NEWARK, N.J. – Many were shocked to see Islam Makhachev fight on Saturday, as Makhachev solidified his status as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world for many and took Makhachev's place for those who hadn't already.
But not everyone agreed. UFC CEO Dana White caused a stir online when he claimed that UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. The statement came after Makhachev made the third defense of his UFC lightweight belt with a thrilling submission win over Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the main event of UFC 302.
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) was asked what he thought about White's claims during the UFC 302 post-fight press conference.
“I don't know, maybe it's his opinion,” Makhachev said. “I saved today's card because all the fights were boring and the arena was pretty much asleep. I put in a great performance with Dustin and Dana gave me two bonuses. When I signed my first contract, I would have been super happy to get a bonus, but now I'm OK.”
Over the past three years, Makhachev has won six of his seven fights on a seven-fight winning streak, beating big names like Poirier, Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski (twice), while Jones has only fought one fight, a submission win over Ciryl Gane to win the vacant UFC heavyweight title in 2023.
As for Makhachev's performance, he said he was happy with what he showed at UFC 302 but believes he still has plenty of room to grow.
“I think Dustin prepared very well for this fight,” Makhachev said. “He said this was his last chance and I think they did a great job. He improved his wrestling defense.”
“I think my mistake in this fight was that I should have believed in my striking more because today I showed it. I landed a lot of good punches and I almost knocked him down with the first one. If I believed in it more, I think I could have knocked him out. But it's OK. I'm happy I was able to beat him on the ground.”
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 302 event hub.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and other content with fellow mixed martial arts fans.
