Tyron Woodley delivered a scathing assessment of Colby Covington following news of his retirement, saying Covington was an opportunist who manufactured a persona and talked himself into positions his record never justified.
Woodley fought Covington in September 2020, losing by TKO due to a rib injury in the fifth round. The two were former training partners at American Top Team before their relationship soured. Speaking to New Betting Sites U.K., Woodley did not hold back.
“His whole brand was modeled around an act that he was such a Trump supporter, America this and that, when really he was just a Drake-listening, Beats headphones-wearing, hanging out in Miami, thinking he’s a gangster guy, who put on an act and a character. Your whole thing was baiting. Colby was piggybacking that because it was causing controversy. He wanted to create his own version of being a heel but in MMA. I paid Colby weekly to be a training partner for Rory just to torture him. He was an opportunist who took advantage of a quiet moment in MMA.”
Woodley acknowledged Covington’s physical attributes while dismissing his work ethic.
“I would say he’s tough. I would say he’s durable. I would say he’s a person that doesn’t work very hard, but he has crazy cardio. People hated him in the gym because he wouldn’t work very hard, but he had a gas tank, and he knew staying close to you was the best for him. He found a way to do that. He talked himself into positions that his record and ranking weren’t ever in. The sport was quiet. Ronda was gone. Jon was chilling out. Conor was out, and nobody was there, so we were willing to listen to him. He’s an opportunist that took advantage of a moment where the sport was quiet with stars, and we were just willing to listen to WWE and go on the ride with him. That’s his legacy.”
Covington’s UFC status was changed to retired earlier this week. He has not competed in the organization since a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024. He remains active in Real American Freestyle wrestling and meets Chris Weidman at RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas.
Tyron Woodley says Jon Jones texted him after the MVP MMA 1 broadcast, asking for the lawyer who could potentially help him pursue a Francis Ngannou fight outside the UFC.
Jones said during the Netflix broadcast that getting out of his UFC contract would be the primary obstacle to making a Ngannou fight happen. Woodley, who was on the broadcast alongside Jones, told NewBettingSites.uk that his attorney Sam Spira was involved in the legal framework explored before Conor McGregor’s 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather — and that a similar route could be available to Jones.
“Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather. My lawyer is the lawyer that actually gave Audie Attar and Conor the play and the manoeuvre to do it through the Ali Act. His name is Sam Spira. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for it. If Jon wanted to fight Francis Ngannou, there is a legal way where he can do it. It’s not going to be a cakewalk, but have the legal team deal with it.”
Woodley said Jones reached out to him directly after the broadcast.
“Jon texted me afterwards, because Jon knows me. He knows if I say something, I’m not going to be sugarcoating it. As I was saying it on air, my lawyer was watching it, so he sent me a text message of exactly the injunction he would have to do, how he would have to file it, and the process. It’s going to be a battle, but this is the way you can do it. Jon asked me himself, he said, ‘Tyron, send me that lawyer’s number that knows that play.’ I said fine, and I forwarded him my lawyer’s info.”
The Ali Act is a federal boxing law covering anti-competitive practices in professional boxing. It was not written for MMA, meaning any legal strategy would require Jones’ team to find an applicable angle rather than directly invoking the act.
Woodley also noted that Jones may not feel urgency to pursue a legal battle, given his current business ventures including mentoring Gable Steveson, working with Dirty Boxing, and staying active through appearances and seminars.
“I would say he has the information he needs, if he legally wants to pursue that. But he is doing well business-wise. He’s got a lot of things keeping him busy. So if he wants to fight, he’s got the information to do it. The ball’s in his court.”
Former UFC champion Tyron Woodley has given his thoughts on the rise of Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 319 tomorrow night.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev will challenge Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship on Saturday evening. The two will collide in the main event of UFC 319 in Chicago, and there’s a lot of excitement in the air for what this fight could look like. The pair have very different styles, and that has the potential to turn this into a thrilling encounter between two absolute warriors.
Khamzat Chimaev has achieved some wonderful things throughout the course of his mixed martial arts career but up to this point, he’s never managed to hold UFC gold. The hope from his fans is that this is the time for him to finally do it, but he needs to get off to a fast start if he’s going to put someone like DDP away.
In a recent interview with Action Network, Tyron Woodley gave his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev.
Tyron Woodley’s view on Khamzat Chimaev
“Khamzat is good, but he’s not great. He could be, and likely will be, but he’s not great right now he’s not. DDP has to be a spoiler, stay focused. He’s shown up in fights and beaten people like Stye Bender. He’s kind of like the underdog, the people’s champion, he doesn’t talk much trash but he wins a lot of fights. I think he could win this fight.”
Tyron Woodley has become one of the earliest fighters to sign with the Global Fighting League (GFL), a new mixed martial arts promotion set to launch next year. Since his UFC release in 2021, Woodley had transitioned to boxing but has now been drawn back to MMA by the enticing opportunities offered by GFL.
The former UFC welterweight champion recently expressed his eagerness to return to the sport, citing the league’s lucrative contract as a significant motivator.
Woodley left the UFC on a four-fight losing streak, but his signing signals a fresh start. He joins a roster that includes notable names such as Benson Henderson, Junior dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, and Alexander Gustafsson — just a few of the high-profile veterans who have signed with GFL.
“I’ve been wanting to get back into MMA. I really just kind of put it on pause — I kind of ghosted it for a minute — but it never really ghosted me when I needed it,” Woodley said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “This was a good opportunity. It had some Ric Flair drip with the payout, and it made sense for me.”
Woodley emphasized his commitment to the organization, which he claimed is paying him “boxing money in MMA.”
“I’m fully in with the GFL. So many people called me and asked if I was really signed because they know I wouldn’t step up to something that’s bullsh*t. I’m not going to be part of anything that doesn’t pay me super handsomely or offer a platform that helps build my brand. Everyone that’s signed — probably 90 percent — called me to make sure I was in.
“The OGs get paid, man. Getting boxing money in MMA is a whole flex, and I’m just excited to be a part of the new wave. I’ve been wanting to get back in MMA.”
The newly created Global Fight League (GFL) has announced a lengthy list of signings ahead of its launch in 2025, including multiple former champions from the UFC and other organizations.
