Ex-Welterweight King: Kamaru Usman Isn’t the GOAT, He Just “Kissed the Most Ass”
In a blistering new interview, the ex-champion dismissed the idea that Kamaru Usman has surpassed Georges St-Pierre, claiming Usman’s legacy was built on sucking up to UFC executives rather than actual supremacy.
Tyron Woodley is done biting his tongue about the welterweight history books. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, the former 170-pound champion took aim at the narrative that Kamaru Usman has surpassed Georges St-Pierre as the greatest of all time. According to Woodley, Usman’s rise to the top was about playing the corporate game better than anyone else.
Tyron Woodley: Kamaru Usman Isn’t the GOAT, He’s Just the “Biggest brown-noser”
Woodley didn’t hold back when discussing his former rival. While he acknowledges Usman is a talented fighter, he argues that “The Nigerian Nightmare” secured his legacy by keeping the UFC brass happy rather than purely through dominance. In Woodley’s eyes, putting Usman above GSP is a non-starter for any serious MMA conversation. He said:
“Kamaru is not the greatest welterweight of all time. He is the one that kissed the most ass. Once you say he’s the greatest and you’re trying to say he’s better than GSP, nobody is even listening to you after that.”
The friction between these two isn’t new. Usman dominated Woodley at UFC 235 to take the belt, starting a title reign that saw him defend the strap five times. But Woodley sees those defenses differently. He views Usman’s willingness to take short-notice fights and avoid contract disputes as a strategic move to curry favor with Dana White, rather than a sign of competitive greatness. To Woodley, being a company man doesn’t equal being the GOAT.
“Let me go to Vegas and sit and just loiter in his office every week and just try to stay in his good graces and accept whatever offer. If you do that long enough, you will be one of these guys that end up in the category where now you’ll be rewarded because you took last-minute notice fights. You fought injured. You didn’t complain about money. You didn’t ask for more. You didn’t ask questions. And you were always trying to be a goody two-shoes and brown-nosing. So yeah, he’s the biggest brown noser in the welterweight division. He is a good fighter though. He stayed disciplined, but that’s what he is. He’s not the greatest.”
Woodley also touched on the personal dynamic between them before they became enemies. Long before they met in the cage, Woodley claims Usman was a fan who hung around his events looking for advice. The narrative that they were always bitter rivals ignores a period where, according to Woodley, Usman was actively trying to model his career after “The Chosen One.”
“[Kamaru] wants to be me. He was my clone at one point in time, right? He was at all my afterparties asking, ‘How does it feel to be a champion? How’s it feel when Dana wraps the [belt]?’ He was at my afterparty after I fought title fights and was asking me what he should do… talking about me when I said I was only at 30%.”
This interview adds another layer to the welterweight legacy debate. While the numbers show Usman had a historic run, Woodley remains adamant that context matters. For him, GSP stands alone, and no amount of “brown nosing” can put Usman on that same pedestal.
Beyond the war of words with Usman, Woodley is preparing to step back into the ring for a massive showdown. On December 19, 2025, “The Chosen One” will face fellow UFC legend Anderson Silva in a six-round cruiserweight boxing match on the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua undercard in Miami. Woodley stepped in on short notice to replace an injured Chris Weidman. At 43 years old, Woodley is seeking his first professional boxing win after two tough outings against Paul in 2021, vowing to “squish the Spider” and cement his legacy by taking out one of the greatest to ever do it.
