In the high-stakes world of UFC, rankings often become a bone of contention among fighters. One such instance is the current dissatisfaction of UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev with his pound-for-pound ranking. As it stands, the Dagestani fighter holds the No. 3 position in the men's category, trailing behind featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Makhachev Calls Out Jones
Makhachev didn't hold back his criticism of the rankings during Wednesday’s UFC 294 media day. He particularly took a jab at Jon "Bones" Jones, who had previously declined a late replacement fight against Chael Sonnen. “This is what UFC champions have to do,” Makhachev said. “If you’re a real champion, you have to take a fight, no matter how many days' notice, or who it’s going to be. Not like your pound-for-pound champion when they give him Chael Sonnen. If you’re a real champion, you have to fight.”
Not stopping there, Makhachev also questioned the decision to rank Jones as the top fighter, scrutinizing the quality of Jones’ last five opponents. In light of these concerns, he described the rankings as unreliable and declared his decision to stop following them.
Discontent Over Rankings
Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) is set to headline UFC 294 in a championship rematch against Volkanovski. Initially, Makhachev was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira. However, due to a nasty cut above Oliveira's right eye, Volkanovski was named as the replacement on short notice.
Makhachev has faced off against Volkanovski before, back in February at UFC 284. Despite being ranked No. 2 at the time, Makhachev emerged victorious over the No. 1-ranked Volkanovski. Yet, a few months later, he found himself at No. 3, with Volkanovski and Jones ahead of him. This has led to Makhachev expressing his displeasure with the ranking system.
“Because last time I beat (him) already. The last fight, it was No. 2 vs. No. 1. If you beat No. 1, you have to be No. 1, but I don’t know who makes the rankings,” Makhachev stated when asked about his issue with the rankings.
Jones' Response
In response to Makhachev's remarks, Jones took to Twitter, saying, “I wish you all the best Habibi,” while directly mentioning Makachev’s Twitter username. He added, “As far as the fight, may the best man win. I was just talking about life in general. Islam made some negative comments recently. There's no need for me to respond with negativity. I have bigger fish to fry right now.”
Fans praised Jones for his classy responses. It's not new territory for him, as Makhachev has criticized him about the pound-for-pound rankings on multiple occasions. In a previous interview, Makhachev questioned why Jones held the No. 1 ranking when he had only secured one victory in the last three years.
Jones himself has openly criticized the current UFC ranking system before. In 2021, when he fell to No. 4 due to inactivity, he threw shade at middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya. Jones quickly pointed out Adesanya's higher ranking despite his inability to defend takedowns.
“When you're ranked over Jon Jones on a pound-for-pound list but know you can’t defend a takedown,” he said on Twitter. “It’s funny seeing people have the satisfaction of being ranked over me when I’m not even competing. Just take me off that silly list.”
In his upcoming bout, Jones is slated to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on November 11, 2023. This fight will mark his inaugural defense of the heavyweight belt, which he secured after beating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023.