Tag: Islam Makhachev

Anthony Smith Maintains Jon Jones Is P4P Best Because Islam Makhachev ‘Has Taken A Legitimate Loss’

When it comes to the ever-polarizing pound-for-pound debate between Jon Jones and Islam Makhachev, UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith is in the corner of his former opponent. This past weekend, Makhachev did no harm to his claim to top spot, where he already currently sits in the official UFC rankings. The Dagestani secured a […]

When it comes to the ever-polarizing pound-for-pound debate between Jon Jones and Islam Makhachev, UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith is in the corner of his former opponent.

This past weekend, Makhachev did no harm to his claim to top spot, where he already currently sits in the official UFC rankings. The Dagestani secured a record-breaking fourth successful defense of his lightweight belt and fifth UFC title win at the expense of Renato Moicano.

One man who has long been against that has been UFC CEO Dana White, instead putting forth heavyweight kingpin Jones as the clear and obvious P4P number one.

Interestingly, despite Moicano being a lower-ranked and late-notice replacement opponent for Makhachev after the withdrawal of Arman Tsarukyan, White finally acknowledged Makhachev as the P4P best while interacting with the media in Los Angeles.

During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, though, Smith dismissed that take owing to one discrepancy when it comes to Jones and Makhachev’s record — one “legitimate” defeat.

“I still think it’s Jon Jones,” Smith said. “He’s gone through three different generations of fighters and has continued to win. And again, Islam has taken a legitimate loss and Jon Jones hasn’t.

“I think you take them all and put them in a room, Jon Jones walks out,” Smith concluded.

Makhachev’s sole career loss came a decade ago at UFC 192, where he was knocked out cold by Adriano Martins.

On paper, Jones boasts the same number of setbacks. But the importance of that has long been dismissed in MMA circles due to it coming via disqualification for a now-legal 12-6 elbow against Matt Hamill in 2009.

CSAC Releases Fight-Day Weights For UFC 311; Dvalishvili, Moicano, Talbott Among Biggest Changes

Some fighters piled on plenty of pounds between hitting the scale last Friday and making the walk for the UFC 311 pay-per-view on Saturday. The mixed martial arts leader opened its PPV account for 2025 this past weekend in Los Angeles, where Inglewood’s Intuit Dome played host to two championship contests and a host of […]

Some fighters piled on plenty of pounds between hitting the scale last Friday and making the walk for the UFC 311 pay-per-view on Saturday.

The mixed martial arts leader opened its PPV account for 2025 this past weekend in Los Angeles, where Inglewood’s Intuit Dome played host to two championship contests and a host of intriguing matchups.

While facts such as fight-day weights and base purses are rarely seen officially, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) provides more disclosure for events under its jurisdiction.

And amid conversations in the MMA community after the release of payouts for those who competed at UFC 311, there’s a new topic of discussion regarding weight discrepancy.

Renowned MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter shared the figures via CSAC this week, with the most notable increases from weigh-in day to fight night coming from Tagir Ulanbekov, Payton Talbott, Merab Dvalishvili, Raoni Barcelos and Renato Moicano — all of whom weighed 17 percent more a day on from weighing in.

With his 26.8-pound change, Moicano was 3.8 pounds heavier for his unsuccessful title challenger opposite Islam Makhachev in the UFC 311 main event.

The biggest discrepancy, meanwhile, came in the main card middleweight contest between Reinier de Ridder and Kevin Holland. With a 15 percent increase, the Dutchman boasted a 21.6-pound advantage over “Trailblazer,” who gained just 4 percent post-weigh-in.

Second in that regard was the gap between Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka. “Sweet Dreams” took to the cage 13.6 pounds heavier than his fellow former champ, who ultimately emerged victorious after knocking the American out in round three.

CSAC Releases Fight-Day Weights For UFC 311; Dvalishvili, Moicano, Talbott Among Biggest Changes

Some fighters piled on plenty of pounds between hitting the scale last Friday and making the walk for the UFC 311 pay-per-view on Saturday. The mixed martial arts leader opened its PPV account for 2025 this past weekend in Los Angeles, where Inglewood’s Intuit Dome played host to two championship contests and a host of […]

Some fighters piled on plenty of pounds between hitting the scale last Friday and making the walk for the UFC 311 pay-per-view on Saturday.

