Former UFC champ picks Islam Makhachev over Georges St-Pierre in welterweight GOAT debate

Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker picked Islam Makhachev over a prime Georges St-Pierre in a hypothetical welterweight fight.

Islam Makhachev accomplished his lifelong goal to win multiple UFC world titles when he dominated Jack Della Maddalena earlier this month at UFC 322. Makhachev won the UFC welterweight championship and reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.

As Makhachev kicks off his welterweight title reign and prepares for a potential showdown with lightweight titleholder Ilia Topuria, the new UFC welterweight champ is already being compared with some of the all-time greats. Georges St-Pierre, and Makhachev’s next potential opponent, Kamaru Usman, are considered the two greatest welterweights in UFC history.

A former UFC champ believes Makhachev would smother a prime St-Pierre if they clashed today.

Robert Whittaker: Islam Makhachev beats a prime Georges St-Pierre

In a recent episode of the MMArcade podcast, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker picked Makhachev to beat a prime St-Pierre in a hypothetical matchup.

“That’s tricky because GSP has got a good game to fight Makhachev,” Whittaker said of St-Pierre/Makhachev comparisons.

“He’s got a really good game. He’s like a springy, karate-esque fighter. He likes punching from outside the distance, loves to scramble, has the cardio to scramble, has really top-tier jiu-jitsu. Honestly, I think Islam would get it done. If the fight becomes a scramble-off and a wrestle-off, Islam’s going come out of it better just because he’s built for it.

“(Khamzat) Chimaev would do the same, whereas GSP utilized the full toolbox of MMA,” Whittaker continued. “So he utilized his wrestling and his grappling to eventually stand back up, box your head off because you’re worried about the takedown. Then he’ll take you back down and do the same. Islam, he’ll get you down, and you ain’t getting back up.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

St-Pierre is a UFC Hall of Famer and retired from MMA after a middleweight title win over Michael Bisping at UFC 217.