After years of preparation, the GFL is set to stage events for the first time next April, as the promotion looks to succeed in the fight game with a team-based format and season structure.
15 cards are planned up until August, after which two playoff events and one final will take place before the year’s end. GFL founder Darren Owen outlined that and more during an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.
Perhaps most notably, he revealed some of the major names who have put pen to paper on deals with the GFL and will be in the mix for the inaugural draft on Jan. 24, when six city teams will select 20 fighters (two in each of the 10 divisions) from a pool of 300 athletes.
Among them are former UFC champions Luke Rockhold, Tyron Woodley, Fabrício Werdum, Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, Frank Mir, Junior dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski, and Renan Barão, in addition to high-profile veterans like Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi, Aleksei Oleinik, Kevin Lee, Thiago Santos, Jeremy Stephens, Hector Lombard and Jimmie Rivera.
Elsewhere, a number of other comebacks have raised skeptical eyebrows, including the latest return from retirement for ex-WSOF champ Marlon Moraes, who most recently hung up the gloves after a brief stint in the PFL extended his losing skid to seven straight fights.
For the full list of names confirmed by Owen and those on the GFL website, see below:
Heavyweight (265lbs)
Alan Belcher (18-8)
Aleksandr Maslov (11-1)
Aleksei Oleinik (61-18-1)
Andrei Arlovski (34-24)
Fabrício Werdum (24-9)
Frank Mir (16-11)
Greg Hardy (7-5)
Guto Inocente (11-6)*
Junior dos Santos (21-10)
Oli Thompson (18-9)
Philipe Lins (18-5)
Robelis Despaigne (5-2)
Roggers Souza (15-8)
Stuart Austin (18-9)
Tanner Boser (21-10)
Image: UFC.com
Light Heavyweight (225lbs)
Alexander Gustafsson (18-8)
Cleiton Silva (16-4)
Emiliano Sordi (23-10)
Ilir Latifi (16-9, 1 NC)*
Rafael Carvalho (17-8)
Thiago Santos (22-13, 1 NC)*
Image: UFC.com
Middleweight (200lbs)
Gegard Mousasi (49-9)
Chauncey Foxworth (19-10)
Glaico Franca (23-8)
Hector Lombard (34-10)
Jozef Wittner (16-4)
Kyle Daukaus (15-4)
Luke Rockhold (16-6)
Markus Perez (14-6)
Phil Hawes (15-4)
Wanderlei Silva (35-14)
Image: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Welterweight (180lbs)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-4)
Austin Tweedy (11-4)
Benson Henderson (30-12)
Dominick Meriweather (8-1)
Francisco Trinaldo (32-14)
Jordan Mein (31-14)
Julio Spadaccini (8-3)
Michael Irizarry (14-5)
Rousimar Palhares (19-11-1)
Ruan Machado (7-2)
Tyron Woodley (19-7)
Image: UFC/YouTube
Lightweight (165lbs)
Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev (11-4)
Anthony Pettis (25-14)
Ayinda Octave (5-0)
Ayton De Paepe (12-4)
Charles Rosa (14-8)
Feruz Usmonov (4-1)
Gabriel Souza Galindo (9-1)*
Jefferson Pontes (6-1)
Jeremy Stephens (29-21)
John Makdessi (18-9)
Kevin Lee (20-8)
Killys motta (15-4)
Lucas Martins (22-7)
Mohamed Tarek Mohey (9-4)
Oscar Ownsworth (8-3)
Raimundo Batista (18-3)
Sidney Outlaw (19-6)
Stephen Beaumont (11-3)
Will Brooks (26-5)
William Lima (6-3)
Yan Cabral (15-3)
Image: PFL MMA
Featherweight (155lbs)
Alexsandro Cangaty (10-4)
Andre Harrison (22-3-1)
Claudeci Brito (11-4)
Deberson Batista (12-4)
Lance Palmer (22-5)
Lucas Martins (22-7)*
Marcel Adur (16-5)
Marcelo Dias (14-6)
Marlon Moraes (23-13)
Patrizio de Souza (18-6)
Renan Oliveira (11-2)
Image: PFL MMA
Bantamweight (145lbs)
Andre Soukhamthath (14-10)*
Andre Harrison (22-3-1)*
Bubba Jenkins (21-9)*
Cameron Else (11-6)*
Denis Palancica (10-1)
Diego Teixeira (7-4)
Jimmie Rivera (23-5)
Marciano Ferreira (13-3)
Omar Arteaga (11-1)
Pedro Carvalho (13-10)*
Renan Barão (34-0)
Image: UFC.com
Women’s Bantamweight (140lbs)
Alexa Conners (8-5)
Kalindra Faria (19-10-1)
Pannie Kianzad (16-9)
Tonya Evinger (19-8-1)
Women’s Flyweight (130lbs)
Chiara Penco (9-5)
Karolina Owczarz (5-3)*
Miao Ding (18-8)
Women’s Strawweight (120lbs)
Bi Nguyen (6-9)
Silvania Monteiro (11-4)
Image: UFC.com
*Fighter’s weight class for the 2025 draft not yet disclosed on the GFL website
While the chances of a team-based format succeeding in MMA have been doubted by plenty of analysts in the media space, Owen explained to Helwani why he’s confident of it working.
“We’re able to create unique storylines that have never existed in the sport,” Owen said. “That’s one thing we keep hearing. Everyone loves the sport of MMA but the storylines are often not there. What this brings is the talking points, the, ‘OK, are these two fighters going to be teammates or are they going to be potentially fighting?’ And different strategies that come in, different betting elements that come in.
“The No. 1 driver in sports fandom proven is cheering for your favorite team. Favorite teams have never really existed in the sport of MMA. So we’re just creating what already exists and you see it across all the major professional leagues in the world, and this is just the implementation of that team-based league model for the third most popular sport in the world.”
Fighter contracts with the GFL will be exclusive and include a rare 50/50 revenue split. The promotion is also promising to contribute eight percent of each athlete’s purse into a retirement fund and two toward insurance.
“Whatever revenue we receive, whether it’s media rights deals, sponsorships, ticket sales, all of that, 50% goes into the fighter revenue pool from that specific event and then those fighters that are on that event are the ones who share in that revenue percentage.
