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Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Even with an ongoing feud, Dana White has backed Jon Jones to win one of the most outlandish fantasy fights ever put to him. Ever since Jones was left off the UFC White House card, there’s been a steady back-and-forth between him and White, playing out both on social media and in interviews. White has insisted that Jones was never seriously considered for the June 14 event, a claim Jones strongly disputes.
But through it all, White hasn’t changed his view. He’s always said he considers Jones the greatest fighter in history, regardless of weight class or discipline. And he repeated that stance during a recent appearance on Ted Cruz’s podcast.
White backs Jon Jones to win in hypothetical fight against Muhammad Ali Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images During an appearance on Senator Ted Cruz’s podcast ‘Verdict’, UFC president Dana White was asked about a fantasy matchup between Jon Jones and Muhammad Ali. He likened the proposed ruleset to the one seen in Rocky 3, where Hulk Hogan’s character faced off against Rocky Balboa. Ali famously took part in one of the earliest cross-discipline fights when he faced Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki.
That match ended in a draw, with Inoki spending much of it on his back, kicking at Ali, who repeatedly urged him to stand up. “One of the things that happened in boxing is you had all of these different sanctioning organizations that all had different champions and different guys,” White explained. “All anyone wanted to do was stay undefeated.
“So they would fight lesser competition to make sure that they got up to 25-0. But in MMA you went through the gauntlet, you fought the best of the best all the way to the top. So if you end up with a long career and you are still undefeated, you are the greatest of all time and that is Jon Jones.