Since summer, UFC head honcho Dana White has been the subject of mockery in the MMA community after he debunked the official UFC pound-for-pound list, which has Islam Makhachev as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. UFC CEO has continuously claimed that Jon Jones is the best P4P fighter currently, facing significant criticism for his stance. However, White remains steadfast in his beliefs.

A few weeks ago, he sparked further criticism when he appeared on The Pat McAfee Show, where he again emphasized his position, stating, “Anybody who thinks Jon Jones isn’t the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world should never be discussing fighting ever.” This comment was enough to anger many in the fight community. Recently, this matter was discussed in Kevin Iole’s podcast episode, featuring ‘Team Khabib’ manager Ali Abdelaziz, who strongly challenged Dana White’s claims.

Ali Abdelaziz holds a mirror to Dana White and his company

While speaking to Ali Abdelaziz, Kevin Iole posed two of the most disputed questions currently circulating in the MMA community: first, whether Jon Jones is the greatest fighter of all time, and second, if he is the best pound-for-pound fighter. He remarked, “From Makhachev’s standpoint, do you feel it’s incumbent upon him to rack up a number of defenses?” Without wasting time, Ali Abdelaziz endorsed White’s claim that there is no doubt ‘Bones’ is the greatest fighter of all time.

However, regarding the question of the best pound-for-pound fighter, Ali Abdelaziz’s stance is opposite to the UFC head honcho’s. He stated, “If you talk about the current pound-for-pound number one in the world, I don’t think Jon Jones is. Even before Belal, honestly. I don’t think he’s above the active guys. He hasn’t fought for three years; you cannot be pound-for-pound number one.”

As Abdelaziz continued, Kevin Iole corrected him, reminding him that ‘Bones’ fought last year against Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title. In response, Ali Abdelaziz clarified, “Yeah, but I’m talking about over how many years. He had one fight in four years. I’d put Tom Aspinall before Jon Jones any day of the week. I think Tom Aspinall is one of the greatest heavyweights I’ve ever seen.”

This isn’t the first time someone has questioned Jon Jones being the “number #1 pound-for-pound fighter” in the promotion, especially considering his inactivity. A few weeks ago, this sentiment was echoed by Sean O’Malley before he moved on to face Merab Dvalishvili at The Sphere.

Sean O’Malley hits Jon Jones with a dose of truth

While Jon Jones has remained a force to be reckoned with since his debut in the Octagon, he has also topped the list of controversies, even surpassing fighters like Conor McGregor. His troubles with anti-doping agencies, injuries, and legal battles have caused multiple hiatuses in his long career, most notably from 2020 to 2023. This period of inactivity casts doubt on Dana White’s claim that “As long as Jon Jones is still fighting, active, and in the rankings, nobody [else] is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world.”

Back in August, this statement from White once again faced scrutiny on the Helen Yee podcast, where former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley expressed his belief that Islam Makhachev is “the greatest fighter right now.” When Yee asked for the basis of his statement, O’Malley explained, “I mean, Jon Jones is up there. It’s just, you know, the picture right now. You go back four or five years, and Jon’s fought once in the last 4-5 years.”

What are your thoughts about Ali Abdelaziz’s remark? Do you believe comparing Jon Jones to welterweight king Belal Muhammad is fair at this point, especially considering Muhammad was also inactive for more than a year before getting his title shot against Leon Edwards? Drop your opinion below.