“You’ve got to go with Jon Jones!” The world of mixed martial arts began a heated debate when the UFC head honcho named Jon Jones as one of the fighters in the top 4 list going for UFC Mount Rushmore. Needless to say, the fighting community was divided in their opinions and heat soon found its way to Dana White during an Instagram live. 

The fight fans dissed the UFC CEO’s decision during the IG live. Enraged by the comments, White sent forth an NSFW response to the fans before quitting the live. But now, he has finally spoken about the reason why many people do not believe ‘Bones’ to be the greatest of all time.

Dana White addresses why fans don’t agree with Jon Jones being P4P #1

During the press conference for Dana White’s Contender Series season 8 week 5, a reporter put forth a question to address the reality behind Jones’ GOAT status. He pointed out how the former light heavyweight champion claimed victories over fighters like Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida, who had showcased dominant spells in the Octagon at the time. Moreover, Jones’ meteoric rise happened in a span of just 16 months. The reporter asked, “If you didn’t understand what those guys were at that time, do you not really get why Jon Jones is the greatest of all time?”

Surprisingly, the UFC CEO was of a similar mindset. He answered, “I think that’s definitely a good point. But numbers don’t lie and what this guy has done and what he’s accomplished and what he’s achieved. And like I said, it’s not like you know, Jon and I have had best relationship. You know, when you talk about the guys who helped elevate the company and the sport and everything else, you can’t deny that Jon Jones is the greatest of all time.”

But the reporter cut off White midway and asked about the percentage of fans who came to the MMA world in the last 4 years. After all, these fans weren’t present in the time when Jones fought during his prime. Now that the heavyweight champion has fought just one fight in these 4 years, he has yet to make a lasting impression on those fans. In response to this, White gave an example of a Yankees executive who became a fan of the sport when Covid-19 was in full swing. The UFC head honcho continued, “Our fanbase grew 69% during Covid. So yes. What you’re saying does make sense.”

https://twitter.com/jedigoodman/status/1833698785626832940

But the question remains as to why Dana White included Jones in his list of the 4 top fighters for UFC Mount Rushmore. Well, the heavyweight champion has swooped in to defend the UFC boss.

‘Bones’ explains why UFC CEO named him for UFC Mount Rushmore

Are you wondering about the other fighters who found their way to White’s list? They are none other than Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and Georges St-Pierre. Needless to say, naming fighters who are not fighting put White in a pretty tough spot. The fight fans began to ask why he named McGregor, who was yet to make a comeback, while the others were already retired. 

Soon after White put forth the names for Mount Rushmore, the world of combat sports began dissing at the decision. But Jones took to his IG story to thank the UFC boss for his compliment with a video. In the caption, he wrote, “Big compliment from the boss, he’s not talking about the best fighters. He’s talking about fighters who changed the game.” This caption seemingly cleared out the air around UFC Mount Rushmore.

What are your thoughts on Jones’ P4P status? Do you agree with White about him being the GOAT? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.