The UFC heavyweight division is in crisis, and Brendan Schaub isn’t holding back about its dire state. In a recent YouTube video, the former UFC heavyweight contender—who shared the octagon with legends like Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Andrei Arlovski—pulled no punches in his assessment: “The heavyweight division is dying, if not dead.” But here’s where it gets controversial: Schaub doesn’t just blame the fighters; he points to a perceived lack of effort from UFC leadership to revitalize the division. “It’s a shell of what it used to be,” he laments, nostalgically recalling the glory days of PRIDE’s heavyweight grand prixs and even Bellator’s earlier dominance. “When I fought, it was murderer’s row—the who’s-who of the sport. Now? It’s barely recognizable.”
Schaub isn’t alone in his frustration. The MMA community is buzzing with disappointment over what was once the sport’s most prestigious weight class. And this is the part most people miss: Schaub believes the UFC could turn it around—if they wanted to. “Sign Rico Verhoeven, bring back Francis Ngannou, or lock in Gable Steveson,” he suggests. “At least then we’re cooking with some gas.” But the Ngannou situation, complicated by Dana White’s public disputes with the former champ, remains a sticking point. “Francis is the biggest free agent out there, by far,” Schaub insists. “Someone needs to step in and fix this.”
The heavyweight division has always had its highs and lows, but Schaub argues this is different. “It’s not just an ebb and flow—it’s a full-blown SOS,” he says. With the current champ sidelined for nine months due to eye surgery and Jon Jones’s future uncertain, the division is screaming for attention. “If Dana’s not dealing with it, let Hunter Campbell or Mick Maynard take the reins,” Schaub urges. “For the health of the division, someone needs to act—and fast.”
But here’s the real question: Is the UFC willing to make the bold moves needed to save the heavyweight division, or are they content to let it fade into obscurity? Schaub’s call to action is clear, but the ball is in the UFC’s court. What do you think? Is Schaub right, or is he overstating the problem? Let’s hear your take in the comments—this debate is far from over.
