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Tom Aspinall Reacts to Dana White Jumping Ship From ‘Bones’ to Makhachev in P4P Dispute

Last year, Dana White couldn’t stop himself from calling Jon Jones the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world….

Last year, Dana White couldn’t stop himself from calling Jon Jones the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Now, the UFC CEO is reversing course after seeing Islam Makhachev make quick work of short-notice replacement opponent Renato Moicano at the promotion’s first pay-per-view of the year.

Makhachev scored a quick-fire submission victory over Moicano after his originally scheduled opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, bowed out of their lightweight championship headliner mere hours before they were scheduled to make the walk in Los Angeles.

Notching his fourth-straight defense of the 155-pound crown, Makhachev solidified his spot as the No. 1 ranked P4P fighter in the world and Dana White couldn’t agree more.

“There’s no doubt about it,” White said during the UFC 311 post-fight press conference. “He’s the best pound-for-pound in the world right now and he’s the definitely the best to ever do it in that division.”

It’s quite the change from where we were just a few months ago when White was getting into heated debates with journalists over Jones’ undeniable status as the greatest of all time.

But White’s comments mean very little to Tom Aspinall, the man slated to square off with ‘Bones’ later this year.

“Now we’re seeing Dana White coming out and saying that he’s the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the world, Islam Makhachev,” Aspinall said in a video on his YouTube channel. “As we all know, to me, pound-for-pound is a lot of made-up stuff. I don’t look into that. But it’s just funny that he’s kind of jumped ship now from Jon Jones to Islam… Islam did what he was supposed to do: went out there, fought whoever was put in front of him, which is what a champion is supposed to do.”

Dana White Confident Jones vs. Aspinall goes down in 2025

Following Jon Jones’ win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, attention quickly turned to a long-awaited title indication clash with Aspinall, the promotion’s interim heavyweight titleholder. During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, White expressed confidence that the fight will get done in 2025.

“We’re in the works, we’re talking on it,” White said. “I mean, I’ve said that I’m very confident that fight happens this year… Nothing’s holding it up. It’s just a matter of getting it done. You know, this stuff, it’s not as easy to put these types of fights together as people think they are. They take time, and we’ll get it done.”

Just a few short weeks ago, rumors began swirling that Jones was seeking a massive $30 million payday for his scrap with Aspinall. However, Dana White called bullsh*t on the rumors, but only after Joe Rogan repeated it during an episode of his JRE podcast.

Dana White Spurns Jon Jones and Calls Islam Makhachev the Number 1 Pound-For-Pound Fighter in the World

Is Dana White finally ready to admit that Jon Jones is not the No. 1 P4P fighter in the…

Is Dana White finally ready to admit that Jon Jones is not the No. 1 P4P fighter in the world?

Over the last several months, the UFC CEO has found himself in some very loud arguments with journalists over Jones’ rightful spot as the best mixed martial artist on the planet. However, White recently turned some heads when he acknowledged reigning lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev during his announcement of the Dagestani’s next fight.

Makhachev vs Tsarukyan and Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov is LIVE January 18th from @intuitdome, California! #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/XZuAFUYAyC

— danawhite (@danawhite) December 5, 2024

Currently, Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world with Jones sitting in the No. 2 spot. The ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ will have the chance to solidify his spot at the top on January 18 when he returns to the Octagon for a lightweight championship showdown with Arman Tsarukyan.

Their headliner at UFC 311 will be the second-ever meeting between Makhachev and Tsarukyan, the first coming at UFC on ESPN+ 7 in 2019. On that night, Tsarukyan made his promotional debut and came up short against Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege. Since then, Tsarukyan has gone 9-1 with his most recent victories coming against Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira.

Can Jon Jones take the No. 1 spot with a win over Tom Aspinall

Meanwhile, Jon Jones is fresh off his first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title, smashing through former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.

Immediately following the win, ‘Bones’ left the door open for a potential title unification bout with Tom Aspinall, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion. Jones has spent much of 2024 dismissing the possibility of a fight with Aspinall, but it seems like Jones is ready to sit down and iron out a deal with the organization.

Dana White Spurns Jon Jones and Calls Islam Makhachev the Number 1 Pound-For-Pound Fighter in the World

Is Dana White finally ready to admit that Jon Jones is not the No. 1 P4P fighter in the…

Is Dana White finally ready to admit that Jon Jones is not the No. 1 P4P fighter in the world?

Makhachev vs Tsarukyan and Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov is LIVE January 18th from @intuitdome, California! #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/XZuAFUYAyC

— danawhite (@danawhite) December 5, 2024

Can Jon Jones take the No. 1 spot with a win over Tom Aspinall

Meanwhile, Jon Jones is fresh off his first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title, smashing through former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.

