Weidman, Poirier, Masvidal Doubt Makhachev's GOAT Case

Islam Makhachev's case for UFC GOAT status is not getting unanimous support from the promotion's own alumni, with Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal all pumping the brakes on the welterweight champion's resume during a recent sitdown on "Deep Waters."

Makhachev picked up his fifth UFC title defense overall at UFC 330, a decision win over Ian Garry that also made him the promotion's record holder for most consecutive wins. That run, stacked on top of a dominant lightweight title reign before he moved up to 170 pounds, is why the GOAT question is even on the table. But when the three former titleholders were asked directly whether Makhachev has earned it, none of them said yes outright.

What did Chris Weidman and Dustin Poirier say about Makhachev?

Chris Weidman is not ready to hand Makhachev the crown, and he leaned on an old-school measuring stick to explain why. "I am not saying that yet," Weidman said, adding that he is "still old school" and that "title defenses mean a lot," pointing back to Anderson Silva and Demetrious Johnson as the real benchmark for GOAT talk. Dustin Poirier skipped the hedging entirely and named his own pick instead, saying flatly, "To me, Jon Jones."

Why did Jorge Masvidal question Makhachev's lightweight title defenses?

Jorge Masvidal's pushback centered on the level of competition Makhachev faced while he held the lightweight belt. Masvidal credited Alexander Volkanovski as one of the sport's greats but noted that some of Makhachev's 155-pound defenses came against fighters who built their names at featherweight, saying "two of those title defenses at lightweight were to a '45er." Weidman jumped in to add that Charles Oliveira also spent time competing at 145 pounds, reinforcing the same point about the resume's depth.

None of the three fighters closed the door on Makhachev entirely. The tone was more skeptical than dismissive, the kind of argument that plays out in barbershops and sports bars every time a dominant champion starts closing in on all-time status. Weidman's answer in particular reads as "not yet" rather than "never," which leaves room for Makhachev to keep building his case with future title defenses.

For bettors, this kind of debate rarely moves markets on its own, but it does shape how Makhachev gets priced and promoted going forward. A champion fighting for legacy status tends to get more scrutiny from oddsmakers and the public alike, and every new name Makhachev beats at welterweight will get measured against the "who did he actually fight" argument Masvidal raised. If Makhachev keeps stacking dominant title defenses, the GOAT conversation only gets louder, and so does the appeal of betting against him as a heavy favorite in fights the market may start taking for granted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal say about Islam Makhachev being the UFC GOAT?

On the show "Deep Waters," Chris Weidman said he is not ready to call Islam Makhachev the greatest of all time, Dustin Poirier said his pick for GOAT is Jon Jones, and Jorge Masvidal questioned the level of competition in some of Makhachev's lightweight title defenses.

What is Islam Makhachev's current UFC record and title reign?

Islam Makhachev is the UFC welterweight champion who defended the title for the first time at UFC 330 with a decision win over Ian Garry, marking his fifth UFC title defense overall and giving him the promotion's record for most consecutive wins.

Why did Jorge Masvidal criticize Islam Makhachev's lightweight title defenses?

Jorge Masvidal pointed out that some of Islam Makhachev's lightweight title defenses came against fighters who originally competed at featherweight, arguing that lowers the level of competition on his resume.