“Athletes get paid either or — whatever is greater — their guaranteed amount or their revenue share percentage. So someone might have a $50,000 guaranteed purse and they earn 1% revenue share, but if there’s $10 million in that revenue pool for that event, then they’re going to receive $100,000 instead of what they were thinking was $50,000.”
A lot seemingly still needs to come together before the GFL’s launch in 2025, including a broadcast deal before events are staged in April.
Owen confirmed talks are set to take place regarding that in January, and if no agreement is made with an outside entity, he told Helwani the organization is prepared to create its own platform to stream on.
In 2021, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley departed the UFC to explore the next phase of his career. Four consecutive losses inside the Octagon brought an end to his 16-fight run with the promotion which saw him win the title at 170-pounds and record three title defenses, four if you count the draw in his first fight with Stephen Thompson.
Woodley has not returned to competition since then but he has spoken about substantial offers that he has regularly received to dust off the gloves for one last dance. In a recent interview with Plejmo, the former champion spoke about who he would want to share the Octagon with if he did ever make a return to the UFC.
The 42-year old said that there’s one current star in the promotion in particular who is in and around his weight class that he would like to lock horns with. Woodley went on to voice his opinions regarding the former two-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya who he believes is “fake”.
“I never thought about going back, but now when I look at the UFC, there’s not that many stars. Alex Pereira is a beast. He’s a big-ass 205 pounder, so I can’t see myself getting in there with him. Israel Adesanya is a fighter I would definitely fight. I’m not a huge fan of his. I just don’t like people that are just fake. He was conveniently African. Before that he was UK. Before then, he was like an avatar breakdancing guy. The UFC needs some star power in there. There’s a lot of fighters that are kind of in my class of fighting that’s still fighting in the UFC. Some of those fights would be kind of cool.”
From July of 2016 to March in 2019, Tyron Woodley reigned as the UFC welterweight champion and defended the title three times. After a draw in his first defense against Stephen Thompson, “The Chosen One” would go on to beat Thompson in a rematch followed by victories over Demian Maia and Darren Till.
Despite the seven-fight unbeaten streak that he went on, Woodley never felt like he got the credit or respect that he deserved from the fans or even from the UFC at points. His fighting style didn’t make for the most exciting watches but it was undeniably effective at shutting opponents down.
One fight that would have instantly legitimatized his run as the champion was a super fight that despite it being spoken about a lot, never did materialize. In November of 2017, several months after Woodley’s decision win over Maia, the former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre made his return to the Octagon to face Michael Bisping for the middleweight belt at UFC 217.
After beating Bisping at Madison Square Garden, the greatest welterweight of all time decided to vacate the title and go back into retirement, closing this chapter of his life for good.
Woodley was outspoken about St-Pierre returning at the weight class above at the time and in a recent interview, said that “GSP” has turned down fights with him on several occasions. He told Plejmo.com in a recent interview that over the past few years, there have been multiple offers on the table that St-Pierre has declined.
“Georges St-Pierre never wanted to fight me, I’ve asked Georges to fight me several times. I had an opportunity to fight him last year and the year before. It was a five to seven million dollar purse and he said no. In MMA. My middle east investor wanted the fight, seven million, but he said no. I would have beat his brains in. “
Tyron Woodley recently opened up about how the fallout over a proposed fight with Nate Diaz sparked tension between him and Dana White.
“The Chosen One” has always had a rocky relationship with the UFC CEO, with both men frequently exchanging sharp words about one another. Following Woodley’s one-sided defeat to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235, White didn’t hold back, openly criticizing the 42-year-old former welterweight champion for his fighting style.
White was one of Woodley’s harshest critics, even after his victory over Demian Maia at UFC 214. The UFC head honcho chastised the Missouri native for what he perceived as a lackluster striking performance, ultimately costing Woodley the chance to fight Georges St-Pierre. In response, Woodley publicly fired back at White, demanding a public apology for the harsh treatment.
Woodley Opens Up About Diss Track On White After Diaz Fight Fallout: ‘That Was My Way Of Expressing Myself’
During a recent appearance on the Overdogs Podcast, Woodley shared the backstory of his frustration. After his victory over Maia, White and Hunter Campbell approached him with the idea of defending his title against Diaz, who was then competing in the lightweight division. Despite suffering a torn labrum in the previous bout, Woodley agreed to the challenge.
However, when Woodley publicly announced the fight in an interview, he was met with a fiery denial from White, who swiftly dismissed the matchup. The UFC CEO’s abrupt U-turn left “The Chosen One” so infuriated that he chaneled his anger into creating a diss track aimed at White.
“Why the f**k would you make me look stupid on air when you just asked me to fight this dude?” Woodley said. “Then I was so mad, but I recognized I don’t own the UFC—this is their promotion, they do what the f**k they want to do. I’m thankful and I’m blessed that I can go out there and show I’m the best. So, I couldn’t beat his a, but I surely went into the studio and made a song called ‘I Beat Your A**.’ When I made that song ‘I Beat Your A**,’ the story behind that song—it was really for Dana because I wanted to beat his a**.”
“I wrote that song because that was my way of expressing myself. At that time, when I tried to speak on it, Fox would cut me off—they cut my microphone. They told me, ‘You can’t speak on this.’ Because after he made that statement, I was prepared to go back to work and defend my motherf**kin’ self.”
Woodley parted ways with the UFC in March 2021 after enduring a tough stretch of four consecutive losses from 2019 to 2021. Before this challenging period, he was riding high on a seven-fight unbeaten streak, during which he successfully defended the welterweight title four times.
Jake Paul put on a thoroughly dominant display in his boxing matchup with Mike Perry on Saturday, overwhelming the BKFC star en route to a sixth-round knockout win.
The victory marked the fifth former UFC star whom Paul has stood victorious over in the boxing ring, with previous wins over Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Ben Askren, and Tyron Woodley (twice).
Woodley was, in fact, on color commentary for the Paul vs. Perry DAZN broadcast, and he was willing to tip his cap to his former foe.
“You got to kind of give Jake his props, man,” Woodley told The Schmo in a post-fight interview. “You can be a hater all you want, but he was punching the dude high, low. He was throwing power with both hands, variety.”
