Tyron Woodley has picked the surprise choice of Nathan Coy as the toughest opponent he's ever faced.

Woodley defended his welterweight title multiple times but has suffered three successive defeats in his last fights, losing out to Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns and most recently Colby Covington.

But when asked about what he made of those fighters, 'The Chosen One' insisted Coy had presented a bigger challenge.

'The toughest opponent I've ever fought was a dude named Nathan Coy,' Woodley told Helen Yee (via Essentially Sports).

'He was actually a team-mate of mine at American Top Team. The other guys I fought, I just did not perform, or I backed up too much. Or [Nate] Marquardt, I was relaxed for one second too long on the cage and he threw me the elbow buffet.

'But Nathan Coy, I was there,' Woodley continued. 

'And I was a 100 per cent and I was going hard and he was going hard. And I threw up so bad after this fight. Oh my God it was so hard and it was such a close fight. 

'I barely won it, but I was fighting as hard as I could and he was fighting as hard as he could. And he's the only one that I've ever fought at the level that matched me. 

'Anyone else I fought at 50 per cent or more, I knocked out or beat or snapped them. When people are beating me, I am not remotely where I am supposed to be at.'

Woodley return to the octagon when he takes on Vicente Luque at UFC 260 next month. 

Luque has won his last two fights but Woodley risks being cut from being cut from UFC if he succumbs to another defeat.