UFC legend dismisses Islam Makhachev’s GOAT case with title win at UFC 322

Matt Brown believes former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev still has a ways to go to prove himself as an all-time great.

Islam Makhachev has the chance to add himself to the UFC history books this weekend at UFC 322. With a win over UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday, Makhachev would become the latest two-division title winner in the promotion’s history.

Makhachev would join an iconic group of two-division titleholders if he wins at UFC 322. Several UFC GOATs, including Jon Jones, have won championships at multiple weight classes.

Many believe Makhachev would make a strong case to be considered an all-time great if he wins a second championship at UFC 322. But one UFC legend believes Makhachev still has a lot more to prove, regardless of what happens at Madison Square Garden.

Matt Brown dispels Islam Makhachev’s GOAT case with a win at UFC 322

In a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, former UFC star Matt Brown weighed in on Makhachev’s GOAT case entering UFC 322.

“He’s the greatest lightweight of all-time,” Brown said of Makhachev. “I think that’s pretty much set in stone. I think that’s done. I don’t know what this does for him in terms of greatest of all-time type thing or pound-for-pound or anything. Because he’s already up there with all of that. He’s still got a long way to go to be one of the all-time greats when you’re talking about the Anderson Silva’s and the Jon Jones and people like that. He’s got a long way to go for that so you can’t just put him there yet.

“The idea of being double champ accelerates that. You’ve got to keep the winning streak going because that’s what the other guys did. I think that’s the only issue there really. You’ve got to have more time in the game. So really it just kind of solidifies where he’s at right now is where he belongs. He’s got to be top three pound-for-pound right? It’s not moving him up a ton in my book [among the all-time greats], right or wrong.”