Sorry, Islam, you’re not No. 1.
Islam Makhachev defended his Lightweight title for the third time last night (Sat., June 1, 2024) when he strangled Dustin Poirier to sleep in the fifth round with a D’Arce choke from inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (watch highlights).
Leading into his main event title fight, Makhachev was officially ranked No. 1 in UFC’s Men’s Pound-for-Pound rankings. However, according to UFC CEO Dana White, he should not hold that ranking. Heavyweight champion Jon Jones should, and if you don’t think that, you’re NUTS.
“Yeah, I think [Makhachev] is one of the greatest of all time. I think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” White told reporters during the UFC 302 post-fight press conference (watch here). “For anybody to call Islam the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still f—king fighting is nuts and shouldn’t be ranking in the pound-for-pound or doing any of the f—king rankings ever- if that’s what you really think. Jon Jones has never lost a fight ever. He’s fought all the baddest dudes in the world. When you think about what pound-for-pound rankings really mean, he moved up to Heavyweight and destroyed the best guy in the world. As long as Jon Jones is still fighting, active, and in the rankings, yeah, nobody’s pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”
When asked what it would take to dethrone Jones, White doubled down.
“Islam fought [Alexander] Volkanovski, who’s in a weight class lower than him. Jon Jones beat everybody at Light Heavyweight, then beat the best Heavyweight in the division like it was nothing, at a higher weight class,” White said. “So Jon Jones is absolutely positively the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Probably the greatest fighter of all time in any sport. When you think about when you talk about who’s the baddest dude in the world, you put two guys in a room and who walks out. Jon Jones walks out of the fu—ing room every time no question about it.”
Trying to figure out who the pound-for-pound best fight on the planet is a pointless argument because everyone will have a different answer, and there is no way to prove who it truly is.
Jones will put his pound-for-pound ranking on the line later this year against Stipe Miocic, most likely in Nov. at Madison Square Garden.
Unless something shocking happens.
For complete UFC 302 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.