hunting for a takedown of his own, but Ziam defended the attempt, and he went on the attack, rocking Figlak with a spinning elbow. Figlak desperately shot for a takedown, but it was Ziam who stuffed the attempt and took top position on the ground. Ziam postured up and landed strong ground and pound strikes before the round ended. 20-18 Ziam.
Figlak seemed to have recovered by the start of the third round. Figlak took Ziam down against the cage, but Ziam quickly escaped to his feet, where he was eventually successful in securing a takedown of his own. Figlak scrambled into top position and mounted Ziam with ninety seconds remaining in the round. It was a huge opportunity for Figlak, but Ziam was able to slip out from under him, and take back top position, which he maintained until time expired. 30-27 Ziam.
WINNER: Fares Ziam by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Ziam’s wrestling was the difference maker throughout the vast majority of this fight. It was a competitive bout, but Ziam was able to get the fight to the ground at will, and his advantage in the grappling department often shifted the momentum whenever Figlak began to find success. The second round was Ziam’s strongest, as he nearly had Figlak finished, but Figlak managed to survive, and he had a stronger showing in round three. Ziam is now 3-2 in the UFC following this win.
JOHN MAKDESSI (18-7, 154.5) VS NASRAT HAQPARAST (13-5, 155) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Neither fighter was terribly active in the opening minutes of this fight, and this crowd voiced their displeasure. Haqparast appeared to be slightly more active than Makdessi offensively, although if he was, it was not by a considerable amount. They traded kicks to the legs and body throughout the round, but neither did significant damage. The fighters stared each other down at the end of the round. 10-9 Haqparast.
Haqparast opened up a cut around the left eye of Makdessi in the second round. Haqparast dug into the body early but seemed to abandon the body work as the round progressed. Makdessi was having trouble creating opportunities for himself offensively but did find success with his numerous body kicks. Makdessi attempted to land a spinning elbow, but he was dropped in the process, and Haqparast teed off on him with a combination of strikes against the cage as Makdessi attempted to recover. Makdessi survived Haqparast’s flurry, but this was a clear round in Haqparast’s favour. 20-18 Haqparast.
The pace of the fight was still rather slow by the third round, and with Makdessi potentially down two rounds, an increase in urgency was essential. I thought as the round progressed, Makdessi pushed the pace and found more success, but was often just walking into counters from Haqparast as well. It was a close final round, and despite a late takedown from Haqparast, I gave the edge to Makdessi. 29-28 Haqparast.
WINNER: Nasrat Haqparast by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
This was far from the most entertaining fight, but all the big moments came from Haqparast. Throughout the first two rounds, Makdessi was having trouble finding Haqparast’s head, and as a result, focused his attack on the body and legs of his opponent. Haqparast was a bit more successful in finding a home for his heavier shots, and he had Makdessi in serious trouble in the second round after dropping him with a right hook. Overall, this was far from the most impressive performance of Haqparast’s career, but he was in desperate need of a win after losing his last two bouts, and he accomplished that here against an experienced opponent.
ABUS MAGOMEDOV (24-4-1, 186) VS DUSTIN STOLTZFUS (14-4, 186) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Magomedov rocked Stoltzfus in the first exchange of the fight with a front kick, and he just gave him no room to recover, swarming him with right hands until he dropped Stoltzfus, and the fight was stopped just moments later.
WINNER: Abus Magomedov by TKO at 0:19 of Round 1
Magomedov is a fighter who is no stranger to quick finishes, and he picked up another one here in his UFC debut. This marked his 11th career finish in under two minutes, and to finish an experienced UFC fighter like Dustin Stoltzfus in such quick fashion leaves quite the impression. It’s tough to gauge the extent of Magomedov’s abilities from such a short fight, but this was certainly a great start to his run in the UFC, and just based off of this quick finish, I think there will be a lot of eyes on his next fight.
CHARLES JOURDAIN (13-5-1, 145.5) VS NATHANIEL WOOD (18-5, 146) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Wood put the pressure on Jourdain early, and opted to take him to the ground about a minute into the bout. Wood was not terribly active from top position, and Jourdain was able to use the cage to escape to his feet. Jourdain went on the attack, throwing heavy hooks and head kicks Wood’s way. An accidental low blow from Wood created a momentary pause in the action, but Jourdain did not take much time to recover. Wood rocked him with a quick hook as the action resumed, however, Jourdain was able to recover quickly. Wood and Jourdain traded shots in the pocket to end the round, with Wood seemingly landing the stronger strikes. This was an entertaining round. 10-9 Wood.
