Jon Jones deletes tweet mocking Islam Makhachev's "last minute" win, switches tone with "high respect" message
Jon Jones has a long-standing rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov when it comes to the GOAT discussion. Now it seems the rivalry has found a new target in Islam Makhachev since the lightweight champion now holds the pound-for-pound No.1 spot previously held by 'Bones'.
Jones was unimpressed with the Dagestani's win against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. According to 'Bones', the fight was too close for his taste.
At the pay-per-view, 'The Diamond' gave Makhachev a run for his money, as he stuffed most of the Russian's takedowns throughout the fight forcing him to stand and trade with Poirier.
Makhachev however imposed his will in the final round as he employed an ankle pick to easily transition to a takedown, before finishing the challenger from Carencro, Louisiana with a D'Arce choke.
Jones downplayed the win in a since-deleted post on X:
"So let me get this straight, you go through an absolute dogfight and pull off a last-minute submission. And that's what makes you the best?"
Later in the day, however, the UFC heavyweight champion switched his tone, while answering a fan question as to what his opinion on Dagestani fighters was. 'Bones' stated:
"I have high respect for them all, they are the future of the sport. The work ethic seems to be unmatched."
Dana White picks Jon Jones over Islam Makhachev as the pound-for-pound best
Despite tearing it up in the UFC for the past many years, Islam Makhachev has yet to convince Dana White that he is the best in the business.
During the post-fight press conference at UFC 302, the UFC CEO opined that no one else is deserving of the pound-for-pound No.1 status while Jon Jones was still fighting:
"I don't think he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. For anybody to call Islam the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still f*****g fighting, is nuts and shouldn't be ranking the pound-for-pound or doing any of the f*****g rankings ever, if that's what you really think."
Catch Dana White's comments below:
White hinted that Jones has faced more elite competition during his career. Furthermore, the 54-year-old claimed that the fact that Jones moved up to heavyweight and won the title, beating a top contender, solidifies his status as the best fighter in the world.