Coach details what Woodley must do to potentially exceed the standing of…

Georges St-Pierre is the near-unanimous choice as greatest welterweight in MMA history. However, during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Woodley’s coach Din Thomas argued compellingly that there is a clear path for ‘The Chosen’ one to enter the conversation wins over former interim champion Colby Covington and the surging Kamaru Usman. And Thomas placed Woodley at #2 presently.

I think, at this point, I’m going to have to say second, said Thomas, as transcribed by Shaun Al-Shatti for MMA Fighting. Like you said, I think his resume speaks for itself, when you think of the guys that he has beaten, even in his come-up, between like Carlos Condit, Kelvin Gastelum, Robbie Lawler. He’s beaten all those guys. But I think that a couple more title defenses will solidify his position. I think that’s all he needs. A win over Colby — to me, I think Colby [Covington] is an easy opponent, to be honest with you, but just on the resume he kinda needs that just so he can have more title defenses — and maybe even Usman, but if he gets those two then he’s the best of all-time.

He doesn’t have anything that’s dangerous to Tyron. He doesn’t have the ability to knock him out with one punch if Tyron slips. He doesn’t have the ability to choke Tyron out — to play ‘take him down, take his back, choke him out.’ I don’t think he has that ability. The way Colby can win that fight is to obviously grind him out, and I don’t think he can outwrestle Tyron to get up to that point. So to me, that’s just kind of an easier matchup [than Usman].

Thomas also responded to fan criticism that president Dana White’s absence at the UFC 228 post-fight press conference was a reflection of the UFC boss’s wish that the Englishman Till had won, rather than Woodley

Being on the [Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight] show with Dana, I know how hard he works,” explained Thomas. “I know his schedule and I know he keeps everything really tight, so I would never speculate that he didn’t show up because he disliked Tyron or he didn’t want Tyron to win. In fact, when he came into the cage, he kinda gave me a nod and was like, ‘Good job.’ I mean, of course everybody’s going to speculate that he didn’t like it, but I know, like I said, Dana keeps a very tight schedule. I know that he was leaving — I was talking to his security guy afterward saying, ‘Man, we got a flight to catch.’

And sometimes Dana, it’s just like, his schedule, he’s tired all the time, so I don’t want to use that as the excuse but I just know he keeps a tight schedule. So that’s the only reason why I could see he wouldn’t be at the press conference. I would like to see him come out with a statement and congratulate Tyron. That would be good, because it’s easy to criticize fighters, but when they show and prove, when they show up and give you what you ask, I think it’s only right to give them their props.