Video – Dana White gets into heated debate with MMA journalist Kevin Iole over Jon Jones’ P4P ranking

Dana White believes Jon Jones is the greatest P4P fighter on the planet and we don’t recommend you try…

Dana White believes Jon Jones is the greatest P4P fighter on the planet and we don’t recommend you try to tell him otherwise.

Following Saturday’s stellar UFC 303 card in Las Vegas, White got into a heated debate with combat sports journalist Kevin Iole regarding whether or not ‘Bones’ belongs at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings even though he hasn’t fought in over a year.

“Listen to me. I’m not defending Jon Jones,” White said during the post-fight press conference. “He’s been one of my biggest f*cking headaches the entire time I’ve been in this company. The guy hasn’t been the model fighter in the company. No matter what you think of Jon Jones, he’s the f*cking best ever. He’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

Iole, on the other hand, believes that Jon Jones should be exempt from P4P honors due to his recent activity. However, White was quick to point out that ‘Bones’ isn’t sitting on the sidelines by choice. He was injured in October and forced to undergo surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle weeks before his previously scheduled scrap with two-time heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic.

“If you were coming into a fight and you f*cking got hurt, that means you’re not the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world anymore? How does that even make sense? That doesn’t make sense,” White continued. “If he was sitting out, f*cking getting arrested, running around, and whatever, you’d say, ‘Well, Jon Jones is inactive’ and I’d say maybe you’re right.

“As an educated adult who knows the fight business, you cannot deny that while Jon Jones is active, he is the greatest fighter in the world. I don’t know what you’re arguing about here. I don’t know how we’re in this conversation.”

Jon Jones’ resume speaks for itself

As it stands, Jon Jones is listed as the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, one spot behind reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. But when it comes to the all-time list, you’re unlikely to find anyone with the resume and longevity of the former light heavyweight and reigning undisputed heavyweight king.

Dominating the competition at 205 for more than a decade, ‘Bones’ has bested a who’s who of light heavyweight legends, including Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, and Daniel Cormier.

In May 2023, Jones returned to the Octagon for the first time in three years and quickly dispatched Ciryl Gane in the opening round to claim the vacant heavyweight title, securing his legacy as a two-division champion. Bones’ is expected to step back inside the cage later this year for his long-awaited scrap with consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic.

When and where that takes place is yet to be announced, but all signs point toward the two headlining the promotion’s annual pit stop at MSG in November.

Until then, look back at some of Jon Jones’ greatest highlights below:

UFC CEO Dana White insists Jon Jones, not Islam Makhachev, is the No. 1 P4P fighter in the world

As long as Jon Jones is around, Islam Makhachev will never be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the…

As long as Jon Jones is around, Islam Makhachev will never be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

That’s according to Dana White, who made his feelings about Makhachev’s spot at the top of the P4P rankings abundantly clear, even after the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ dispatched one of the greatest lightweights of all time at UFC 302 on Saturday night.

“I think he’s one of the greats of all time,” White said when asked about Makhachev’s spot at the top of the P4P rankings during the post-fight press event. “I think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. For anybody to call Islam Makhachev the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world with Jon Jones is still f*cking fighting is nuts. Shouldn’t be ranking in the pound for pound or doing any rankings ever.

“Jon Jones has never lost a fight ever and he’s fought all the baddest dudes in the world. And then 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 Jones is still fighting, active, and in the rankings, nobody [else] is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

“When you think about what pound-for-pound really means… [Makhachev] fought Volkanovksi who’s a weight class lower than him,” White continued. “Jon Jones beat everybody at light heavyweight and then beat the best heavyweight in the division like it was nothing. Jon Jones with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and probably the greatest fighter of all time in any sport.”

Maybe White will change his mind if Makhachev moves up and scores himself a second strap.

Is Dana White Right about Jon Jones?

It’s hard to argue with White’s statement, even if your feelings on Jones are clouded by his many unsavory antics outside of the Octagon.

Though ‘Bones’ is regularly touted as being undefeated, he does carry a single loss on his record which came as the result of an absolutely ridiculous disqualification in 2009. Makhachev’s one loss, on the other hand, was the result of a nasty first-round knockout against Adriano Martins — a fighter who exited the promotion a year later.

Jones also spent the majority of his career defending his light heavyweight title against every legend and top-ranked contender the promotion threw at him. Meanwhile, Makhachev just now put his gold on the line against a legit lightweight after back-to-back bouts against former 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski.

Do you agree with Dana White’s assessment of the pound-for-pound rankings, or do you believe Islam Makhachev is right where he belongs at the top of the list?