Wood continued to apply forward pressure in the second round, and much like the first round, he was able to record a quick takedown in the opening minute. Jourdain escaped to his feet quickly, where he landed a looping left hook. Wood responded with a right hook before Jourdain dug into the body with a right hand. Wood opted to take Jourdain back to the ground, but the fighters were stood up due to inactivity. Jourdain connected with a heavy left hand, before the fighters began to trade short punches in the pocket. A left hook from Wood backed Jourdain off momentarily, and they traded takedowns to end the round 20-18 Wood.
The fighters battled in the clinch throughout the opening minute of the final round, trading short shots. Eventually Wood was able to take Jourdain back down, however, he was unable to do much damage before Jourdain made it back to his feet. With half of the round remaining, Jourdain was likely in need of a finish to win this fight, but he could not find that big fight-ending shot, and Wood continued to get the better of their exchanges in the pocket. The fight went the distance, and I scored it 30-27 in favour of Wood.
WINNER: Nathaniel Wood by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Unsurprisingly, this was a very fun fight. Wood seemed to be a bit quicker than Jourdain, and this allowed him to get the better of their numerous exchanges in the pocket. Jourdain is a heavy (and creative) hitter, but Wood was beating him to the punch, and Wood’s ability to take him down nearly at will gave Wood the advantage he needed throughout the fight. I thought this was an excellent performance from Wood against his toughest opponent to date, and he is now 2-0 since moving to the featherweight division.
WILLIAM GOMIS (10-2, 146) VS JARNO ERRENS (13-3-1, 146) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Errens landed the first significant strike of the fight, a right hand that backed Gomis up. Errens’ pressure was causing problems for Gomis early, and while Gomis seemed to be looking to time a counter left hand, the big shot never came, and Errens was pulling ahead in terms of activity. Eventually, Gomis changed levels and dragged Errens to the ground, where he began to work from his opponents’ guard. Errens escaped to his feet, and they wrestled against the cage until time expired. Close round. 10-9 Errens.
Errens continued to pressure forward in round two, but Gomis was taking more chances offensively then he did in round one as well. After being caught by a heavy right hand, Gomis took Errens back to the ground, where he began to work from the guard of his opponent. While Gomis was not terribly active, he managed to maintain his position for a significant period of time before Errens escaped to his feet. Gomis ended the round with a judo throw that left him in top position. 19-19.
Gomis was throwing some wild spinning back kicks to the body that were narrowly missing their target. Gomis took Errens back to the ground near the cage, giving Errens very little room to work. Things were looking dire for Errens, but with less than a minute remaining in the round, Errens threw up a triangle choke, and it was in deep. Gomis did not panic, however, and he improved his positioning, allowing him to slip out of the submission before time expired. 29-28 Gomis.
WINNER: William Gomis by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)
One judge turned in a scorecard of “29-29”, which is one of the rarest scorecards you’ll ever see in this sport, as that implies that judge scored one of the rounds as “10-10”, which is a score that judges are only supposed to utilize if there is no measurable advantage for either fighter. As it turns out, judge Christophe Chapuis indeed scored the third round as a draw, so this marked the first 10-10 scorecard turned in (in the UFC) since 2018. As far as the fight itself is concerned, it wasn’t the most entertaining fight, but the late triangle choke attempt certainly created some late drama, and Gomis deserves credit for escaping what looked to be a threatening submission. This marked the UFC debut for both of these fighters.
ALESSIO DI CHIRICO (13-6, 186) VS ROMAN KOPYLOV (8-2, 186) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Both men were throwing heavy punches from the start of the bout, but were struggling to find their range. Di Chirico in particular was really loading up on his shots, and while they weren’t finding their target, Kopylov wasn’t punishing him with counters either. In the final minute of the round, Kopylov landed a great right hand, which was probably the best strike of the round to that point, and he defended a takedown attempt from Di Chirico before time expired.
Kopylov’s jab was keeping Di Chirico at range, and his takedown defense continued to hold up as well, as he defended Di Chirico’s attempts to bring the fight to the ground. Di Chirico landed his best shot of the round, which backed Kopylov up, however when he attempted to capitalize on the moment, Kopylov threw a flurry of strikes his way which forced him to retreat. Di Chirico partially landed a jumping knee, before tagging Kopylov with a right hand. This was a very close round, but I thought Di Chirico earned the round with the damage he did late.
