Being the heavyweight champion has to be the most chest-thumping experience possible for a fighter, if for no other reason than that the title comes with the swaggering nickname “baddest man on the planet.”

That glorifying designation first surfaced widely in boxing in the late 1980s during the heavyweight championship reign of Mike Tyson. His aggression, punching power and spine-chilling demeanor left opponents defeated by intimidation as much as fisticuffs. No one since has duplicated his fearsome aura in boxing, and the “baddest man” moniker has essentially shifted to MMA, a sport with a broader variety of combat engagement than anything the Marquess of Queensberry ever envisioned. Just ask three-weight boxing champion James Toney, who was taken off his feet with ease by Randy Couture within 18 seconds and beaten down for the duration of their one-sided 2010 UFC fight.

When an MMA heavyweight gains recognition as the “baddest man on the planet,” it’s often an outgrowth of the story behind how he won the championship. Francis Ngannou captured the UFC belt in 2021 by knocking out Stipe Miocic, whose three title defenses established a heavyweight record that still stands. Miocic first won the title in 2016 by knocking out Fabricio Werdum, who earlier had secured a place of honor in the sport’s annals by finishing two of the greatest ever, Fedor Emelianenko and Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, whose multifaceted skill set and revving engine made him unlike any previous heavyweight, became UFC champion in 2010 with an iconic wrecking of the seemingly indestructible Brock Lesnar.

Contrast those splashy ascents to the top of the mountain with the unimpeded rise of the current owner of the UFC heavyweight belt, Tom Aspinall. Whereas Ngannou, Miocic and many other greats established their supremacy with statement victories, Aspinall did not dethrone a reigning champion to gain the title. The UFC simply elevated him from interim champion to undisputed champ four months ago to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Jon Jones.

Aspinall will defend the belt for the first time on Saturday, facing third-time title challenger Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2 p.m. ET on ESPN PPV, prelims at 10 a.m. on ESPN+). But even before the new champion steps inside the Octagon this weekend, here’s something essential to know about him: Aspinall has already established himself as the most dominant heavyweight in MMA history.

If that sounds premature or even preposterous, consider that this is not a proclamation that Aspinall (15-3) is the greatest heavyweight ever. That’s an honor generally bestowed upon Emelianenko, who amassed a 29-fight unbeaten streak that extended for nearly the entire first decade of the 2000s.

Aspinall is not MMA’s most accomplished heavyweight, either. There’s a strong argument there for Miocic, who defended the UFC title more than anyone else and owns the heavyweight record with six title fight wins. Perhaps the most accomplished is Couture, the only fighter to reign three times as UFC heavyweight champion.

They’re extraordinary heavyweights, every one of them, but none sustained dominance the way Aspinall has.

Aspinall is 8-1 in the UFC, his only loss being the result of a freak noncontact injury. He blew out his knee in the opening seconds of a 2022 bout with Curtis Blaydes, and in addition to being saddled with a 15-second “TKO (Injury)” loss, Aspinall ended up sidelined for a year. He would step in with Blaydes again in 2024 and win by knockout in one minute. That victory fell right in line with the rest of Aspinall’s UFC résumé, as all but one of his eight wins ended in the first round, the most recent three in 1 minute, 13 seconds or faster.

According to ESPN Research, Aspinall’s seven first-round wins are the most by any fighter in any weight class through nine Octagon appearances in the promotion’s modern era (since UFC 28 in 2000).

Some other shiny Aspinall statistics:

• He has the shortest average fight time in UFC history (2 minutes, 2 seconds).

• He has spent the least time in bottom position of any fighter in UFC history (1 second).

• His 4.09 knockdowns per 15 minutes of fight time average is the most in UFC heavyweight history (second-most in any weight class).

• His 8.07 significant strikes landed per minute average is the most in UFC heavyweight history (third-most in any weight class).

• His significant strike differential (strikes landed minus strikes absorbed) of plus-5.18 per minute is the highest in UFC history.

Aspinall is dominance personified. Unprecedented dominance.

