UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev has publicly voiced his disapproval of the current pound-for-pound rankings. The Dagestani fighter presently holds the No. 3 spot in the men's category, trailing behind featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Makhachev's Critique of Rankings
In the lead-up to his fight this weekend, Makhachev took a swipe at Jones, criticizing him for declining a late replacement fight against Chael Sonnen. "This is what UFC champions have to do," Makhachev said at Wednesday's UFC 294 media day. "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."
Makhachev also questioned the decision to rank Jones as the top fighter, casting doubts on the quality of Jones' last five opponents. He described the rankings as unreliable and announced his decision to stop following them.
The Discontent of Makhachev
Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) is set to headline UFC 294 in a championship rematch against Volkanovski. Originally, Makhachev was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira. However, due to an injury - a severe cut above his right eye - "The Great" was named as the replacement on short notice.
Oliveira shared images of the nasty cut on social media and apologized to his fans for having to withdraw from the fight. Previously, Makhachev had faced Volkanovski at UFC 284. Despite being ranked No. 2 at the time, Makhachev triumphed over the No. 1-ranked Volkanovski. However, a few months later, he found himself at No. 3, with Volkanovski and Jones ahead of him, sparking 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 said when asked about his issue with the rankings.
Jones' Response to Criticism
Jon Jones responded to Makhachev's remarks on Twitter, saying, "I wish you all the best Habibi," while directly mentioning Makhachev’s Twitter username. "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 composed responses. Jones is no stranger to criticism from Makhachev, who has questioned why Jones held the No. 1 ranking despite having only 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 took a jab at middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya for his 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 next bout, Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on November 11, 2023. It marks his inaugural defense of the heavyweight belt, which he secured after beating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023.