The mixed martial arts leader opened its PPV account for 2025 this past weekend in Los Angeles, where Inglewood’s Intuit Dome played host to two championship contests and a host of intriguing matchups.

While facts such as fight-day weights and base purses are rarely seen officially, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) provides more disclosure for events under its jurisdiction.

And amid conversations in the MMA community after the release of payouts for those who competed at UFC 311, there’s a new topic of discussion regarding weight discrepancy.

Renowned MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter shared the figures via CSAC this week, with the most notable increases from weigh-in day to fight night coming from Tagir Ulanbekov, Payton Talbott, Merab Dvalishvili, Raoni Barcelos and Renato Moicano — all of whom weighed 17 percent more a day on from weighing in.

With his 26.8-pound change, Moicano was 3.8 pounds heavier for his unsuccessful title challenger opposite Islam Makhachev in the UFC 311 main event.

The biggest discrepancy, meanwhile, came in the main card middleweight contest between Reinier de Ridder and Kevin Holland. With a 15 percent increase, the Dutchman boasted a 21.6-pound advantage over “Trailblazer,” who gained just 4 percent post-weigh-in.

Second in that regard was the gap between Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka. “Sweet Dreams” took to the cage 13.6 pounds heavier than his fellow former champ, who ultimately emerged victorious after knocking the American out in round three.

Tom Aspinall Reacts To Dana White ‘Jumping Ship’ From Jon Jones To Islam Makhachev In P4P Debate

Tom Aspinall, like many fans and fellow fighters, tuned into UFC 311 to watch a man that many believe is at the very top of the sport right now. Islam Makhachev may have undergone a change to his opponent literally the day before fight night but this didn’t affect him one bit. The lightweight champion […]

Tom Aspinall, like many fans and fellow fighters, tuned into UFC 311 to watch a man that many believe is at the very top of the sport right now. Islam Makhachev may have undergone a change to his opponent literally the day before fight night but this didn’t affect him one bit.

The lightweight champion still went out there like it was business as usual and submitted Renato Moicano in the first round. It may not have been the Arman Tsarukyan rematch that people have wanted to see for such a long time but it once again showed that when Makhachev says it doesn’t matter who you put him in there with, he means it.

At 33-years old, he’s now the record holder for the most consecutive lightweight title defenses with four and by earning his 15th consecutive win inside the Octagon, he is tied at second with Kamaru Usman for the longest winning streak in UFC history with one spot to go until he draws level with Anderson Silva.

Another Makhachev win meant more people making the case for why he is the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the sport today. Whilst some may argue that the accomplishments of Jon Jones speak for themselves, others might state that “Bones” hasn’t been overly active or facing the same level of opposition.

It was only a matter of time before Dana White was once again asked about this topic having been very vocal in the past that it’s Jones with no room for debate. After seeing the UFC boss change his answer, Aspinall commented on this during a video on his YouTube channel.

“Now we’re seeing Dana White coming out and saying that he’s the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the world, Islam Makhachev,” Aspinall said. “As we all know, to me, pound-for-pound is a lot of made-up stuff. I don’t look into that. But it’s just funny that he’s kind of jumped ship now from Jon Jones to Islam.”

Regardless of whether or not Makhachev was able to convince anyone else that he is the best fighter in the sport today, Aspinall was happy to see him go out there and get the win. In many ways, it felt like a fairly routine outing for the 155-pound king but that doesn’t bother the Brit one bit.

“Islam did what he was supposed to do: went out there, fought whoever was put in front of him, which is what a champion is supposed to do. Fought a guy that the UFC told him to fight, got the win, and he’s levels above anybody else in that division. He’s going to hold the belt for a long, long time, and that is something that I’m very excited for because I’m a massive Islam Makhachev fan.”

