NEWARK, N.J. – Islam Makhachev continued to stay as much as his longtime promise Saturday with a UFC 302 principal occasion win.
Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) was in a Combat of the Evening thriller with Dustin Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC), however saved chasing a submission even into the ultimate spherical and eventually tapped the previous interim champion with a D’Arce choke to defend the light-weight title at Prudential Heart in Newark, N.J.
Afterward, the discuss from numerous broadcast cubicles, each through the stay occasion and after the cardboard was over, was that Makhachev had sealed the deal as MMA’s pound-for-pound present high fighter. However UFC CEO Dana White begged to vary.
Though White lengthy has lauded former light-weight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov as one of many all-time pound-for-pound greats, and often has praised Nurmagomedov’s lifelong pal and teammate Makhachev as his proverbial second coming, the UFC head stated another person is atop the pound-for-pound checklist proper now: heavyweight champion and former gentle heavyweight champ Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC).
“I believe (Makhachev) is without doubt one of the biggest of all time,” White informed MMA Junkie at his post-event information convention. “I believe he’s unimaginable. I don’t suppose he’s the pound-for-pound finest fighter on this planet.
“For anybody to name Islam the very best pound-for-pound fighter on this planet when Jon Jones remains to be f*cking combating is nuts and shouldn’t be (voting) within the pound-for-pound (checklist) or doing any of the f*cking rankings ever if that’s what you actually suppose. Jon Jones has by no means misplaced a battle ever. After which when you consider what the pound-for-pound rankings actually imply, he moved as much as heavyweight and destroyed the very best man on this planet.”
Dana White rejects Islam Makhachev’s pound-for-pound title after #UFC302.
“Jon Jones is the very best ever. … Throw Jon Jones in a room with anyone, Jon Jones walks out of the room.” pic.twitter.com/ZTCdq1gpQw
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 2, 2024
Not surprisingly, Jones agrees.
“It felt superior to get that stage of recognition from the boss, the person that’s actually been right here since UFC 1. I do know the haters will not be gonna like his feedback however Dana’s a reasonably onerous particular person to argue with. @danawhite has had a entrance row seat to my total profession, information are information,” Jones posted on social media.
It felt superior to get that stage of recognition from the boss, the person that’s actually been right here since UFC 1. I do know the haters will not be gonna like his feedback however Dana’s a reasonably onerous particular person to argue with. @danawhite has had a entrance row seat to my total profession, information are…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) June 2, 2024
Jones gained the sunshine heavyweight title in 2011 and set the UFC document for youngest titleholder. After his eighth title protection in early 2015, which already was a document, he was stripped of the title for the primary time when he failed a drug check with a constructive cocaine check. A couple of months later, he was concerned in a felony hit-and-run.
He returned and gained an interim title in 2016, then unified the 205-pound title image with a second win over rival Daniel Cormier. Jones was pulled from his rematch with Cormier throughout UFC 200 battle week for a constructive steroid check that broadly was blamed on contaminated substances and he was suspended once more. Jones beat Cormier in 2017, however that title win was overturned and Jones once more was stripped of a belt when he examined constructive for steroids at UFC 214.
He reclaimed the title in late 2018 and had three determination wins in 2019-2020. However after his UFC 247 win over Dominick Reyes, he surrendered the sunshine heavyweight title and declared an intention to maneuver to heavyweight to go after a belt there.
After greater than three years off, he beat Ciryl Gane in March 2023 to win the vacant heavyweight title after champion Francis Ngannou left the promotion in a contract dispute. So White’s competition that Jones “destroyed the very best man on this planet” needs to be predicated on the concept Gane, who misplaced to Ngannou in 2022, was the world’s high fighter on the time – a supposition that almost all analysts dispute.
Jones has not fought since his March 2023 win over Gane. He suffered a coaching harm that has been holding him from a battle with former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) anticipated to happen later this yr. There was hypothesis that each Miocic, who will flip 42 in August, will retire after the battle – and that Jones would possibly, too.
Going again 10 years, Jones has fought simply eight occasions, and one was flipped to a no contest. He’s 7-0 in these fights with 5 selections.
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