Tyron Woodley Explains What Makes For Good Cardio While Defending Jake Paul Against Critics
Paul dropped Perry once each during the opening two rounds. Despite this, “Platinum” continued to go through the former Disney star’s punches and fire away, trying to make use of his well-known and entertaining brawling style. “The Problem Child,” however, continued to land damaging shots, and Perry was dropped for a third time during the sixth round.
Perry stumbled while returning to his feet, prompting the referee to call the fight in Paul’s favor.
One notable thing that critics got on Paul for was his heavy breathing during the fight, as the Cleveland native seemed to be winded after his bashing of Perry for two rounds.
Woodley, however, pointed out that Paul recovered and got the knockout eventually — and that’s what cardio is about, not a lack of breathing hard.
“Everybody thinks you’re supposed to have the cardio where you never breathe hard,” Woodley said. “When you’re punching that hard, it’s not about breathing hard, it’s about recovering. He showed he can recover and go back to the power.”
Last night, Gunnar Nelson picked up another victory when he defeated Takashi Sato at UFC London. Coincidentally, nearly five years exactly to the day, Nelson picked up another win at a UFC London event over Alan Jouban. According to Artem Lobov, one person who should have been taking careful notes of his performance was none other than Tyron Woodley.
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 20, 2017, 11:20 AM]
Tyron Woodley has not held back when discussing what he perceives to be unfair treatment by the UFC due to his ethnicity.
One fighter on the UFC’s roster who has taken the welterweight champion of the world’s words the wrong way, it would seem, is SBG Ireland’s Artem “The Russian Hammer” Lobov. The friend and training partner of UFC lightweight champion of the world Conor McGregor is similarly not a man afraid to speak his mind.
Following Lobov’s SBG teammate Gunnar Nelson’s exploits on Saturday’s Fight Night London, the featherweight (who will next fight #4 ranked Cub Swanson) took to Twitter to offer Woodley some advice when it comes to handling yourself as a professional fighter. The method for Tyron Woodley, according to Artem Lobov? To be more like Nelson:
Hey @TWoodley this is how you promote yourself, not by crying and moaning like a little bitch”.
Lobov will have an opportunity to announce himself to the UFC’s upper tiers when he squares off against fan-favorite Cub Swanson on the headline fight of UFC Fight Night 108 in Nashville this April 22.
Check out MMANews.com’s exclusive interview with Tyron Woodley here.
Last week, UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell appeared on Fox News. In a free-wheeling interview with Tucker Carlson, the 27-year-old opined on a number of conservative talking points, ranging from his refusal to fight in foreign wars, to the illegitimacy of the US Federal Reserve, before delivering an ominous warning to viewers at home.
“Evil has took over this nation and we ain’t afraid of it. And we’re ready to fight,” declared the Arkansas native.
Such sentiment no doubt fell on sympathetic ears among Fox News’ staunchly conservative viewers, and perhaps, many MMA fans, too. But for some, ‘Thug Nasty’s’ appearance on the network seems to highlight a glaring double standard when it comes to athletes speaking out on political issues.
Fox News is, after all, a network that demanded Lebron James ‘shut up and dribble’ after it deemed the Lakers star guilty of “talking politics” during a 2018 interview with ESPN. Mitchell, who in media appearances leading up to his Fox News interview committed that same supposed sin of mixing politics and sport, not only failed to incur the network’s righteous anger but was invited onto its airwaves for a soft-ball, primetime interview.
This double standard, it seems, has also played out within the MMA community, as scores of fans rallied to Mitchell’s defense in recent weeks. His statements, no matter how outrageous, are a righteous expression of free speech, they’ve argued.
But is this same right to free speech afforded to fighters with whom fans may not agree with? When fighters voice political beliefs considered left of the aisle, do fans defend their right to do so under the guise of free speech, or are they told to shut up and fight?
The Free Speech Absolutism Of The UFC
MMA prides itself as one of the last bastions of free speech in what many consider an increasingly censorious national discourse. No more is this ideal present than in the UFC, where controversial opinions that attract censure or punitive repercussions in other sports routinely take safe haven.
“In this insanely politically correct world we’re living in, this is one place that is not,” UFC President Dana White said of his promotion last year.
PHOTO: GETTY
Mitchell is just the latest in a long line of UFC fighters to thoroughly test his employer’s commitment to free speech. In Mitchell’s defense, some of his statements have simply been the declaration of legitimate, albeit fringe conservative beliefs. Others, however, like Mitchell’s claim that the 2017 Las Vegas shooting was staged by the US government, were in the realm of Alex Jonesian lunacy.
The UFC, of course, didn’t censor nor rebuke Mitchell for his more controversial, and to some, offensive claims. And true to the promotion’s commitment to free speech, it has historically afforded the same liberty to those fighters who espouse causes and beliefs on the other end of the political spectrum. But can the same be said for fight fans?
When Tyron Woodley Turned Political Activist
At the pre-fight press conference of his 2020 bout with Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley decided to make what some in the MMA world considered a controversial political statement. Wearing a Trump-inspired cap that read “Make Racists Catch The Fade Again,” the former welterweight champ answered every question with some variation of “because black lives matter.”
Woodley in this case, much like Mitchell has in recent weeks, used his platform as a sportsperson to voice his political beliefs. But unlike Mitchell, or Donald Trump supporting Covington, the former welterweight champ was excoriated online for unashamedly mixing politics with sport. Calls for Woodley to simply ‘shut up and fight’ were many, and those defending his right to express his political beliefs under the guise of free speech—like in the case of Mitchell—were few.
I wonder why the same people don't tell @ColbyCovMMA to keep politics out of sports?!#BLM 🤔🤔🤔
Unlike more mainstream sports, whose governing bodies and, to an extent, fans, display a left-of-center bias, MMA generally skews toward the right. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Conservative opinions, in the marketplace of ideas, are as legitimate as progressive ones.
But if MMA fans pride themselves as fierce defenders of free speech—a right exalted in mostly conservative circles—then surely this ideal must be consistently applied to all fighters, regardless of their political persuasion.
Perhaps the words of Mitchell, as spoken during his recent Fox News interview, ring true for any fighter who enters the realm of political debate—no matter where they sit on the political spectrum.
