UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has a problem with the concept of pound-for-pound rankings.
The category, which appears on the UFC’s official rankings list, is intended — in theory at least — to compare fighters who compete in different weight divisions against one another, regardless of whether or not it is possible for them to actually prove it in competition.
And Aspinal, who is, incidentally, the 11th ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, thinks the entire debate is a nonsense.
“What is this pound-for-pound bullsh*t?” Aspinall said to reporters, including The Mac Life, at Wednesday UFC 304 media day in Manchester. His comments come as UFC boss Dana White frequently cites heavyweight champ Jon Jones as the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighter as part of the reasoning for sticking to the long-delayed title matchup between Jones and Stipe Miocic reportedly set for September which has obstructed Aspinall’s route to an undisputed heavyweight title shot of his own.
“It’s a load of rubbish. It just doesn’t even make sense. Don’t get me started on that shit. It’s just like, how can you have a pound-for-pound [ranking]?
“Does that mean if everyone’s the same size?” Aspinall said. “So how can you compare Demetrious Johnson’s style to Brock Lesnar’s style and say if they’re the same?” Aspinall added. “Like, they’ve got completely different attributes.
“I’ve got a bulldog, right? It’s like saying if my bulldog had a really long neck, who would win a giraffe or the bulldog? It’s absolute bullsh*t. How can you even compare it? It’s a load of rubbish.”
Check out Aspinall’s comments ahead of his UFC 304 bout with Curtis Blaydes below.
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