The UFC pound-for-pound rankings serve as a comprehensive assessment of a fighter’s overall abilities and achievements. When evaluating fighters, the UFC pound-for-pound rankings take into account factors such as technique, skill level, record, and how they have performed against top competition. UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov has had this spot before retiring. Following that, he worked on getting his friend and the UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, on the spot. The Russian-based fighter fought for this spot against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 on 12th February. Despite defeating the Aussie, Islam Makhachev still didn’t get it.
Months after the Makhachev-Volkanovski fight, Jon Jones won the heavyweight title. ‘Bones’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time with a UFC record of 22-1-1. Following his victory against Ciryl Gane, jones climbed the PFP rank. This doesn’t seem to sit well with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev’s long-time manager Ali Abdelaziz and he showed that in his recent tweet.
Ali Abdelaziz, the coach of Khabib Nurmagomedov, berated the UFC PFP rankings
Currently, there’s considerable debate surrounding the UFC PFP rankings. Jon Jones is leading the pack, followed by Volkanovski in second place and Makhachev in third.
Ali Abdelaziz wasn’t happy with this. In his recent tweet, he questioned the MMA community, pondering how it’s conceivable for Makhachev to have fought for the #1 pound-for-pound position, emerged victorious, and yet be ranked as the #3 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. He said:
“@MAKHACHEVMMA Islam Makhachev was #2 P4P, fought the #1 P4P for his ranking, won and now he’s P4P #3 These rankings are bullshit“
@MAKHACHEVMMA Islam Makhachev was #2 P4P, fought the #1 P4P for his ranking, won and now he’s P4P #3
These rankings are bullshit
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) September 25, 2023
While Jones holds a top position, he isn’t actively pursuing the pound-for-pound spot. He also weighed in on the rankings between Volkanovski and Makhachev at one point.
Jones’ verdict on the PFP #1 spot
After a long hiatus, Jon Jones made a triumphant comeback, defeating the #1 Heavyweight contender, Ciryl Gane. Now, in order to solidify his legacy as the UFC GOAT, Jones will face one of the greatest UFC heavyweights, Stipe Miocic, at UFC 295.
Over the course of his career, ‘Bones’ has taken a lot of challenges head on and he isn’t worried about PFP rankings anymore. During the UFC 285 interview in March 2023, Jones explained that he was happy for Volkanovski to be amongst the mix for the PFP #1 ranking.
He even suggested that the Aussie fighter should be the first choice, since he is an active competitor. However, he has set his sights on becoming the GOAT of UFC and will actively pursue challenges that bring him closer to his goal.
The UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings feature formidable fighters such as Jones, Volk, and others. Thus, merely winning fights won’t suffice; Makhachev will need to deliver dominant performances consistently to climb these ranks.