“For me to be able to talk about something greater than fighting is more purposeful than anything I can talk about related to fighting,” Mitchell said. “And so I’m grateful to be able to do that. And a lot of people say, ‘Shut up and fight.’ Well, you know what? If you don’t want to hear that shit, turn off the TV and watch the fight. You don’t have to watch my interviews. Turn them off then.”
Bryce Mitchell (Image Credit: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 13, 2019, 12:32 PM]
Darren Till suffered the first defeat of his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in his last fight. “
The Gorilla” was submitted in the second round of his UFC welterweight title contest with Tyron Woodley in September. Now, he’s looking to bounce back this weekend (Sat. March 16, 2019) against Jorge Masvidal at UFC London.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Till admitted that his loss to Woodley still stings, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever move past it. In fact, he’s realistic that the same thing could happen to him this weekend, and he’s not scared to talk about it:
“I don’t think I’ll ever move past it,” Till said. “I’m not ashamed to say it still hurts every day if it comes to mind. I’ve watched the fight many times, and it’s just something inside of me. Even if I get the rematch with Woodley and beat him, the first fight will still be a thorn inside of me.
“I’ve always said that openly, you can’t really go through this life – a normal life or the fighting life – with it all being highs. The lows do come, and I always said that a loss would come. A loss may come again. A loss may happen Saturday. I’m not scared to talk about it because it’s all reality. I am a realist.”
With a new champion at the helm, the welterweight division is ripe for the picking in regards to big fights. Should Till emerge victorious this weekend with a big showing, he could be right back in line for title contention. However, he needs to get past a hungry Masvidal first.
“Gamebred” hasn’t won a fight since January of 2017. After back-to-back losses, and not having fought since November of 2017, Masvidal might have to shake off some ring rust before he gets going against a striker the caliber of Till on Saturday.
Who are you picking for Till vs. Masvidal this weekend?
Before UFC 235, Tyron Woodley told the world he was better than Kamaru Usman in every department. At UFC 235, Kamaru Usman soundly dominated Tyron Woodley via a unanimous decision victory. After UFC 235, Tyron Woodley still believed he was better than Kamaru Usman in every department.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 5, 2019, 9:03 AM]
Kamaru Usman proved a lot of doubters wrong this past Saturday at UFC 235, but Tyron Woodley is not one of them.
That is because Tyron Woodley does not believe he was wrong.
In his comments leading up to his welterweight title defense against Kamaru Usman, Tyron Woodley claimed that Usman was not better at him in any aspect of fighting. In spite of losing 50-44, 50-44, 50-45, and in spite of being outstruck 336-60 and outgrappled throughout the contest in all positions, Tyron Woodley still feels the same way about his skill set in comparison to Kamaru Usman and doubled down on the comments he made prior to UFC 235:
“No, I still feel the same way,” Woodley said in a recent appearance on “The Ariel Helwani MMA Show.” “I still feel the same way. And that wasn’t a knock. It’s just reality. It’s just reality that when it comes to the strike game, when it comes to wrestling, when it comes to anything explosive and extravagant, I’m better at those things. I just didn’t do it that night.
“And that doesn’t mean I veer away from what I said. I still mean that, and I still think that when I rematch Kamaru Usman, when I get back the Tyron that was out there in the Octagon, I think we’ll see what I’m saying.”
Unfortunately for Tyron Woodley, Dana White has vocalized that Colby Covington will receive the next world title opportunity. It is not yet known if Tyron Woodley will elect to take another opponent in the meantime or continue to bide his time waiting to role-reverse with Kamaru Usman by proving any doubters of his assessment wrong.
Do you think Tyron Woodley is justified in stating he is better at Kamaru Usman at everything after UFC 235?
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 10:04 PM]
Khabib Nurmagomedov is not the first person who would spring to mind for many looking for an explanation of romantic comedy plots.
That being said, there are many out there who would agree wholeheartedly with his interpretations. theChive caught up with the Russian fighter ahead of his lightweight interim championship title fight at UFC 209 this coming Saturday, as part of a sponsored media exercise prior to the most anticipated card of 2017 so far.
Nurmagomedov was given a number of plots of popular “chick-flicks” and asked how he felt about each of them. The opportunity to take a jaunt into the world of movie reviews seemed as equally bemusing to Khabib as it must to those who have watched the clip. This, however, is comedy gold.
You can watch the full clip above.
UFC 209 features Nurmagomedov’s fight against Tony Ferguson and is headlined by the welterweight rematch title fight featuring champion Tyron Woodley and contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 26, 2019, 1:52 PM]
Headline: Quote: Conor McGregor Proves Popularity “Not So Much About Winning”
Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the most popular figure in mixed martial arts. None of the losses suffered to Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov, or a boxing loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017 have changed that fact.
One fighter who has done nothing but win in recent years but historically struggled with popularity is Tyron Woodley. Woodley believes that Conor McGregor is living proof that, unlike other sports, MMA is not about statistics or your record, but about the spectacle: (via MMA Fighting)
“This is a person that, I don’t give stats, he’s lost a few times and won a few times,” Woodley said of Conor McGregor at a media lunch scrum this week. “But look at his mystique he has. So it’s telling you it’s not so much about winning. It’s about the showmanship. It’s about what you bring to the table. It’s about making people give a f*ck. You gotta find a way to do both. You gotta find a way to do both of it. You’ve got to find a way to make people invested, want to see me lose, want to see me win.”
Though Woodley believes Conor McGregor exemplifies this reality the most, he believes there are several other lower scale examples of how styles don’t just, as they say, “make” fights, but the right style ensures that there will be more fights to make for the athlete:
“We saw with [Keith] Jardine, we saw with so many fighters forever that, subpar, .500 records that stayed around that, then you have a guy who lose maybe one fight and they’re gone,” Woodley said. “And I just think that, when you look at a sport? Think about basketball. It don’t matter if you wear a pimped out custom suit, talk the most sh*t as possible, if you can shoot a three, you can shoot a three. How many times you seen Steph Curry talking crap? You get paid the big bucks based on how you deliver out on the court.”
“If you go out there and you punch and you bleed and you brawl and you go back and forth, you really can’t lose in that situation,” Woodley said. “You can get your ass whupped and knocked out, but if you fought to a point where everyone was like ‘oh my god, he’s so tough,’ not only with the fighters and the fans but the promotion, you’ve kind of almost put yourself in the mold where they’re going to keep you.”