Kopylov was fighting far more aggressively in this third round, and he was able to back Di Chirico into the cage as a result. A looping left hook rocked Di Chirico, and a right hook knocked him unconscious.
WINNER: Roman Kopylov by KO at 1:09 of Round 3
This was a slow fight at times, but the finish was a violent one. Momentum seemed to be shifting toward Di Chirico in the second round, and then Kopylov came off of his stool for the third round looking like a completely different fighter. Kopylov’s aggression in the third round quickly paid off, as he was able to trap Di Chirico against the cage, where he landed the fight-ending combination of hooks. Kopylov is now 1-2 in the UFC, with this marking his first win in the promotion.
NASSOURDINE IMAVOV (11-3, 186) VS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY (15-4, 186) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Both fighters were fired up to begin this fight. Imavov was attempting to trap Buckley against the cage, but Buckley’s movement was solid, and he was doing a good job of keeping busy offensively despite being on the backfoot. Imavov landed a front kick that knocked Buckley’s mouthpiece out, and he refused to backdown as the referee attempted to re-insert Buckley’s mouthpiece, creating a heated exchange between those in the octagon. Imavov caught a kick from Buckley at one point, tripping him, and he tagged Buckley with a strong left hand as he picked himself up. Imavov stuffed a takedown attempt from Buckley at the end of the round, moved into top mount, and he threw down some ground and pound strikes before time expired. He slapped Buckley lightly in the back of the head after the horn had sounded. 10-9 Imavov.
Referee Marc Goddard gave Imavov a stern warning between rounds for his antics in the first round. About a minute into the second round, he was given a more official warning for his outstretched fingers. Buckley partially slapped him with a head kick as the action resumed, and moments later he caught Imavov with a heavy right hand, which was his biggest moment of the fight to that point. Imavov was finding a home for a higher percentage of his strikes however, and Imavov was able to secure another takedown with roughly two minutes to work. He took the back of Buckley, where he began to crank on the neck as Imavov looked to sink in a rear naked choke. Buckley survived the dangerous position, but was bleeding from the mouth after some heavy elbows from Imavov. 20-18 Imavov.
Buckley’s corner told him he was in need of a finish to win this fight. Imavov connected with a right hand early in the final round, which prompted Buckley to start swinging for the fences. He overcommitted slightly, and Imavov was able to slip behind Buckley and wrap him up against the cage. Buckley created the separation he needed, and he was clearly following his corner’s advice because he was trying to take Imavov’s head off with every punch he threw. Buckley’s pressure was a game changer, and Imavov seemed to be slightly overwhelmed by Buckley’s activity. Still, Imavov was landing heavy shots of his own, and was able to wrap Buckley up whenever he was in need of a break. At one point, Buckley landed a clean knee to the chin of Imavov, and it was astounding that Imavov was not even rocked from the blow. The fight ultimately went the distance, but this was an excellent final round from Buckley. 29-28 Imavov.
WINNER: Nassourdine Imavov by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
These two clearly had issues going into this bout, and they fought like it for the entirety of this fifteen-minute fight, Imavov was able to utilize his size advantage to keep Buckley at range throughout the first two rounds, and nearly had him finished on the ground at the end of round two. Buckley’s corner was honest with him, and as a result, he came out swinging for the fences in round three, looking to secure the fight-ending knockout. If Imavov didn’t have an insane chin, Buckley may have secured that big knockout with the knee he landed in round three, but Imavov remained unphased and was able to survive Buckley’s late attack. The two were respectful towards each other after the bout, seemingly leaving whatever feud they had in the octagon. Imavov is now 4-1 in the UFC, and he has won three consecutive fights.
ROBERT WHITTAKER (23-6, 186) VS MARVIN VETTORI (18-5-1, 186) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Neither man was hesitant to engage early, with Vettori advancing while Whittaker looked to catch him on his way in. Whittaker’s jab was solid, but he was not using it quite as often as he had in previous bouts. Both fighters found success with short combinations in the pocket, with Vettori seemingly having the slight edge in activity. Whittaker defended Vettori’s first takedown attempt of the fight, and he landed a right hand as Vettori dug in with a body kick. Vettori ended the round with a solid knee to the body. I thought this was a very close round. 10-9 Whittaker.