Emelianenko, for all of his greatness, had to persevere through perilous moments during his lengthy unbeaten run, none more so than in a Pride fight in 2004, when he was suplexed onto his head by Kevin Randleman (before turning things around for his 15th straight win). And when Emelianenko was submitted by Werdum in a 2010 Strikeforce match, it was the first of three straight defeats. One can be an all-time great yet not dominant all the time.

Miocic had his ups and downs as well. He owns the heavyweight title defense record but was knocked out four times in the Octagon — although Miocic should get a pass on the last one, against Jones just under a year ago, because he’d been retired for 3½ years before returning to the cage as a 42-year-old shadow of his old self. Even in his prime, though, Miocic didn’t dominate like Aspinall.

Couture doesn’t have the dominance of Aspinall, either. Nor does Ngannou, Werdum or anyone else. Couture had those three heavyweight reigns but also lost three heavyweight title bouts. Ngannou is as explosive as Aspinall, if not more so, but in 2018 he took consecutive losses to Miocic and Derrick Lewis. Werdum had unparalleled grappling chops — 12 submissions among 24 wins — but lost nine times in his career. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira beat Couture, Werdum, Mark Coleman, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Dan Henderson but lost 10 fights. Then there’s Jones, inarguably the greatest ever at light heavyweight, but having competed at heavyweight just twice, he grades out as an incomplete.

If anyone from MMA’s past showed Aspinall-level supreme dominance, it was Ronda Rousey. She won her first 12 fights, every one of them by finish, all but one in the first round. The final three fights during that untouchable run ended in 16, 14 and 34 seconds. But then it all fell apart for “Rowdy Ronda,” thanks to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

At heavyweight, the story was much the same with Shane Carwin. He also built a 12-0 record on fast finishes — in his case, every one of them came in Round 1. Carwin was on his way to adding a 13th demolition, until Lesnar withstood a first-round beatdown and survived to the horn. When Round 2 began, Carwin was in uncharted waters, and Lesnar drowned him. So much for big-boy dominance.

Some might say Aspinall, like Jones, deserves an incomplete grade. But while he has yet to make a single defense of the undisputed title, Aspinall did put his interim belt up for grabs once while waiting (in vain) for Jones to return. He owns a victory over a former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski. And if he defeats Gane on Saturday (as a -425 favorite by ESPN BET), Aspinall will have beaten the four UFC heavyweights situated right behind him in the ESPN divisional rankings. That’s a heavy dose of dominance for a career that feels like it’s just getting started.

At age 32, Aspinall has time to accomplish much more and face down any challenges lurking ahead. No one has slowed his roll yet. Will this weekend add another stellar chapter to a story that’s been all his, or will it change the narrative on Tom Aspinall entirely?

Chelsea will make a fresh attempt to sign Spain striker Samu Agehowa, while Manchester United have learned how much it will cost to sign VfB Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– Forest hire Dyche as Postecoglou replacement
– Klopp refuses to rule out Liverpool return one day
– PL clubs concerned over spending cap in Championship

TRENDING RUMORS

– Chelsea are prepared to make an £87m offer to FC Porto for striker Samu Agehowa next summer, according to Record. The Blues had been close to signing the Spain international from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2024, but the move collapsed and he joined Porto instead. Samu scored 25 goals in his first season in Portugal, and has netted eight goals in nine games so far this term. The 21-year-old has a contract at the Estádio do Dragão until June 2029.

– Stuttgart have set their fee for Angelo Stiller at €50 million with Manchester United among the clubs who have expressed an interest in the midfielder but the 24-year-old’s valuation could still rise, according to Sky Sports Deutschland. While Stiller has a €40m release clause, the Bundesliga club can buy that out and make his transfer fee freely negotiable. Meanwhile, TEAMtalk reports that United are looking to January with their list of options featuring Sporting CP‘s Morten Hjulmand, Crystal Palace‘s Adam Wharton, Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Carlos Baleba, Borussia Dortmund‘s Jobe Bellingham and Porto’s Victor Froholdt. The Red Devils are optimistic that they can reunite coach Ruben Amorim with Hjulmand for £50m despite the 26-year-old’s £70m release clause, with this coming due to Sporting’s relationship with their former manager.