Do you agree with Tyron Woodley? Is popularity in MMA based more on fighting style and spectacle than wins and losses? And is Conor McGregor an example of this?
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 26, 2019, 1:12 PM]
Headline: Tyron Woodley Reveals How He Lost $10,000 Waiting On A Random USADA Drug Test
Author: Damon Martin
UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has always been proud to compete as a clean athlete, which is why he fully supports the random drug testing done by USADA.
As the enforcers of the UFC’s anti-doping policy, USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) is in charge of randomly testing fighters at any time, place or occasion without much notice before making an appearance to draw blood or urine.
Woodley has always tested clean throughout his career while remaining one of the most tested athletes on the UFC roster. He was even given an award for a consecutive streak of clean tests under the UFC’s anti-doping policy.
Unfortunately, Woodley found out just how random the testing can be earlier this year when he received a call to submit a sample while he was traveling to Atlanta to take part in the Super Bowl festivities ahead of the game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.
“They tested me Super Bowl weekend, the lady came to me, bless her soul, cause I said a few unchoice words to her with respect. She came to test me at 12 a.m. on Super Bowl weekend knowing the reason I was in Atlanta was probably for Super Bowl and I had some appearances that I was supposed to be at,” Woodley revealed during a media luncheon ahead of UFC 235.
“I had an event with Devonte Freeman and Meek Mill I was supposed to be at. An event with Ludacris and Snoop Dogg and I was in the hotel waiting on her to come in 45-minutes of traffic to test me. So she tested me around 1 a.m. and I missed those events.”
According to Woodley, he asked the person sent to collect his sample if there was any way this could be done in the morning so he wouldn’t miss his appearances but that was not allowed.
Woodley then revealed that the tester told him she couldn’t make it to collect his sample earlier because she had an event of her own that couldn’t be missed.
“I said I have an event I have to go to that I’m missing money because I’m supposed to be there,” Woodley said. “She said ‘well I can meet you there’, I said ‘no, you can’t get in, you can’t be on the list’.
“So I had to wait there and she tested me at 1 a.m. and I was not happy.”
Because the person collecting his sample was stuck in traffic for 45 minutes, Woodley had to wait in his hotel for over an hour until she arrived to test him.
Woodley ultimately missed his events that night and according to the reigning welterweight champion it cost him a hefty paycheck.
“[I lost] about $10,000,” Woodley revealed. “So USADA I’m not happy right now.”
Tyron Woodley is interested in boxing Tommy Fury next time out.
Woodley stepped up on short notice to rematch Jake Paul when Fury pulled out. After he was knocked out, Paul said that Woodley should box Fury. Since then, there has been no talk, but just recently, Paul’s promotion posted on social media asking if fans would want to see the fight.
On his Instagram Stories, Woodley wrote “I’m with it,” in response to the idea of a bout against Fury.
Although Jake Paul wants to see Tyron Woodley vs. Tommy Fury, the Brit has made it clear he wants the Paul fight rebooked.
“I’d look to see the [Paul] fight happen by the back end of the year. I’m not really waiting around for it, he knows I’m ready to fight at all times,” Fury told Sky Sports. “I’ve put that out there countless times, I’m not the issue here. If the man wanted to fight we’d have a rescheduled date by now. The ball’s in his court, I’m ready to fight whenever. I would like to see it happen at the end of the year, I know Frank [Warren] is still trying to reach out to him and stuff like that.”
“I sort of want him to fight Tyron Woodley and see what happens there. Because I think Tyron would knock Tommy out, so, I almost want to have them fight. Then, maybe we could run it back after that,” Paul later added on The MMA Hour.
Tyron Woodley is 0-2 in boxing as he suffered the KO loss to Paul in December and dropped a split decision to Paul in August. Prior to that, he was on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC after losing his belt.
Tommy Fury, meanwhile, is 7-0 as a pro boxer and coming off a decision win over Bellator veteran Anthony Taylor last time out. He hasn’t fought anyone of note in his career.
Would you like to see Tyron Woodley vs. Tommy Fury?
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 23, 2017, 4:56 PM]
Headline: Tyron Woodley Talks Racism and Conor McGregor on The MMA Hour
Conor McGregor was among the topics in which Tyron Woodley vented his frustrations on Monday’s MMA Hour.
Author: Adam Haynes
Woodley has been vocal in recent times regarding what he deems to be a racial agenda in the UFC and sport as a whole. UFC’s welterweight champion has openly discussed what he feels is disrespect aimed at him by fans and the franchise.
‘T-Wood’ has recently declared himself “the worst treated champion in the history of the promotion” and further reinforced his opinion that skin color is a major factor in why he has not enjoyed the same spoils of fame and recognition that lighter-skinned fighters have had in the UFC:
“Certain things are subliminally embraced that are racist. When you say to me ‘Tyron, you are well spoken’, what does that mean? Does that mean I’m well-spoken comparable to all the mixed martial artists, the 500 UFC fighters on the roster? Or does that mean as a black male in America?”
The champion, who is preparing for a rematch with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 209 in March, also disapproves of those who use terms he feels are disrespectful to his skill-set:
“When you say I’m a freak athlete, does that mean I don’t work hard, that I’m going to fade in the later rounds? That I don’t have great cardio, that I don’t have a great skill set? It comes off to me…it almost sounds barbaric, like ‘hey, you’re strong, you knock people out, but if it gets to the later rounds you might get tired, you might fade and all those muscles come at a cost’.”
Woodley has made no secret in targeting Conor McGregor in the past, and touches upon his own podcast ‘The Champ Life’ which may be similar in format to that of ‘The Notorious’, but is in contrast when it comes to the message and material:
“I do my own podcast series. I go out and make my own opportunities but, if the person that’s promoting me and networks are talking about picking up my ‘Champ Life’ series and major companies want to endorse it and get behind it because they see value in it, I’m going to need for my promoter to not be the last one to take notice.”
“if it was [Mcgregor’s ‘the maclife’], that thing immediately took fire. And it’s same stuff every episode, flashy cars, money, talking crap, got this, got that; that’s all it is. I’m not seeing him giving back to the community and shelters. I’m not seeing him giving back to the people or networking with others. This one [The Champ Life] has an impact that can go far.”
