Photo by Carmen Mandato/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion Tyron Woodley considers himself to be the greatest 170-pound fighter of all time (sorry Georges), insists he’s still the champion despite losing his title to Kamaru Usman, and now wants to throw hands with Israel Adesanya at middleweight.
He’s either supremely confident or completely delusional.
“I’ve got to clean up the division,” Woodley said on Instagram Live. “Three or four fights in the welterweight division and when I feel like I can comfortably say that I’ve wiped everybody out, then I want to go up there and see what Izzy is about. I don’t think he’s as dope as everybody is saying.”
To be fair, there’s more to Adesanya than just talk. Aside from a perfect mixed martial arts (MMA) record of 19-0, “The Last Stylebender” captured the crown by planishing Robert Whittaker, while also turning away top contenders Kelvin Gastelum and Yoel Romero.
“I think he’s great, but everyone is making him out like he’s some phenomenon,” Woodley continued. “I’ve seen some exposure in the Gastelum fight, somebody I walked through. I’ve seen some exposure in the Yoel Romero fight. He’s scared of guys with power. One thing that Yoel and I have in common is power and explosiveness. It didn’t seem like he was trying to deal with that at all.”
Doesn’t seem like he was trying to deal with Woodley’s comments, either.
“Lol see me, see trouble,” Adesanya wrote on Twitter. “Whala just dey find me anyhow. Woodley can’t even deal with one Nigerian Nightmare Kamaru Usman when he was at 30%. Oboy, sit down before I lash your nyash well well.”
Woodley lost his 170-pound title to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235, a five-round clinic that was so one-sided, it was almost hard to believe it was the same “Chosen One” who finished the likes of Robbie Lawler and Darren Till, among others.
When you consider that Woodley is now 38, it could be 2022 by the time he registers “three or four fights in the welterweight division.” By that time, Adesanya will have probably already moved on to this light heavyweight showdown.
Lol see me see trouble…whala just dey find me anyhow.@TWooodley can’t even deal with one Nigerian Nightmare @USMAN84kg when he was at 30%.
Oboy sit down before I lash your nyash well well— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) April 21, 2020