Tom Aspinall Reacts to Dana White Jumping Ship From ‘Bones’ to Makhachev in P4P Dispute

Dana WhiteLast year, Dana White couldn’t stop himself from calling Jon Jones the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world….

Dana White

Last year, Dana White couldn’t stop himself from calling Jon Jones the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Now, the UFC CEO is reversing course after seeing Islam Makhachev make quick work of short-notice replacement opponent Renato Moicano at the promotion’s first pay-per-view of the year.

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Makhachev scored a quick-fire submission victory over Moicano after his originally scheduled opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, bowed out of their lightweight championship headliner mere hours before they were scheduled to make the walk in Los Angeles.

Notching his fourth-straight defense of the 155-pound crown, Makhachev solidified his spot as the No. 1 ranked P4P fighter in the world and Dana White couldn’t agree more.

“There’s no doubt about it,” White said during the UFC 311 post-fight press conference. “He’s the best pound-for-pound in the world right now and he’s the definitely the best to ever do it in that division.” 

It’s quite the change from where we were just a few months ago when White was getting into heated debates with journalists over Jones’ undeniable status as the greatest of all time.

But White’s comments mean very little to Tom Aspinall, the man slated to square off with ‘Bones’ later this year.

“Now we’re seeing Dana White coming out and saying that he’s the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the world, Islam Makhachev,” Aspinall said in a video on his YouTube channel. “As we all know, to me, pound-for-pound is a lot of made-up stuff. I don’t look into that. But it’s just funny that he’s kind of jumped ship now from Jon Jones to Islam… Islam did what he was supposed to do: went out there, fought whoever was put in front of him, which is what a champion is supposed to do.”

Dana White Confident Jones vs. Aspinall goes down in 2025

Following Jon Jones’ win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, attention quickly turned to a long-awaited title indication clash with Aspinall, the promotion’s interim heavyweight titleholder. During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, White expressed confidence that the fight will get done in 2025.

“We’re in the works, we’re talking on it,” White said. “I mean, I’ve said that I’m very confident that fight happens this year… Nothing’s holding it up. It’s just a matter of getting it done. You know, this stuff, it’s not as easy to put these types of fights together as people think they are. They take time, and we’ll get it done.”

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Just a few short weeks ago, rumors began swirling that Jones was seeking a massive $30 million payday for his scrap with Aspinall. However, Dana White called bullsh*t on the rumors, but only after Joe Rogan repeated it during an episode of his JRE podcast.

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Islam Makhachev Gets Sent A Reminder: ‘The Lightweight Champion Is Called Charles Oliveira!’

Islam Makhachev broke the record for consecutive title defenses in the lightweight division this past weekend at UFC 311. The pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport continued living up to his approach of not caring who is put in front of him by accepting to fight Renato Moicano on just one days notice before submitting […]

Islam Makhachev broke the record for consecutive title defenses in the lightweight division this past weekend at UFC 311. The pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport continued living up to his approach of not caring who is put in front of him by accepting to fight Renato Moicano on just one days notice before submitting him in the first round.

Makhachev’s dominant streak has many believing that the biggest test for him will be when he moves up a weight class, rather than anyone that currently competes at 155-pounds. There has already been talk of what could possibly be next for the champion and the options at lightweight are fairly limited right now.

Alongside rebooking the rematch with Arman Tsarukyan or potentially facing the winner of Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker, there is one name that appears to have been excluded from conversations despite him being one of the most popular fighters on the roster. Charles Oliveira may have been beaten by Makhachev once in the past but the two men were scheduled to meet in a rematch that never happened.

After bouncing back from his loss at UFC 280, he was set to challenge the champion at UFC 294 but “Do Bronx” withdrew from the fight due to a cut that he suffered in his final training session. The former champ recently put on a dominant performance against Michael Chandler in November to return to the win column following a defeat to Tsarukyan at UFC 300.

Oliveira was in attendance at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday night where in a video posted on social media by the UFC, he called for his long awaited rematch with Makhachev.

“It was a great fight, he’s the champion. He did what he had to do but I’m next and he knows that. The lightweight champion is called Charles Oliveira, I’m ready for that.”