The UFC made “pound-for-pound” famous. But that hasn’t always been the case.
Before the 2009 introduction of the Unified Rules, there were no UFC weight maximums. As a result, some historic contenders in the Octagon have been truly massive – giants among men!
Whether that’s John Matua – who was flown in as a sumo wrestler to contend as a heavyweight champion – or the 7-foot Stefan “The Skyscraper” Struve, these competitors stood out for their massive size.
Today, the rules are more strict. But in the early days of UFC, almost anything went.
There were no gloves. Fighters punched with their bare knuckles.
And when it came to weight classes, it was quite literally the Wild West. There were several real-life David and Goliath matchups (heck, UFC 8 was literally dubbed “David vs. Goliath”).
With that, here are the heaviest UFC fighters to ever step foot in the cage – now and throughout history. All data is sourced from Tapology and the official UFC website.
Heaviest Fighters in UFC History
Today’s UFC Heavyweight division has a cutoff of 265 pounds. However, that was decided in 2009, when the New Jersey State Athletic Commission introduced the Unified Rules to the UFC.
This means that, historically, there have been fighters heavier than today’s maximum 265 lbs.
Emmanuel Yarbrough – 618 Pounds
Standing at 6’8″ and weighing 618 pounds, Emmanuel Yarbrough is the heaviest fighter to ever compete in the UFC.
Back in college at Morgan State, Yarbrough was a Division II All-American wrestler before the school ascended to the Division I ranks.
The sumo-wrestler-turned-MMA fighter represented Sumo in UFC 3 in 1994 but lost his first bout by TKO to a man 400 pounds lighter.
His short career only saw him win once, but with an impressive sumo background, Yarbrough – nicknamed “Tiny” in Sumo – was later inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Yarbrough was hospitalized following heart failure, leading him to lose weight from around 800 pounds. He passed away in 2015 at age 51.
Taylor Wily – 415 Pounds
Taylor Wily was known by his friends as “Big T” and billed as “Teila Tuli” in the UFC.
The 415-pound sumo wrestler was the second-heaviest man in UFC history and participated in the first televised UFC match ever at UFC 1.
Wily took a brutal kick to the face and, according to CBS Sports, “three of Wily’s teeth were dislodged, with one visibly flying toward the crowd and two reportedly lodged into [his opponent’s] foot.”
After his fighting career, Wily got into acting where he landed recurring roles in Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0.
Thomas Ramirez – 410 Pounds
Only hardcore MMA fans will remember Thomas Ramirez.
Then 41 years old, the 6’1″ Puerto Rican fighter debuted at UFC 8: David vs Goliath.
The 410-pound super heavyweight set a memorable record during his first and only bout: getting knocked out in a stunning 8 seconds.
Are you noticing a theme here?
John Matua – 400 Pounds
Weighing in at 400 pounds, John Matua fought at UFC 6: Clash of the Titans.
Despite a background in Kapu Kuialau – the “Hawaiian art of bone breaking” – Matua lost by TKO to the 260-pound Tank Abbott in 20 seconds.
Up until then, the California native was a reported 10-0 in bare knuckle matches.
Several years later, Matua defeated Steve Treadwell at King of the Cage 2 and won the KOTC super heavyweight championship.
Koji Kitao – 390 Pounds
This massive 390-pound ex-sumo wrestler and Japanese pro wrestler lost his first and only bout at UFC 9: Motor City Madness. His opponent Mark Hall was over 200 pounds lighter.
The fight ended after just 47 seconds due to a doctor’s stoppage. Kitao’s MMA career wrapped shortly after.
Then, like Taylor Wily, he became an actor where he ended up portraying a sumo wrestler in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 1996 film The Quest.
Bob Sapp – 352 Pounds
Bob “The Beast” Sapp is an all-around athlete with stints in kickboxing, wrestling, acting, and the NFL.
A third-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, he spent two seasons in the league with the Bears and Vikings before retiring. He worked at a funeral home after being defrauded by his economic advisor, who spent all of his NFL savings.
After advice from a friend, the Colorado-born Sapp moved into pro wrestling before hitting the MMA scene.
With his last weigh-in coming in at 352.7 pounds, Sapp was billed as a super heavyweight. He relied on strength and size to win 12 of his professional MMA bouts.
Tim Sylvia – 307 Pounds
With 31 wins and 10 losses across his MMA career, Tim Sylvia stands out as an exceptional fighter.
“The Maine-iac” fought all of his bouts before the 265-pound weight maximum, but largely came in at that limit. However, he tipped the scales at 307.5 pounds in his last official weigh-in.
The former semi-pro football player also came from a background of blue-collar jobs – working as a bouncer, in construction, hanging sheetrock, and painting houses – gaining him popularity with the crowd.
Sylvia was ultimately released from his UFC contract with one fight left after which he moved into Adrenaline MMA.
Gan McGee – 295 Pounds
At 295 lbs and with 13 wins to 5 losses, Gan “The Giant” McGee is considered one of the best super heavyweight fighters to ever step into the Octagon.
The North Dakota native also stood at 6’10”, making him one of the tallest fighters ever. His 2003 match against Tim Sylvia was dubbed “Battle of the Giants”, and he lost by KO.
The fight resulted in Sylvia admitting to using steroids for weight loss, but McGee was denied a rematch – resulting in him losing enthusiasm for the sport – until he came back to Xtreme Fighting Championships in 2008 and took the title.
Brock Lesnar – 286 Pounds
Weighing a rock-solid 286 pounds for most of his career, Brock Lesnar is the heaviest UFC champion of all time.
As the only person to have ever won the heavyweight championship for WWE, UFC, NJPW, IGF, and NCAA, Lesnar is one of the most impressive fighters of all time.
