Islam Makhachev has been demanding credit for ruling the pound-for-pound rankings ever since he defeated Alexander Volkanovski, not once, but twice. Makhachev had put the lightweight championship title on the line, while ‘The Great’ wagered his pound-for-pound number 1 position. And Makhachev snatched the throne with a KO victory in the first round. 

However, the UFC head honcho, Dana White, wasn’t happy with the outcome. While he didn’t refuse to credit Makhachev’s strength, he was discontent with the P4P rankings. In his opinion, it was Jon Jones who truly deserved the P4P crown. But things began to change as Alex Pereira became the newest contender for the throne, following his phenomenal KO victory at UFC 307. But Makhachev doesn’t seem to give away his dominion over the P4P list.

Islam Makhachev fires shots and claims his seat at the top of the P4P list

The debate for the pound-for-pound throne burned the world of mixed martial arts for quite some time now. But the heat began to rise again, as Kamaru Usman shared his thoughts on Alex Pereira’s stance on the list while talking to Henry Cejudo, on their talk show, ‘Pound 4 Pound’. The former welterweight champion said, “Alex Pereira, I believe right now is the best pound-for-pound king. I believe so… “

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ went on to compare the man with the hands of stone with the current P4P king. While he didn’t really undermine Makhachev’s ability, Pereira had a stronger pedestal in Usman’s mind. The former WW champ continued, “I love Islam and his abilities; I think Islam, of course, has more tools in the shed. But with what you have to work with, Alex Pereira, I believe, is the pound-for-pound king.”

But that was something that Makhachev didn’t seem to like. Talking to Match TV, the lightweight champion revealed that he just wasn’t ready to give up his crown as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. He said, “I deserve first place. I didn’t just earn it through fights, I beat the number one contender and that’s why I rightfully am in first place.” This wasn’t a response aimed at just Usman and Cejudo, but it seemed like Makhachev also had the UFC head honcho in his mind, as Dana White had repeatedly disregarded his position and snubbed him with Jones as the P4P #1.

Makhachev’s thoughts were further reciprocated by the Dagestani Team’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz. Let’s see what he had to say about the Usman’s claims. 

Manager stands in support of the current P4P king

As Abdelaziz stumbled upon the clip of the podcast on X, he took to the comments and defended his client. He wrote, “[Kamaru Usman] brother he just fought the number 8th guy in the division, there is a reason why he is not fighting the number 1 guy Magomed Ankalaev, brother you drinking the Kool-Aid too, hey [Henry Cejudo] you gotta pinch your partner sometimes.”

However, the UFC CEO was adamant in his take about the heavyweight champion being the true ruler of the P4P list. While often claimed, “He is pound for pound best fighter and he is the GOAT and you all know this.” According to him, ‘Bones’ was undefeated, since the only loss he has in his professional MMA record came via an unfortunate disqualification, due to an illegal 12-to-6 elbow. Even when he debuted in the heavyweight division, Jones finished Ciryl Gane within moments. The strength and the intimidation factor ‘Bones’ carried in the Octagon made the UFC boss believe he was the real P4P king. 

But with the kind of performance the light heavyweight champion has been showcasing, many pros and fans believe that Pereira should become the new P4P #1. It wasn’t just Usman, but the former UFC contender, Michael Bisping also seemed to believe the same. Nevertheless, the P4P list hasn’t witnessed any change after UFC 307. Makhachev still stands at the top of the list, with Pereira holding the second position and Jones being #3. 

What are your thoughts on the pound-for-pound debate? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.