5 UFC fighters who could compete for an interim heavyweight title in Francis Ngannou's absence

#2. Stipe Miocic – former UFC heavyweight champion and current No.2-ranked contender

Stipe Miocic is the UFC's most decorated heavyweight

Despite the fact that he’s set to turn 40 years old this August, it’s inarguable that Stipe Miocic remains the most decorated heavyweight in the UFC right now.

Sure, he lost his heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou in devastating fashion in April 2021 and hasn’t fought since. However, prior to that, not only had he beaten ‘The Predator’, but he’d also achieved wins over the likes of Daniel Cormier, Fabricio Werdum and Junior dos Santos.

More importantly, with four successful title defenses under his belt, Miocic has a clear argument for being the greatest heavyweight in MMA history.

Given that he hasn’t fought since his loss to Ngannou, some observers might scoff at the idea of him fighting for an interim title, particularly as it’s highly possible that he’s past his prime at this point.

However, it could well be a smart booking for the UFC to involve him in any such title bout. After all, a win over Miocic for a young gun like Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane would mean more than a victory over any other fighter in the division.

Therefore, if Miocic is ready to return in the near future, seeing him in a fight for an interim heavyweight title may well make plenty of sense.

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#1. Tai Tuivasa – No.3-ranked UFC heavyweight contender

Tai Tuivasa is the highest ranked fighter in the heavyweight division to never previously hold a title

Outside of fighters who have previously held UFC gold, the highest ranked fighter currently operating in the heavyweight division is Tai Tuivasa. ‘Bam Bam’ is now the No.3 ranked fighter in the world and is currently riding a five-fight win streak.

Sure, the native of Australia hasn’t been perfect in those wins, as he came close to being knocked out by Greg Hardy and was also in trouble against Derrick Lewis at one point. However, neither man put him away and Tuivasa has the ultimate equaliser in the power he possesses in his hands.

So, with Francis Ngannou likely to be absent for the foreseeable future, could ‘Bam Bam’ fight for an interim heavyweight title in his next bout? It’s definitely possible.

The promotion may find it hard to justify giving a shot to either Stipe Miocic or Ciryl Gane given their recent losses to ‘The Predator’. If that’s the case, then Tuivasa is definitely next in line.

In fact, if he chooses to accept the challenge thrown out by Tom Aspinall this weekend, that bout could make for a perfect interim title one.

There are still plenty of questions surrounding ‘Bam Bam’ right now, namely around his ground game, which looked to be a definite weak spot for him in his earlier fights in the octagon.

However, he’s on arguably the most impressive win streak in the division at the minute, meaning that he’s got as good a claim to a title shot as anyone right now.