Sorry, Islam, you’re not No. 1.
Islam Makhachev defended his Light-weight title for the third time final evening (Sat., June 1, 2024) when he strangled Dustin Poirier to sleep within the fifth spherical with a D’Arce choke from inside Prudential Heart in Newark, New Jersey (watch highlights).
Main into his foremost occasion title struggle, Makhachev was formally ranked No. 1 in UFC’s Males’s Pound-for-Pound rankings. Nonetheless, in accordance with UFC CEO Dana White, he shouldn’t maintain that rating. Heavyweight champion Jon Jones ought to, and in case you don’t assume that, you’re NUTS.
“Yeah, I feel [Makhachev] is without doubt one of the biggest of all time. I feel he’s unimaginable. I don’t assume he’s the pound-for-pound finest fighter on this planet,” White instructed reporters through the UFC 302 post-fight press convention (watch right here). “For anyone to name Islam the pound-for-pound finest fighter on this planet when Jon Jones continues to be f—king combating is nuts and shouldn’t be rating within the pound-for-pound or doing any of the f—king rankings ever- if that’s what you actually assume. Jon Jones has by no means misplaced a struggle ever. He’s fought all of the baddest dudes on this planet. When you concentrate on what pound-for-pound rankings actually imply, he moved as much as Heavyweight and destroyed the very best man on this planet. So long as Jon Jones continues to be combating, energetic, and within the rankings, yeah, no one’s pound-for-pound finest fighter on this planet.”
When requested what it will take to dethrone Jones, White doubled down.
“Islam fought [Alexander] Volkanovski, who’s in a weight class decrease than him. Jon Jones beat everyone at Mild Heavyweight, then beat the very best Heavyweight within the division prefer it was nothing, at a better weight class,” White stated. “So Jon Jones is totally positively the pound-for-pound finest fighter on this planet. In all probability the best fighter of all time in any sport. When you concentrate on if you speak about who’s the baddest dude on this planet, you set two guys in a room and who walks out. Jon Jones walks out of the fu—ing room each time no query about it.”
Making an attempt to determine who the pound-for-pound finest struggle on the planet is a pointless argument as a result of everybody may have a special reply, and there’s no method to show who it actually is.
Jones will put his pound-for-pound rating on the road later this yr towards Stipe Miocic, almost certainly in Nov. at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Until one thing stunning occurs.
For full UFC 302 outcomes, protection, and highlights click on HERE.
