“The Resume of Jon Jones…”: UFC Legend Reveals Why Islam Makhachev Lost His Number 1 Pound-for-Pound Spot to the Heavyweight Champ, Despite a Win Against Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev wonders – why isn’t he seen as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter? After defeating Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 back in February, Makhachev expected himself to be crowned as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC rankings.

But all hopes came crashing down for the Russian fighter. Just a month later, at UFC 285, Jon Jones dismantled Ciryl Gane with a guillotine choke just two minutes into the bout. The dominating finish sent some of Jones’ rivals into a state of shock – and catapulted Jones onto the No. 1 spot in UFC’s official rankings.

Now, a UFC legend has given his two cents on why Islam may have lost the spot. Michael Bisping, the UFC Hall-of-Famer, recently sat down with Anthony Smith to talk about Islam Makhachev ripping on the BMF title and how the lightweight champ thinks it’s unfair to name Jon Jones as the best pound-for-pound fighter – and another debate ensues.

Bisping explains Makhachev’s frustration on losing the No. 1 spot in the UFC

In a recent podcast, MMA veterans Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith engaged in a discussion about the pound-for-pound rankings in the sport. The focus of their conversation was Islam Makhachev’s discontent with Jon Jones being considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter.

Bisping highlighted Makhachev’s frustration, quoting him as saying, “How Jon Jones can be number one? He beat some guy who’s not a champion. This guy[Gane] – don’t have belt and they put him number one pound-for-pound. This is bullsh*t! – Doesn’t matter how he beat him. The UFC put him best pound-for-pound…”

Makhachev asserted that despite his own impressive victories, Jones didn’t deserve the top spot because he hadn’t defeated any reigning champions.

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Smith, following Makhachev’s viewpoint, agreed that the Russian fighter had dominated his opponents and proven himself as a champion. He pointed out that Makhachev’s recent victory over “The Great” – who was previously the pound-for-pound number one, should have propelled him to the top spot. Since it never happened, Smith expressed his empathy towards Makhachev, saying he understood his frustration.

Jon Jones’ weight class change: A key factor in regaining the top spot?

But wait – that’s not all! Referring to probable reasons for Jones’ number one ranking, Smith emphasized the remarkable career of Jon Jones. He argued that Jones’ resume was incredibly strong, remarking,

“The resume of Jon Jones holds up to any of it… generally speaking the resume of Jon Jones especially early – stacks up to any two champions at one time – just him by himself without questions!”

Smith even went as far as to claim that, apart from a few exceptional cases, Jones’ accomplishments alone were on par with the combined achievements of any two champions.

Both Jones and Makhachev have proved their mettle, with just one loss in over 25 fights. While Makhachev may feel slighted by the current rankings, it is evident that the promotion considers Jones’ overall body of work as a significant factor in determining his status as the number one pound-for-pound fighter.

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