Vettori was able to avoid a heavy head kick attempt from Whittaker to begin round two, and Whittaker dodged one from Vettori just moments later. A heavy right hand from Whittaker found its target, and he caught Vettori with a sharp jab as Vettori attempted another head kick. A head kick from Whittaker found its target, and Whittaker followed it up with a right hand. Whittaker caught Vettori with a lead elbow before he backed him into the cage with a solid combination. This was a strong round for Whittaker. 20-18 Whittaker.
Vettori’s corner advised him to be busier in this final round, knowing that this could very well be the decisive round if the judges saw round one for Vettori. Vettori landed a right hand about a minute into the round, which Whittaker responded to with a head kick. Whittaker loaded up on a pair of right hands that found their target, but Vettori’s chin held up. Vettori’s impressive resilience did not end there, as just moments later he took a clean knee to the temple without blinking. Vettori changed levels and attempted to take Whittaker down, but Whittaker was able to remain on his feet and separate from his opponent, before landing another strong right hand. Whittaker took Vettori down with a minute remaining in the bout and caught him with another right hand as Vettori picked himself up. This was another dominant round for Whittaker. 30-27 Whittaker.
WINNER: Robert Whittaker by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
This was a masterful performance from Robert Whittaker. The first round was very competitive, but by round two, Whittaker had taken control of this bout, and Vettori never really had Whittaker in any trouble until time expired. Vettori typically overwhelms fighters with his pace, constantly throwing out strikes and attempting takedowns, but Whittaker slowed Vettori down with his strong counter shots, and easily shrugged off Vettori’s attempts to ground him, even securing a takedown of his own in the bouts final minute. Despite this impressive win, Whittaker remains a somewhat “frozen” fighter in the division. He currently has two losses to the UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, and while their second bout was competitive, there is no clear path to UFC gold for Whittaker right now, aside from another fighter beating Adesanya for his title. Whittaker has already fought (and beaten) the vast majority of the top contenders at middleweight, but one fighter he has yet to face is Paulo Costa, so I could very well see that fight being put together next for the former UFC Middleweight Champion.
CIRYL GANE (10-1, 247) VS TAI TUIVASA (14-3, 266) – HEAVYWEIGHT
The fighters touched gloves to begin the main event. They traded leg kicks throughout the opening minute of the fight, before Gane started to attack the body. Gane began to work his jab, as he attempted to keep Tuivasa at range. Tuivasa landed a right hand as Gane ducked in, and forced Gane to abandon a clinch attempt. Gane connected with a head kick that Tuivasa just absorbed, as he continued to pressure forward.
Gane narrowly missed his target with a front kick attempt. Gane dug into the body of Tuivasa with a kick after avoiding a lunging right hand from Tuivasa. The fighters traded right hands, before Gane went back to working his jab. Tuivasa defended a takedown attempt from Gane, before dropping him with a hard right hand. Gane recovered immediately, but this was a huge opportunity for Tuivasa, Gane responded with a series of body shots that hurt Tuivasa, and suddenly Tuivasa seemed to be on the verge of being finished himself, but he bit down on his mouthpiece and kept swinging until the round concluded. This was a fantastic round.
Gane kept digging into the body in the second round, as Tuivasa attempted to catch him with another big right hand. The body kick from Gane were doing a ton of damage, and Tuivasa was having trouble avoiding Gane’s blows. A number of heavy shots to the head from Gane rocked Tuivasa, but he remained on his feet, and fired right back to keep Gane off of him. The fighters traded right hands, before Gane went back to the body with a trio of kicks, hurting Tuivasa yet again. A right hand from Gane rocked Tuivasa badly, and he proceeded to just land shot after shot until Tuivasa finally went down. Gane followed him to the ground, and knocked Tuivasa unconscious with a short number of ground and pound strikes.
WINNER: Ciryl Gane by KO at 4:23 of Round 3
Tai Tuivasa was a massive underdog going into this fight, which was understandable given the fact that Gane had barely been touched on the feet in his prior UFC bouts, even by the likes of Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou. However, Tuivasa did not freeze in the octagon with Gane, like so many fighters have done before him. Instead, he brought the fight to Gane, pressuring forward as he attempted to catch Gane with a fight-ending right hand. In the second round, he put Gane in more danger than any other fighter has done to this point, dropping him with a right hand, but in the end, Gane was able to recover and ultimately secured a rather brutal knockout of his own. Gane’s UFC record now stands at 8-1, and despite his recent loss to Ngannou, Gane remains perhaps the top contender in the division. A logical next opponent for Gane may be Curtis Blaydes, but Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones remain big names that are often mentioned whenever heavyweight title contendership is discussed.