Lesnar was sidelined for over a year after a severe intestinal leakage put him in the hospital, but recovered, and went on to become universal champion, which he held for over a year.
READ MORE: Remembering The Time Brock Lesnar Played Football
Mark Hunt – 284 Pounds
Peaking at 284 pounds, the South Auckland-born fighter was a fan favorite across his UFC career for his brawling style and casual “walk-off” knockouts before referees stepped in.
With 13 UFC wins, Hunt also stands out with one of the more impressive careers on this list.
The fighter was labeled an underdog after a losing streak resulted in the UFC attempting to buy out his contract. Hunt was forced to drop weight down to the new max of 265 pounds.
That, plus The Super Samoan’s humble upbringing in a large rural family, and perseverance even in the face of media pushback, has made him an inspiration to this day.
Francis Ngannou – 272 Pounds
Francis Ngannou topped out at 272.6 pounds at his most recent weigh-in. Though he no longer competes in the UFC as of today, his story has inspired plenty of current UFC fighters.
After growing up in poverty in Cameroon, Ngannou traversed all the way to Paris, France. When he got there, he didn’t have anywhere to stay.
“When I arrived in Paris, I slept in the street. I was alone. I had almost no money…less than 100 euros.”
Remarkably, he worked his way up from rock bottom to the top of the UFC. You can read all about his incredible story here.
Stefan Struve – 265 Pounds
Stevan “The Skyscraper” Struve weighed 265 pounds when he debuted in 2009. Yet, the most striking fact about him was his 7-foot height.
The Dutch champion fought in the light heavyweight division until 2006 after which he moved into the heavyweight division, where he remained until his retirement in 2021.
With 29 wins, including some against the best in the division, Struve is one of the most notable fighters of the early 2000s.
Plus, with a near career-ending heart condition and subsequent return to the Octagon, Struve is a true example of overcoming adversity.
Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva – 265 Pounds
Coming in at 265 pounds, this heavyweight and superheavyweight champion is known for his gigantism caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland.
The California State Athletic Commission discovered the benign tumor in a pre-fight medical check and refused to license him. Silva underwent brain surgery that summer to get the tumor removed so he could fight.
Of his 19 MMA wins, Silva won 15 by knockout. He’s held heavyweight championship titles across Cage Warriors, EliteXC, and CageRage, but never in the UFC.
Shane Carwin – 254 Pounds
“The Engineer” Shane Carwin stands out as one of the hardest-hitting athletes to ever fight in the UFC, and for being one of the only fighters to hold two bachelor’s degrees.
Of his 14 MMA matches, Carwin won 12 – 8 by knockout.
His later career was unfortunately plagued with back and neck issues, resulting in multiple bouts of surgery. After a knee injury in 2021, he retired from the sport altogether.
Still, memories of his one-punch knockout at UFC 84 will inspire contenders to the Octagon for years to come.
Heaviest Active UFC Fighters
Stepping foot in the Octagon today means coming in at strict weight maximums, and that’s 265 pounds.
There are currently 35 UFC fighters competing in the heavyweight division – and most of them will work to be as close to maximum weight as possible on fight days.
During the year, most will weigh about 15 pounds within that range, making it easier to achieve their goal weight for fights.
Alexander Volkov – 263 Pounds
At 263 pounds, Alexander Volkov is one of the heaviest fighters in the UFC today.
He’s also one of the longest reigning, with a career spanning 38 wins since 2009.
Volkov is also the second person in UFC history to end a fight with an Ezekiel choke.
Curtis Blaydes – 263 Pounds
At 6’4”, 263 pounds, Curtis “Razor” Blaydes is one of the heaviest men in the UFC today.
He’s also a top 5 UFC heavyweight contender and has been practically since his debut in 2016.
Despite an 18-5 record, he’s also faced multiple injuries across his career and, like Pavlovich, lost his shot at the 2024 Interim Heavyweight Champion after a knockout by Tom Aspinall, just one minute into the first round.
Sergei Pavlovich – 260 Pounds
This 260-pound Russian MMA fighter is a heavyweight champion across multiple non-UFC brands and, as of 2024, is #4 in the UFC rankings.
Pavlovich is famous for ending fights by knockout, with 15 KO’s on his 18-win record.
Still, he lost his chance for the 2024 Interim Heavyweight Championship when Tom Aspinall knocked him out in the first round.
Tom Aspinall – 251 Pounds
As the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion for 2024, Tom Aspinall is at the top of his career after a rapid ascent through the division.
Aspinall has won 15 of his 18 matches and is #8 in the pound-for-pound rankings. He weighs 251 pounds.
As a teenager, he hit a historic growth spurt – sprouting from 5’8″ to 6’5″ in the span of a year after finishing school.
“I actually had to go for scans and everything on my back because there [were] some days I literally couldn’t get out of bed,” he told the New York Post.
“I used to see the physio[therapist] a lot, and we used to go for some MRI scans and everything. And basically, it turned out that I just had extreme growing pains.”
Ciryl Gane – 250 Pounds
This French heavyweight contender stands out for his technical ability and footwork, making him one of the few to stand out for precision rather than strength.
Still at 250 pounds, with a 12/14 win rate, he is a top 5 contender.
Back in France, Gane worked as a salesperson at a furniture store before a classmate introduced him to Muay Thai.
FAQs
No. UFC fighters have a maximum weight of 265 lbs. Coming in even slightly over that maximum means that fighters are ineligible to perform. For that reason, most fighters aim for a maximum weight of about 263 lbs. on fight weigh-in days.
The current heavyweight maximum weight is 265 lbs. The super heavyweight division has no weight limit but only accepts fighters over 265 lbs.
Brock Lesnar weighed 285 lbs for his November 2008 UFC 91 title fight. That makes him the heaviest UFC fighter to hold the Interim Championship, where he reigned for 707 days.
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