Jon Jones remains No. 1 pound-for-pound even as Islam Makhachev provides a significant challenge

In his illustrious career, Jon Jones, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, has defended his belt against Brandon Vera, the former ONE Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder; Ryan Bader, who has held both the Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight titles; six men who have held the UFC light heavyweight title (Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, and Daniel Cormier); Cormier, who also held the UFC heavyweight title; and Ciryl Gane, the former interim heavyweight champion of the UFC.

Jones boasts an impressive record of 27-1, although he should actually be 28-0 since he was incorrectly disqualified in a fight with Matt Hamill in 2009.

It’s no wonder that most experts consider Jones as the greatest MMA fighter in the sport’s nearly 30-year history. This is also why he maintains the top spot on the Yahoo Sports pound-for-pound rankings, despite the serious challenge from Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev is making a strong case to become the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. With a record of 25-1, he recently secured a first-round knockout victory over featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294. But let’s not overlook Jones’ achievements for a moment.

In his career, Jones has dominated his opponents and holds a flawless 10-0 record against fighters who have held titles in the UFC, Bellator, or ONE. He has never come close to losing in any of those fights, demonstrating his superiority over even the most skilled fighters.

In his upcoming fight at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 11, Jones will face former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Miocic is widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, adding to Jones’ impressive list of elite opponents.

Makhachev’s recent winning streak is undoubtedly impressive. Since his only loss to Adriano Martins in 2015, he has won 13 consecutive fights, with eight of those victories coming by way of finish.

His most recent three victories have been particularly impressive, all occurring within the past year. He captured the title from Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, submitting him with an arm triangle in the second round. Oliveira had previously won 11 consecutive fights and had defeated notable competitors such as Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Makhachev then faced Volkanovski in a champion-versus-champion bout at UFC 284, winning via decision. In their rematch at UFC 294, Makhachev secured a stunning head-kick knockout victory.

While Makhachev is closing in on the top spot, Jones has faced higher-level opposition over a longer period of time. Two of his opponents, Evans and Cormier, have already been inducted into the modern fighters’ wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.

Given Makhachev’s impressive performances, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

However, that time is not now. Yahoo Sports firmly supports Jon Jones as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter alive.

Men’s MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings as of November 1

1. Jon Jones (27-1), UFC heavyweight champion. Previous Ranking: 1.
2. Islam Makhachev (25-1), UFC lightweight champion. Previous Ranking: 3.
3. Alexander Volkanovski (25-3), UFC featherweight champion. Previous Ranking: 2.
4. Leon Edwards (21-3), UFC welterweight champion. Previous Ranking: 4.
5. Khamzat Chimaev (13-0), UFC middleweight contender. Previous Ranking: 5.
6. Sean O’Malley (17-1), UFC bantamweight champion. Previous Ranking: 6.
7. Charles Oliveira (33-9), former UFC lightweight champion. Previous Ranking: 8.
8. Kamaru Usman (20-4), former UFC welterweight champion. Previous Ranking: 7.
9. Justin Gaethje (25-4), UFC BMF champion. Previous Ranking: 9.
10. Israel Adesanya (24-3), former UFC middleweight champion. Previous Ranking: 10.

Women’s MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings as of November 1

1. Julianna Peña (12-5), UFC bantamweight contender. Previous Ranking: 1.
2. Alexa Grasso (16-3), UFC flyweight champion. Previous Ranking: 2.
3. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4), former UFC flyweight champion. Previous Ranking: 3.
4. Zhang Weili (24-3), UFC strawweight champion. Previous Ranking: 4.
5. Cris “Cyborg” Justino (27-2), Bellator featherweight champion. Previous Ranking: NR.
6. Erin Blanchfield (11-1), UFC flyweight contender. Previous Ranking: 5.
7. Manon Fiorot (11-1), UFC flyweight contender. Previous Ranking: 6.
8. Tatiana Suarez (10-0), UFC strawweight contender. Previous Ranking: 7.
9. Raquel Pennington (15-8), UFC bantamweight contender. Previous Ranking: 8.
10. Larissa Pacheco (21-4), 2022 PFL lightweight champion. Previous Ranking: 9.