The heavyweight division finds itself in a state of flux, as one era comes to a close and another draws near.It is therefore a challenging task to rank the top 10 heavyweights in the world right now, but here, talkSPORT.com attempts to do just that.Joshua misses the cut after his recent poor performances against Dubois, Paul and Prenga, though his legacy is undeniableGettyBefore we get into the list, some ranking criteria.If a heavyweight has not competed in the last 12 months, then they are ineligible to feature, thus ruling out the likes of Martin Bakole and Zhilei Zhang.Ultimately, lists like these are subjective, although our rankings are based predominantly on results and performances, with more weight put into a fighter’s recent track record than their past achievements.Without further ado, here are the top 10 heavyweights in the world as of September 2026.10. Murat GassievMurat Gassiev was an outstanding cruiserweight who beat some of the best fighters at 200lbs during a golden era in the late 2010s.However, since jumping up to heavyweight, his body of work has been far less impressive.While he is now the WBA heavyweight champion, he won it by default after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his belts.Of course, Gassiev did have to win the WBA ‘regular’ title to be elevated to full champion, but he did that against a faded 45-year-old Kubrat Pulev.His first defence of the WBA belt then came, through no fault of his own, against unheralded short-notice stand-in Peter Kadiru after Tony Yoka pulled out through injury.Gassiev did exactly what was expected of him by stopping Kadiru, although his defeat to Otto Wallin in 2023 and his lack of elite opposition mean it’s hard to justify putting him higher than No.10.Gassiev is the WBA champion, but his heavyweight CV is shallowGetty9. Moses ItaumaOff the eye test alone, Itauma would be much higher on this list.The Chatham southpaw tore through ageing veterans Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin like a freight train and was dominating Filip Hrgovic through 8 rounds before his gas tank emptied.At 21 years old, Itauma still has a lot to learn, particularly when it comes to pacing a 12-round fight. But his future remains bright, provided he can block out the noise and bounce back stronger.Moses Itauma might be one of the best pure boxers in the division, but he is coming off a loss to Filip HrgovicGetty8. Joseph ParkerJoseph Parker narrowly sneaks into the 12-month window of activity, with his last outing coming against Fabio Wardley in October 2025.The Kiwi was finished by Wardley in the 11th round, but had been ahead on two of the scorecards at the time of the stoppage.Shortly after the contest, Parker tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, and served a lenghty provisional suspension.He has since been cleared to fight again and is expected to return to the ring soon.Before losing to Wardley, former WBO champion Parker went on an impressive run between 2023 and 2025, beating Deontay Wilder, Zhang and Bakole.Joseph Parker is set to end his 11 month hiatus after being cleared to fight againGettyBoxing's hardest hitterstalkSPORT.com has ranked the hardest punchers in boxing today.From Daniel Dubois to the owner of one of the most frightening knockouts in the sport’s history, click here to see who tops the pile among the current crop of heavy-handed pugilists.7. Frank SanchezFrank Sanchez put his name right back into the mix in May by knocking out Olympic silver medallist Richard Torrez Jr to secure his mandatory status with the IBF.Many had written the Cuban off after his seventh-round stoppage loss to Agit Kabayel, although it is understood he took that fight with a compromised knee, which had been heavily strapped up on the night.Even his bout with Torrez Jr was initially postponed due to a knee injury.Regardless, if he can stay fit, Sanchez has already proven he can compete at the top level, with his wins over Efe Ajagba and Torrez Jr.Frank Sanchez is next in line for an IBF heavyweight title shot after knocking out Richard Torrez JrGetty6. Tyson Fury Tyson Fury could be higher or lower on this list depending on who you speak to.While he is undoubtedly one of the best big men of his generation, Fury hasn’t had a significant win since April 2022 when he blasted away Whyte at Wembley Stadium.Since then, his wins are as follows: a past-his-best Derek Chisora, MMA fighter and boxing novice Francis Ngannou, a strong but technically limited Arslanbek Makhmudov, and 46-year-old journeyman Mariusz Wach.Slotted between those victories are a pair of defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.The first meeting was very competitive and was ultimately decided by the knockdown Usyk scored in the ninth round, while the Ukrainian won the sequel far more convincingly.Fury hasn’t beaten a top-quality heavyweight in four yearsGetty5. Fabio WardleyWardley enjoyed an excellent 2025, defeating Justis Huni and Parker inside the distance en route to being elevated to WBO heavyweight champion via email.It looked as though he would continue this trend in his first defence in May, when he had Daniel Dubois down on the canvas twice in the opening three rounds.But ‘Triple D’ rallied to stop a battered and bruised Wardley in the eleventh frame.Wardley has the opportunity to regain the burgundy and gold strap and boost his position on this list on October 17 when he runs it back with Dubois.Fabio Wardley lost to Dubois last time out, but enjoyed a fruitful 2025Getty4. Filip HrgovicHrgovic shot straight up every publication’s top 10 rankings last month when he took out Itauma, a man most preeminent voices were tipping to be the heir apparent to the heavyweight throne.The newly crowned IBF heavyweight champion walked through a hellacious beating to stop Itauma in the ninth, and is now being looked at as the immovable object of the division.Hrgovic also holds wins over Joe Joyce and Zhang, while his sole defeat came to Dubois on cuts in a competitive fight. Hrgovic came from behind to stop Itauma and claim the IBF heavyweight titleGetty3. Agit Kabayel Kabayel was elevated to WBC champion earlier this year when Usyk vacated his titles, but the German had to work extremely hard to get his hands on his piece of hardware.After years of being cast to the side as a high-risk, low-reward option, the long-reigning European champion had his breakthrough moment in December 2023 when he was matched against Makhmudov on a Riyadh Season card. Kabayel blew away the hulking Russian inside four rounds and subsequently did the same to Sanchez, Zhang and Damian Knyba.His wins over Sanchez and Knyba have aged particularly well after their respective recent successes; Sanchez knocking out Torrez Jr, and Knyba dominating Andy Ruiz Jr.WBC champion Agit Kabayel is arguably the most in-form heavyweight in the world right nowMark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing2. Daniel DuboisWhile defeats to Joyce and Usyk (twice) still loom large, there is no denying that Dubois has an exceptional résumé.After his first loss to Usyk, Dubois strung together three quality wins over Jarrell Miller, Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, claiming the IBF’s version of the world title in the process.He would lose the belt to Usyk in a rematch, but rebounded to become a two-time heavyweight world champion in May when he snatched the WBO strap from Wardley in a gutsy showing.Dubois rebounded from defeat to Oleksandr Usyk to snatch the WBO belt from Wardley in MayGetty1. Oleksandr Usyk Some may dock Usyk points for his uncharacteristic display against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in May.And while his best days appear to be behind him at 39 years old, he remains the top dog in boxing’s glamour division. Even without his belts, his body of work speaks for itself. Since moving up to heavyweight in 2019 off the back of unifying the cruiserweight division, has beaten every man he has ever faced en route to becoming a two-time undisputed champion.The Ukrainian has even eliminated any shadow of doubt by defeating the three biggest names from his era – Joshua, Fury and Dubois – twice. Usyk may have relinquished his belts, but he is still the consensus No.1 heavyweight in the worldGETTYWatch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.