UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall saw Dana White’s fresh take on the UFC’s pound-for-pound debate, and admitted he was amused to see the UFC boss switch his view so quickly.
The debate over the UFC’s pound-for-pound number one took a turn at the weekend as UFC president Dana White conceded that undisputed lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is now the UFC’s pound-for-pound number-one fighter.
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 28: Tom Aspinall of England looks on ahead of the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout against Curtis Blaydes of the U.S. during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July… MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 28: Tom Aspinall of England looks on ahead of the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout against Curtis Blaydes of the U.S. during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 28, 2024 in Manchester, England.
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“He’s already the pound-for-pound number-one ranked fighter,” White told reporters at the UFC 311 post-fight press conference.
“But is he yours?” pressed veteran MMA reporter John Morgan.
“Yeah. I’ll give it to him,” the UFC boss responded, with a grin.
“Are you happy? Is everybody happy now?”
It was a notable change of stance from the UFC boss, who had previously banged the drum vocally for Jon Jones as the promotion’s top pound-for-pound fighter, and playfully sparred verbally with reporters who offered the counter-argument that Makhachev deserved the spot due to his activity and strength of schedule over the last couple of years.
And, in a reaction video posted to his YouTube channel, Aspinall spoke about White’s change of tune, while also heaping praise on Makhachev for his performance after a short-notice change of opponent at UFC 311.
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“I think a lot of people are looking by what Islam Makhachev has just done,” said Aspinall.
“Massive risk for him – an even bigger risk for Makhachev, because no one thought he was going to lose that fight at all. Nobody thought he was going to lose it.
“There was a lot on the line there for Makhachev, and he did what champions, true champions, do, and fight anybody on any notice, and that’s what he did.”
Aspinall continued, “Now we’re seeing Dana White coming out and saying that he’s the pound-for-pound number-one in the world, Islam Makhachev.
“But, as we all know, to me, pound-for-pound is a load of made up stuff. So I don’t look into that. But it’s just funny how he’s kind of jumped ship now, from Jon Jones to Islam.
“But Islam did what he was supposed to do, which is what champions are supposed to do, fought the guy the UFC told him to fight, and he got the win. And he’s levels above anybody else in that division. He’s gonna hold the belt for a long, long time. And that is something that I’m very excited for, because I’m a massive Islam Makhachev fan.”
More MMA:
UFC 313: Light Heavyweight Champ Alex Pereira to Face Magomed Ankalaev in Las Vegas Headliner
UFC 311 Recap: Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili Retain Titles in Los Angeles
For more on the UFC, head to Newsweek Sports.
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