Dana White split the world of mixed martial arts in two with his verdict on the pound-for-pound rankings at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference. The UFC CEO claimed that Jon Jones was a better name to rule the P4P rankings instead of Islam Makhachev. Professionals and fans have weighed in on White’s verdict and debated about the P4P rankings. Now, former heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, has given his two cents, showing his support for the Dagestani fighter.

Makhachev won his third title defense and defeated Dustin Poirier with an impressive D’arce choke at UFC 302. However, after getting snubbed by the UFC head honcho for the number one P4P rank, he wasn’t going to stay quiet. The champion took to Instagram and shared a side-by-side comparison of his fights with those of Jones. But now, Makhachev has found a supporter in Cormier.

Cormier thinks Makhachev earned the position by defeating Volkanovski  

After Dana White declared his belief that ‘Bones’ deserved to be on top of the P4P list, half of the world went against him. And DC was one of them. In the recent episode of ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ with Chael Sonnen, Cormier revealed his thoughts on the debate. Although the commentator claimed that Jones being at the top of the list wouldn’t surprise him, he opined that Makhachev earned the position by defeating the former P4P #1, Alexander Volkanovski, on two different occasions. 

Last year, the LW champ defeated ‘The Great’ via decision at UFC 284, and defended his title for the first time. Thereafter, the fighters clashed again in Volkanovski’s homeland at UFC 294. Unfortunately for Volk, the second fight ended in defeat as Makhachev knocked him out with a kick to the head in the first round. Recounting those events, DC said, “Islam won that fight and then Islam beat him again to prove that at 145 and 155, two weight classes, he is the best in the world. And that is what it is. I get it. Jon Jones has beaten the best. But, we haven’t really had the opportunity to see Jon Jones against the best right now.”

Thereafter, Cormier compared the fights Makhachev and Jones have fought recently. “Islam Makhachev has, I don’t know, 8-9 fights, 4 championship fights. Jon Jones has 1 fight, and that is right here. He’s got [starts counting] 9 fights to 1. I mean, so I don’t know if the Jon Jones of today is the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Because I haven’t seen enough of him to know if he’s the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. That and that’s, that’s just the truth. Islam Makhachev is the number one guy in the world,” Cormier explained.

This was obviously not the first time that White’s opinion has been subject to ridicule by the fighting community. It wasn’t just the fighting community, the UFC lightweight champion also had a lot to say. He resorted to typing in a single word and giving out a side-by-side comparison to let the world decide whether it was him or Jones who deserved the mantle of P4P #1.

LW champ responds to Dana White’s opinion

As the heat began to rise following White’s verdict, Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed that the facts spoke for themselves and called his protege the best LW fighter in the world. Just like his trainer, Makhachev wasn’t one to stay shut. He took to Instagram and shared a comparison between him and Jones on his Instagram Story.

Makhachev has fought 8 formidable opponents, including Volkanovski and Poirier. He listed out the names and the results, flaunting his winning streak. On the other hand, there was only one name under Jones’ list. This was his last opponent, Ciryl Gane, whom he defeated via submission. The Dagestani wrote a “SORRY” under Gane’s name, taking a dig at the HW champ. Makhachev seemingly pointed out Jones’ inactivity, which, without a doubt, affected one’s position on the pound-for-pound list. 

Nevertheless, Makhachev has found many supporters who have come to his defense, with DC being the latest addition. Do you agree with DC’s reasoning? Let us know in the comments below.