NEWARK, N.J. – Islam Makhachev continued to live up to years of expectation with a win in the UFC 302 main event on Saturday.
Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) faced Dustin Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) in a thrilling Fight of the Night bout, but continued to chase submissions in the final round before finally winning via D’Arce choke for the former interim champion to defend his lightweight title at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Afterwards, talk emerged from various broadcast booths, both during the live event and after the card, that Makhachev had solidified his status as MMA's current top pound-for-pound fighter, but UFC CEO Dana White disagreed.
While White has previously praised former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all time and regularly hails Nurmagomedov's lifelong friend and teammate Makhachev as his so-called second coming, the UFC chief said there is another figure who currently sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings: heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC).
“I think (Makhachev) is one of the best players of all time.” White told MMA Junkie. Speaking at the post-event press conference, he said: “I think he's a great fighter. I just don't think he's the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound.”
“Calling Islam the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still fighting is insane and if you really believe that then you shouldn't be voting or being ranked on a pound-for-pound (list). Jon Jones has never lost, and when you think about what a pound-for-pound ranking really means, he stepped up to heavyweight and beat the best man in the world.”
Dana White denied Islam Makhachev his pound-for-pound title. #UFC302.
“Jon Jones is the greatest of all time. … You throw Jon Jones in a room with anybody and Jon Jones walks out the room.” pic.twitter.com/ZTCdq1gpQw
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 2, 2024
Not surprisingly, Jones agrees.
“It's awesome to receive this recognition from the boss who's been here since UFC 1. Haters aren't going to like his comments but Dana is a hard person to argue with. @danawhite has had a front row seat to my entire career. Facts are facts,” Jones posted on social media.
It was awesome to get that level of recognition from the boss who's been here since literally UFC 1. The haters aren't going to like his comments, but Dana is a pretty hard guy to argue with. Dana White I've had a front row seat to it my entire career, and the fact is…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) June 2, 2024
Jones became the youngest UFC titleholder when he won the light heavyweight title in 2011. He was stripped of the title for the first time in early 2015 after testing positive for cocaine after completing a record-breaking eighth title defense, and was involved in a hit-and-run incident a few months later.
Jones returned in 2016 to win the interim title, then defeated rival Daniel Cormier for a second time to unify the 205-pound title fight. Jones was removed from his rematch against Cormier the week of UFC 200 after testing positive for steroids, a result that was widely blamed on contamination, and he was again suspended. Jones beat Cormier in 2017, but had that title win overturned and was again stripped of the belt after testing positive for steroids at UFC 214.
He regained the title in late 2018 and won three decisions between 2019 and 2020. However, after his win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, he vacated the light heavyweight title and announced his intention to move up to heavyweight to challenge for the belt.
After a three-plus year hiatus, he defeated Ciryl Gane in March 2023 to win the heavyweight title that became vacant after champion Francis Ngannou left the organization in a contract dispute. Therefore, White's claim that Jones “beat the best man in the world” must be based on the idea that Gane, who lost to Ngannou in 2022, was the best fighter in the world at the time, although most analysts disagree.
Jones hasn't fought since his win over Gane in March 2023. He was injured in training and is missing his scheduled bout with former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) later this year. There has been speculation that Miocic, who turns 42 in August, will retire after the fight, and Jones may do the same.
Going back 10 years, Jones has only had eight fights, one of which ended in a no contest, and is 7-0 in those bouts, with five of those wins being by decision.
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 302 event hub.
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