Javier Mendez explains why Islam Makhachev is No. 1 pound-for-pound best, not Jon Jones
There were several storylines that remained consistent throughout 2024 with one of the biggest being the debate of who is the No. 1 pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA today.
The biggest instigator of that discussion was none other than UFC CEO Dana White, who insisted Jon Jones was the only choice for the debate and didn’t entertain the possibility of other UFC champions, including Islam Makhachev – who many believe is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world today.
Javier Mendez, Makhachev’s trainer, thinks there shouldn’t be much of a debate, even if in reality it’s a discussion that will carry over for the majority of 2025.
“This is what I always say: How many fights does Jon Jones have in the last four years? Tell me. How many?” Mendez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “If you said six or seven, OK. But how many does he have? Two in four years.
“No, you need to fight more than that (for pound-for-pound best). If Islam were to do the same, I’d put Jon Jones at No. 1 – but he hasn’t fought (as much). If he had been active, then it’s a different conversation – but he’s barely fought. That why, that reason alone, I put Islam at No. 1.”
For Mendez, it’s also not only the activity level. Yes, Jones has only fought twice since 2021, while Makhachev has fought eight times. It’s also the level of competition.
“Islam’s fights have always been against No. 1,” Mendez said. “Alexander Volkanovski was the best featherweight in the world and pound-for-pound, and he fought him, and everyone he’s fought has been very tough. The styles of all those guys were very good.
“Jon Jones fought Miocic, who was (42), and hadn’t fought in like four years, so he wasn’t the same. Jon Jones is supreme. He’s an excellent talent and has never lost in his whole life. It’s tough to critique him, because he’s fought everyone, but he just hasn’t fought much in the last four years.”
For Mendez, there’s no debate. He thinks that people misunderstand the point of the discussion, which is why there’s a debate triggered. He respects Jones and sees him as the greatest fighter of all time, which is a different label than the pound-for-pound best.
“The pound-for-pound conversation is now,” Mendez said. “I’m not going around saying that Islam is the greatest of all time. I’m just saying he’s the pound-for-pound best right now. That’s all. I’m not saying anything else.”
Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) returns to the octagon on Jan. 18 in the main event of UFC 311, which goes down in Los Angeles, Calif. Makhachev defends his lightweight title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
The two fought back in April 2019. It was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut, which he took on short notice. The fight ended up going all 15 minutes, with Tsarukyan coming up short in a unanimous decision, but putting on an admirable effort.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.