"Woodley sleeps Khabib" - Fans react to post claiming Khabib Nurmagomedov could've become double-champ by beating Tyron Woodley in 2018

Tyron Woodley (left) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (right)
Tyron Woodley (left) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (right)

UFC fans on social media reacted to a post claiming that Khabib Nurmagomedov could've beaten Tyron Woodley to become a double champion in 2018.

The Instagram page MMA Feed posted an image stating that Nurmagomedov would've beaten Woodley had they crossed paths when they were both champions. However, many fans pointed out that the post wasn't giving Woodley enough credit.

Check out the post below:

According to commenters, the controversial statement is wildly based out of recency bias. Woodley, of course, collected four straight losses before getting cut by the UFC. Worse, he suffered a devastating knockout loss to Jake Paul, which marred his reputation as a dominant champion.

Several fans pointed out that the current version of Woodley is completely different to the one that held the welterweight title in 2018. Many also suggested that 'The Chosen One' would've given Nurmagomedov problems due to his size and wrestling proficiency.

Some fans are also confident that Woodley would've handed Nurmagomedov his first loss had the matchup happened. They believe Woodley's punching power would have been a major issue for 'The Eagle,' especially if he was unable to take former welterweight champ down.

Check out the comments below:

Fans react to hypothetical Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tyron Woodley matchup
Fans react to hypothetical Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tyron Woodley matchup

When Tyron Woodley told Khabib Nurmagomedov to stay at lightweight

It's safe to say that Tyron Woodley wanted no part in fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In 2018, there were rumors of 'The Eagle' moving up to the welterweight division. Woodley, who was the champion at the time, spoke about Nurmagomedov during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE).

Rogan asked Woodley to comment on the possibility of Nurmagomedov's move up. 'The Chosen One,' who spoke highly of the Dagestani, said:

"Hey, anybody out there see my man Khabib about to pack [some weight].... Nutritionists, anybody out there, I'm picking up the tab. Stay yo psycho a** down there at '55 [lightweight]. I'm not trying to see no Khabib right now."

But of course, no such matchup took place. Nurmagomedov went on to defend his title three times, while Woodley dropped the belt to Kamaru Usman and never got the chance to reclaim it.

Listen to the full JRE podcast episode below:

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Edited by Dave