– Sky Sports Deutschland have offered an insight into the domino effect that could happen regarding free agent centre-backs in the summer. A final decision hasn’t been made on David Alaba‘s future but he is likely to leave Real Madrid, while the Saudi Pro League is watching the situation of his teammate Antonio Rüdiger with his future uncertain despite an offer having been tabled for a contract that runs until 2028. Liverpool‘s Ibrahima Konaté could be the replacement if either of them leave, while Marc Guéhi could replace the Frenchman at Anfield but is also wanted by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Dayot Upamecano could also move despite Bayern wanting to extend his contract to 2030.

– Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is weighing up a January loan move with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Brentford all looking at the 20-year-old, according to TEAMtalk. Mainoo remains committed to the Red Devils, but the feeling is that he needs more minutes to aid both his development and ambitions to represent England at the FIFA World Cup. Man United’s lack of depth in midfield has raised questions about whether they will be willing to allow a loan move.

– Barcelona are monitoring Mallorca winger Jan Virgili and could look to re-sign him, as reported by Diario Sport. The 19-year-old left the Blaugrana for €3.5m this summer as he didn’t want to be part of a reserve team any longer, but Barca included a clause that would see them receive a percentage of the funds from his next move and another clause that would allow them to re-sign him. Virgili marked his return from the Under-20 World Cup by providing the assist for Vedat Muriqi‘s equaliser in Mallorca’s win against Sevilla.

OTHER RUMORS

– AC Milan had a scout at Parma’s goalless draw against Genoa to watch goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. (Nicolò Schira)

– Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Willian Pacho could extend his contract in the coming weeks, with an offer on the table to extend his deal by one year so it lasts until 2030. (Le Parisien)

– Clubs from across Europe are monitoring Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. (Rudy Galetti)

– Massimiliano Allegri has given his approval for AC Milan to extend Fikayo Tomori‘s contract with initial informal discussions already taking place. (Calciomercato)

– Rodez centre-back Mathis Magnin is being monitored by various Ligue 1 clubs having impressed in Ligue 2. (Rudy Galetti)

– Several European clubs, especially from Italy and England, are monitoring Copenhagen centre-back Gabriel Pereira. (Rudy Galetti)

– Barcelona will not move in the January transfer window unless they suffer injuries. (AS)

– Bologna have turned down a “huge” offer from Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah for Riccardo Orsolini, and the Rossoblu are in talks to extend the winger’s contract until 2029 with the option for another year. (Nicolò Schira)

SEATTLE — Not everything was bad for Seattle sports fans on Monday night.

While the Mariners fell just short of their first-ever World Series appearance, the Seattle Seahawks took care of business at Lumen Field, beating the Houston Texans 27-19. The Seahawks’ defense held Houston to 254 yards and sacked C.J. Stroud three times, helping them overcome four turnovers. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught a touchdown pass while running back Zach Charbonnet ran for two more scores.

Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:

Moments before kickoff on Monday, the Seahawks had franchise legends Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas raised the ceremonial 12 flag at Lumen Field. And then their defense turned in a performance that would make the Legion of Boom proud.

The Seahawks harassed C.J. Stroud, sacking him three times, intercepting him once and holding the Texans’ quarterback to under a 50% completion rate (23-for-49). Their loaded pass rush and typically strong run defense were enough to keep Houston’s offense out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter despite Seattle again playing short-handed in the secondary, with Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love both inactive.

Seattle’s offense got another huge game from Smith-Njigba, who caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, but it turned the ball over four times and converted only 2 of 14 times on third down.

This night belonged to the defense, whose dominance helped Seattle improve to 5-2 heading into the bye. The Seahawks are off the rest of the week, but they may not be idle with the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaching and a potential trade chip in their back pocket in cornerback Riq Woolen, who isn’t part of their long-term plans. The Seahawks are expecting Witherspoon (and Love) back after the bye, which could give them more freedom to move Woolen and, depending on what they get in return, potentially improve what is already one of the best defenses in the NFL.

