“I think I deserve to be in first place” – Makhachev on the ranking of the best UFC fighters, regardless of weight categories

Mixed martial arts fighter, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said that he deserves to take first place in the ranking of the best UFC fighters, regardless of weight categories (pound4pound).

The 31-year-old Russian is now second on the list. The current heavyweight champion of the promotion, American Jon Jones, remains in the lead.

— In the ranking, regardless of weight categories, you are still not in first place. How so?

– I think this is the UFC policy. Jon Jones is a big name for the American public. And he had an interesting fight. And before him, they wanted to keep the intrigue, they say, the number one PFP is fighting Miocic, one of the best heavyweights of all time.

But I believe that I rightfully deserved first place in the UFC ratings too. In the rest, they put me in first place. Because I beat the number one PFP player at the time, which was Volkanovski. Maybe then because of the last round [первого боя] didn’t install. But I think I have closed all the questions now. I won’t belittle Jones’ achievements, but his last five fights don’t inspire much confidence that he can beat Miocic and other good heavyweights.

— Is Makhachev better than Jones?

– (smiles) I don’t know. It’s not up to me to decide. I think I deserved to be there,” the Match TV website quotes Makhachev as saying.

On October 21, at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev knocked out Australian Alexander Volkanovski in the first round and defended the lightweight championship belt.

Watch live broadcasts of UFC tournaments on the Match TV and Match! Fighter”, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.