Dana White goes off the rails at Islam Makhachev's P4P spot while UFC CEO comes clean about Jon Jones after UFC 302

Dana White's campaign to put Jon Jones at the top of the P4P rankings shows no signs of slowing down! The UFC boss was recently in the news when he stated at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference that “It's crazy when someone calls Islam the best fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still fighting.”Despite Makhachev's stunning performance, including the successful third defense of his lightweight title and a stunning 14-fight winning streak in the UFC, White was hesitant to award him the P4P No. 1 honor.

This continued in his recent appearance on the “Flagrant” podcast with the comedian Andrew Schulz where he reiterated why he believes “Bones” is the true embodiment of a No. 1 P4P fighter by highlighting Jones' unparalleled accomplishments in the Octagon. Here's what he had to say to back up his arguments!

Dana White refuses to acknowledge Islam Makhachev's P4P ranking over Jon Jones

In his conversation with Andrew Schulz, Dana White passionately defended Jon Jones' P4P status and inadvertently cast a shadow on Islam Makhachev! He stated: “And if you're being honest, right now, and you're talking about Islam, I love you Islam, the fact that Jon Jones is number 2 on the P4P list, damn, that just shows how damn stupid… the media is voting on this. That just shows they have no damn clue, they know nothing about this damn sport.”

White also mentioned the fact that “Jon Jones has never lost a fight,” which is true as Jones only has one blemish on his record, which comes from a disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009. The UFC boss then compared Makhachev and Jones' fights against Alexander Volkanovski and Ciryl Gane, respectively, to illustrate why he thinks Jones is better.

White explained: “Volkanovski moved forward and it was a damn close fight, the first time. Jon Jones moved forward and absolutely decimated the biggest heavyweight that was out there at the moment… Jon Jones walked through him like it was damn nothing.”

According to White, Jones' versatility across different weight classes and his ability to consistently defeat top-class opponents cement his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. In addition to Jones' athletic ability, White also acknowledged the complexity of his personality, mentioning the presence of a “dark side” within the fighter. However, he explained that “Jon Jones is one of those guys who is only truly appreciated when he's gone.”

Looking ahead, White also speculated about possible encounters with Jones, including fights against Stipe Miocic and Tom Aspinallwhich could further cement Jones' reputation as one of the greatest players of all time.

As discussions continue around the P4P rankings, Dana White's vocal support for Jones continues to fuel the debate. However, Islam Makhachev's coach has also made a compelling argument as to why the Dagestani deserves his first place on the P4P mountain!

Javier Mendez reveals why Makhachev has cemented his P4P No. 1 spot

While Dana White does not approve of Islam Makhachev’s status as the No. 1 P4P fighter in the UFC, his trainer, Javier Mendez believes that the Dagestani champion proved this beyond doubt with his performance at UFC 302.

Speaking to “Red Corner MMA”, AKA’s head coach explained: “And he's proven that he's the real champion, and in my opinion he is that pound for pound, because he's been through adversity, he's overcome adversity. Not once has he hesitated. Not once has he thought he's out of the game. He's always pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed.”

With a win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, Makhachev also made it clear that he intends to win another belt at a higher weight class. And if he can do that, even Dana White will have a hard time denying his greatness. Do you agree with the UFC boss that Jon Jones is a better P4P fighter than Islam Makhachev? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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