What to make of the QB performance: Sam Darnold has done an excellent job this season of avoiding sacks and negative plays in general, but he didn’t do that Monday night. With the Seahawks backed up near their own goal line in the third quarter, he tried to retreat in the end zone with the pocket collapsing in front of him, leading to a strip sack by Will Anderson Jr. that the Houston edge rusher recovered in the end zone. Darnold was sacked another time and threw an interception in the fourth quarter, making it an atypical performance for a quarterback who had entered this game ranked third in Total QBR. Darnold completed 17 of 31 passes for 213 yards and another touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba.

Trend to watch: If it wasn’t clear already, it should be now: Uchenna Nwosu is back to his old self. His sack of Stroud in the first quarter was his sixth in as many games this season. The veteran edge rusher missed the opener while coming back from offseason knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus he suffered in last season’s finale — one of several injuries that have plagued him in recent seasons. All the time he’s missed forced the 28-year-old Nwosu to take a pay cut over the offseason to return to Seattle, creating plenty of uncertainty over his future with the Seahawks beyond 2025. But that’s becoming less of a question.

Stat to know: Smith-Njigba became the first player in Seahawks history with at least 100 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in three straight games, according to ESPN Research. That’s just one stat that illustrates the incredible start he’s had to the season — the kind of tear that is putting him in the conversation of the best receivers in football. He entered Monday night leading the NFL in receiving by a wide margin with 696 yards, and he extended that lead with another 123 yards against Houston. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, his 11-yard touchdown catch had a completion probability of 28%, the least likely scoring pass for the Seahawks so far this season. — Brady Henderson

Next game: at Washington Commanders (Sunday, Nov. 2, 8:20 p.m. ET)

The Texans’ disappointing offensive showing Monday night was best symbolized by an anemic fourth-quarter, goal-line possession.

Down 27-12 with 5:21 remaining, Houston’s offense lined up on the Seahawks’ 3-yard line while dealing with a deafening, flag-waving Lumen Stadium crowd. And the Texans’ offense did nothing to silence them. The series of plays — a 2-yard run, an incompletion, another incompletion, a false start then yet another incompletion – equaled a turnover on downs and their best shot to come back to win a game in which they forced four Seahawks turnovers.

When the game was on the line, Houston folded. The evening featured another slog for the Houston offense, which could only generate 13 points and 254 total yards. Stroud was sacked three times, threw a touchdown pass and an interception while Houston’s run game was invisible, totaling only 56 yards. It was a disappointing showing coming off a bye, which followed a 44-point showing against the Ravens two weeks ago.

Biggest hole in the game plan: All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. versus Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leading receiver, was a marquee matchup. Smith-Njigba finished with eight catches for 123 yards along with a touchdown, with Stingley allowing 49 yards and the score. But Stingley never matched up against him in press coverage, his strong suit. Heading into Monday’s game, opponents only completed 36% of their passes against Stingley in press coverage, according to Next Gen Stats. And last season he allowed a passer rating of 14.0 when playing press, the best in the NFL. Maybe Stingley, who had a fourth-quarter interception, could have slowed Smith-Njigba down if he was allowed to play press coverage.

QB performance: Stroud didn’t pick up where he left off before the bye, when he threw four touchdown passes in a 44-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. This week Stroud passed for 229 yards and threw an interception while only leading his offensive group to 13 points. It wasn’t all his fault; there were multiple plays when there were free rushers, leading to a sack or throwaways. Even on Stroud’s interception there was a free rusher at his feet, leading to the errant throw. Overall, Stroud’s numbers weren’t good, but the pieces around him didn’t help enough.

Turning point: The Texans were trailing 20-12 late in the third quarter as their offense faced a third-and-1 at their own 41-yard line. Running back Woody Marks got stuffed for no gain. Then on fourth-and-1, they called a similar run play in which Marks got stuffed again, resulting in a turnover on downs. The Seahawks scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to go up 27-12, which gave them enough of a cushion to win. — DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: vs. San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)