Although the former UFC Welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley is on a six-fight losing streak, he is still determined to get back on the winner’s circle.
2021 presented many challenges for Woodley. A loss to Vincent Luque at UFC 260 and towards the end, he lost twice to Jake Paul, in December by a vicious knockout.
Social Media reacted negatively to the fighter’s shortcomings, but Tyron Woodley is not fazed, rejecting suggestions for him to hang it up after the abysmal run he’s been on.
“And people want you to quit because it makes you their equal. They’re willing to quit. It’s something they always do. They quit jobs like a motherfucker. They quit on the treadmill, they quit. Even after they said 30, they quit after 10. They quit on their diet one week into January. (To) People and humans, it’s so much easier to quit. So when you can try to encourage somebody else to quit, it makes us feel equal. We’re not equal because I’m built different,” Woodley told Ariel Helwani in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.
“The Chosen One” refuses to allow his last bout to signify his career.
“I never thought that, and everything that I had before, all it did was basically, I was gonna fight three times this year anyway, maybe four,” answered Tyron Woodley when asked if he thought his recent loss shrouded his image permanently.
The Comeback
Tyron Woodley could shock the world in 2022.
Tyron Woodley, Photo Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
The former Welterweight Champion wants to get back out there and show MMA fans what he is capable of. Woodley’s KO loss on December 18 was a setback for his next match, but he still plans to fight this year.
“But it’s just basically when I fought in December, it kinda took away a chance for me to fight in January. I was gonna fight in January, most likely. So all it did was replace that. I’m still gonna fight a couple more times this year, go out there and kick some ass, get back in the winning side, and just show people who I am and remember. Like, it’s so easy to quit,” Woodley continued.
Many incredible fighters have hit snags in their career. For example, MMA legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva has made a comeback through boxing after suffering several losses towards the end of his UFC career, not to mention, Robbie Lawler who got some redemption with his win against Nick Diaz at UFC 266.
And 42-year-old Glover Teixeira fought for the belt and lost against Jon Jones in 2014, but became the UFC LightHeavyweight Champion last October at UFC 267.
Top: Anderson Silva, Bottom: Robbie Lawler, Right: Glover Teixeira; Photo Credit: Manuel Velasquez / John Locher/Associated Press / Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
So, Woodley has a message for those who want to see his downfall:
“Yeah, I just need people to know I’m not that dude. I’m not that dude. I’m not gonna quit because it’s easy for you.”
Having six losses back-to-back is enough to break many people, but Woodley’s strong fighting spirit may be the deciding factor in his next bout.
Are you excited for a Tyron Woodley fight in 2022?
Tyron Woodley has opened up on his decision to post the meme challenge following his KO loss to Jake Paul.
Back in December in their rematch, Woodley suffered a vicious KO loss to Paul in the sixth round. The former UFC champion was out cold and after the loss, he took to Instagram to offer a $5,000 payout to whichever fan could create the funniest meme of his knockout.
Woodley then posted the winner and seemed to enjoy the process. Now, he has explained why he decided to do it.
Paul/Woodley 2 Post-Fight Presser
“It was one of the worst mistakes I ever made in a fight. But at the same token, had I not dropped that hand, had I continued to fight the way it was going, we’da been looking at something different,” Woodley said on The MMA Hour. “So I gotta just take the bitter with the sweet and just keep moving.
“That’s why I did that challenge, you know what I mean? I’m not finna let the motherfuckin’ internet or nobody else make me crawl up in a shell and not come outside, not post, or not say nothing for three, four, five, six months. I can’t afford to do that. I got too much shit that was coming out before this fight even happened to even let a pause. So that’s why I did the challenge.”
Although Tyron Woodley created the meme challenge, he does admit the loss still hurt him. However, he is focused on fighting a few times in 2022 and eyes a March return in boxing before he goes back into MMA. When and who Woodley will fight in his return is uncertain. However, he has been linked to a bout with Dan Hardy in the past.
Looking back on the Paul fight, Woodley has made the decision not to allow anyone to define the experience he had leading into and on the night of December 18. The creation of the meme contests helped Woodley take control of the narrative.
“I won’t allow people to take away the fact that, one, I stepped up when nobody really was available. I was in shape. I was prepared. I was ready. I won every round—I think he might have won the second round when I looked back at the fight. I won every round, even was winning that round up until that one moment. So I won’t let my hand dropping for one second and him perfectly timing a punch at the same time make me completely take away everything that happened,” Woodley said.
What do you make of Tyron Woodley creating the meme challenge?
Tyron Woodley is firing back at the people hating on his loss to Jake Paul.
It’s been just over a month since Tyron Woodley was knocked out by Jake Paul in their second fight against each other. Woodley has been catching some heat from haters and people online since the loss. Woodley has some words for those who are criticizing his loss and, in turn, is giving some credit to Paul.
“And a lot of people are saying that, ‘Aw, you lost to him again! Aw, you got knocked out!’ He would literally fuck a lot of y’all up, like MMA fighters and other people that are just bumping at the gums, he’s an athletic kid that don’t have no job beyond this,” Woodley told MMA Fighting. “He don’t have no kids. He don’t have no business running. He can have the best trainer, the best coaches, the best nutrition, the most focus. He can separate himself.”
Woodley was a last-minute replacement this time around when Paul’s original opponent, Tommy Fury, dropped out. Woodley first faced Paul in August and lost that fight by decision. In his second attempt, Woodley was vocally more confident that he could defeat Paul, however, he was mistaken. Woodley is now giving Paul the credit he deserves.
Now that Woodley and Paul have run their course fighting each other, “The Chosen One” is not ready to just sit down and retired from boxing. One rumored possibility for his next opponent is fellow UFC alum Dan Hardy.
As for Paul, he is still moving forward with his boxing career after winning an award for “Breakout Boxer of the Year”. He was recently rumored to be fighting with Mike Tyson, but Tyson shot those rumblings down instantly. Paul has also been hinting at a move to MMA. If he does follow through with that plan perhaps he might consider giving Woodley another shot.
Do you think you personally could beat Jake Paul in a boxing match?
Jake Paul has responded to claims that his sixth-round KO over Tyron Woodley was lucky.
