Dana White is finally ready to give Islam
Makhachev his flowers.
After Makhachev retained his lightweight title with a first-round
submission of Renato
Carneiro in the UFC 311
main event on Saturday night, White conceded that the Dagestani is
the top pound-for-pound talent in the sport. That’s a significant
change in course for White, who for months has
expressed his displeasure that Makhachev was ranked ahead of
heavyweight champion Jon Jones in
the promotion’s pound-for-pound poll.
Advertisement
“He’s already the pound-for-pound No. 1 ranking. Yeah, I’ll give it
to him,” White said at the UFC 311 post-fight press conference. “Is
everybody happy now that he’s pound-for-pound?
The UFC CEO came away impressed with Makhachev’s willingness to
adapt when original foe Arman
Tsarukyan pulled out of the main event just one day before
their fight. The reigning lightweight champ didn’t blink when
“Moicano” was proposed as a replacement foe on short notice.
“Islam was willing to fight anybody,” White said. “He’s stayed
active and he went out tonight and performed the way a guy should
on a short-notice fight when you are the best in the world and you
are the champion.”
While Makhachev is deservedly getting credit for a winning streak
that now sits at 15, White’s sudden change in stance could be
linked to negotiations with Jones for a potential heavyweight title
unification bout against Tom
Aspinall. After finishing Stipe
Miocic at UFC 309 this past November, Jones hinted that he
might be convinced to return against Aspinall for a hefty payday.
Thus far, there has been no update on the status of that bout,
though White previously all but guaranteed the fight would happen.
Additionally, Alex
Pereira, the opponent that intrigued Jones the most, has now
been booked to face Magomed
Ankalaev at UFC 313
in March.
Regardless of how the Jones-Aspinall talks proceed, White seemed
confident when giving his perspective on Makhachev’s standing in
the sport.
“One hundred percent, there’s no doubt about it,” White said. “He’s
the pound-for-pound best in the world right now and he’s definitely
the best to ever do it in that division.”