Islam Makhachev continued to impress and showcase his status as one of the sport’s best with his fifth-round submission of Dustin Poirier to retain the UFC lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 302.
Makhachev certainly has the credentials to show why he is one of the best athletes in MMA, but where does that put him amongst his peers in the pound-for-pound order?
The UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings currently list Makhachev as #1. UFC CEO Dana White, however, suggests that while nothing can be taken away from Makhachev’s abilities, the top spot should be with Jon Jones until the heavyweight kingpin can’t go anymore.
Jones is currently ranked second on the P4P list.
“I think [Islam is] one of the greatest of all time,” White said at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference. “I think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. For anyone to call Islam the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still f****** fighting is nuts and shouldn’t be ranking in the pound-for-pound, or doing any of the f****** 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, 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 Jon Jones is still fighting, active and in the rankings, nobody [else] is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world.”
White: Performance After Long Layoff, Moving Up In Weight Gives Jones Edge Over Makhachev
Jones reigned over the light heavyweight division for most of the 2010s in spite of multiple controversies that interrupted runs as the division’s champion. He then vacated the championship in 2020 to move up to heavyweight, successfully returning at UFC 285 last year to submit Ciryl Gane and win the then-vacant heavyweight title.
Jones’ only blemish in his MMA career is his controversial December 2009 disqualification loss to Matt Hamill.
“Three years off — nobody, not even [Muhammad] Ali, nobody’s ever come from three years off and looked the same,” White said. “Jon Jones walked through the number one guy in the heavyweight division like it was nothing with three years off.”
Weight divisions also plays a role in White’s feelings.
Makhachev’s only two other title defenses came last year against the same individual — then-UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Volkanovski moved up to 155 pounds and challenged Makhachev at UFC 284, with the Russian winning a close decision, and again on about 10 days’ notice at UFC 294, where Makhachev won via first-round knockout.
“When you think about what pound-for-pound really means, [Makhachev] fought Volkanovski, who’s a weight class lower than him,” White said. “Jon Jones beat everybody at light heavyweight then beat the best heavyweight in the division like it was nothing at a higher weight class.”