In the rematch, both Paul and Woodley hesitant were to throw much volume but in the sixth round, Paul landed a vicious right hand that put Woodley out cold. Although many were critical of his performance, according to “The Problem Child,” he was setting up that shot the entire fight.
“I’ve done that to every single person that I’ve fought,” Paul said during an episode of Boxing with Chris Mannix as a rebuttal to those who claim the punch was lucky. “So it’s not like I’ve knocked out everyone in a violent fashion in one way or another. My power is only increasing, and I set up the shot, you watch the whole sequence.
“I think I see his hand come flying down, I think again, go to the body, and then bring it up top with all my power and brought my hips through,” Paul continued. “It’s not lucky, look at all the people that Tyron Woodley has been in there with, and he’s never been KO’d like that.”
Jake Paul, Image Credit: (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
With the KO win over Tyron Woodley, Jake Paul improved to 5-0 and continues to be a big name in boxing. However, after his last win, he said he wants some time off and will likely return in the summer. Who he fights in his return is uncertain.
Regardless, Jake Paul is still set on continuing his boxing career following his violent KO win over Woodley in December. The fight also marked the end of his two-fight Showtime deal.
Do you think Jake Paul’s KO win over Tyron Woodley was lucky?
Five years ago today, we ran a story about then-champions Michael Bisping and Tyron Woodley agreeing to fight one another. Unfortunately, that day never came.
Today, Bisping is happily retired and competed for the last time in November 2017 in a loss to Kelvin Gastelum. Woodley is no longer in the UFC and has lost back-to-back boxing matchups to Jake Paul, including a devastating knockout that occurred last month.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 1, 2017, 10:37 PM]
Headline: Michael Bisping & Tyron Woodley Want Catchweight Bout
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOvGaFWhRNL/
Fight fans may soon have a mega bout to look forward to, though it may not be what they were expecting. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title holders Michael Bisping and Tyron Woodley may be going toe-to-toe down the road.
Bisping holds the middleweight strap, while Woodley is the welterweight ruler. The two happen to be colleagues for the UFC panel on FOX Sports. The next likely challenger for “The Count” is Yoel Romero, while “The Chosen One” will probably have another date with Stephen Thompson.
Neither bout has been signed and Woodley has made it a point to try to get fights that will draw big money. He’s called out Nick Diaz, Georges St. Pierre, and has ruffled feathers with lightweight king Conor McGregor.
“The Count” is no stranger to big fights himself. Bisping has traded leather with the likes of Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, and of course Luke Rockhold. Could “T-Wood” be next?
On his Instagram account, Bisping shared a conversation he and Woodley had backstage at UFC 207. The two were talking about a potential fight at 180 pounds. Bisping said he currently weighs more than “little guy” Woodley.
While one may assume the video was all in good fun or a troll post, Woodley said, “I’m a hundred percent serious, dead ass.” The two shook hands at the end of the video and agreed to a May date. They also agreed to not put their titles on the line.
Woodley’s last bout was a majority draw against “Wonderboy” at UFC 205 in New York City. “The Chosen One” retained his title and while the fight was a draw, it was clear he did the most damage. Bisping’s last fight was a war with Dan Henderson. The middleweight champ survived two knockdowns to keep his gold and remain unbeaten on UK soil.
Jake Paul has denied the reported number of buys for his latest boxing fight, although he has admitted the fight didn’t do too well.
Earlier this week, DAZN reported that Paul’s rematch fight against Tyron Woodley did a low number on pay-per-view. It reportedly sold approximately 65,000 buys. The figure for online purchases of the event are not known at the moment.
Paul has denied this rough figure but also admitted his disappointment with what he knows about the sales.
The PPV number rumors are bullshit
1st fight w Woodley we sold 500k+
Numbers for this one are still rolling in but still looking positive
Not my best business night
But remember.. Everyone wanted to see me Vs. Fury and that’s what we sold..
“The PPV number rumors are b*******,” said Paul in a Twitter post. “1st fight [with] Woodley we sold 500k+. Numbers for this one are still rolling in but still looking positive. Not my best business night.”
Paul gives credit to Showtime and Woodley for putting on the show, also using the opportunity to take a shot at his opposition.
Shoutout to Showtime for riding with me and all the fighters on the card and Tyron for not being a bitch like most of these “fighters” are..
“Shoutout to Showtime for riding with me and all the fighters on the card and Tyron for not being a b**** like most of these “fighters” are,” said Paul.
Masvidal Mocks Paul over Report
Jorge Masvidal, Jake Paul
UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal has run with the report about the PPV, using the stat to mock the celebrity-turned-boxer.
Masvidal talked about the reported sales and used the statistic to distance himself from a potential fight against Paul.
“Bitch boy can’t afford the big boys. Never again do I want to hear my name associated with the fake,” said Masvidal via Twitter.
Paul was originally set to face undefeated boxer Tommy Fury earlier this month. He was given Woodley as an opponent after injury forced Fury out of the matchup.
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes Tyron Woodley didn’t just lose to Jake Paul but also helped build Paul’s boxing reputation.
Paul viciously knocked out Woodley in their rematch just days ago, hitting Woodley with a big right hand that dropped him immediately. Paul remains undefeated in his young boxing career after an accomplished time in content creation.
Paul’s knockout over Woodley is arguably the most impressive of his time in the ring so far. Before the rematch with Woodley, he earned knockouts over former NBA star Nate Robinson and former UFC fighter Ben Askren.
“Man, I tell you what. This fight had to be about sleeping until that sixth-round came and it’s unfortunate because Tyron Woodley was actually winning that boring fight,” Cejudo said. “But he happened to just keep those, he just kept that left hand down, and slowly but surely Jake Paul threw that hammer and knocked him out.
“The fight was boring, the knockout was great. I mean, talk about a complete face plant by Tyron Woodley. Jake Paul, whether we hate him or love him, the dude has taken this by storm and if you really think about it man, Tyron Woodley is making this dude into a star. Made him into a star because of the simple fact that he beat a former UFC champion.” (h/t EssentiallySports)
It’s Unclear What Could Be Next For Tyron Woodley’s Career
Despite the loss to Paul, Woodley seemed optimistic about his fighting future. Leading up to the rematch, Woodley had made his plans clear that he wants to have multiple MMA and boxing fights in 2022.
