Tyron Woodley Defends Islam Makhachev’s GOAT Case With Brutal Take On Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev has reignited the GOAT debate across the sport by beating Anderson Silva’s 16-win streak last week at UFC 330. 

Tyron Woodley, never one to shy away from sharing his thoughts, has offered an opinion that is both complimentary of Islam and firm in the belief of his own UFC legacy. 

Tyron Woodley: “Throw Me In There”

When asked about Islam Makhachev’s place in the GOAT list by Helen Yee, Woodley replied, “You look at Anderson, you look at Jon Jones, you look at Demetrious Johnson, you look at Georges St-Pierre, you got to put those guys there. And after that, I feel like it's preference."

Furthermore, Woodley took a subtle dig at the active fighters included in the list by many. "Some of these people that you see on there, like an Ilia Topuria or a Volkanovski or something like that, I'd be like, well, in that case, throw me in there. If that's what we're doing," he said. 

The logic here is hard to ignore. Woodley won the welterweight championship by defeating Robbie Lawler with a first-round knockout in 2016. He then went on to defend it four times against Stephen Thompson twice, Demian Maia, and Darren Till. He held the title for nearly three years before losing it to Kamaru Usman in 2019. 

Being a Strikeforce title challenger and then defending a championship four times in the UFC's deep and dangerous division appears to be an incredible accomplishment. However, Woodley believes it is often ignored in ‌all-time greatest conversations. 

Woodley Makes a Case for Islam Makhachev

Now, Woodley isn’t forcing his name into the discussion, but making a point citing Topuria’s loss against Justin Gaethje in June, and Volkanovski’s recent three losses (two against Islam and one against Topuria). 

However, the ex-UFC champion doesn’t feel the same for Makhachev. "I feel like he will go down as one of the GOATs just because their focus is discipline, their focus is being consistent, and I don't see him easing off. They don't care if they were in a nice suit, they don't care if they got girls at the hotel room trying to come upstairs, they don't care about that stuff. All they care about is standing undefeated and dominating and winning," Woodley said. 

The names Woodley mentioned ahead of Islam, Silva, Jones, GSP, and DJ surely represent the traditional Mount Rushmore. He positioned Makhachev outside the group but acknowledged that he is building a spot for himself. 

Woodley's comments just highlight the inconsistency of the debate. It also shows how the criteria change based on who is being discussed. Thus, while the dispute is never-ending, it is worth having.