Ahead of this weekend’s mouth-watering heated headliner between former interim UFC welterweight champion, Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington, and one-time undisputed kingpin, Tyron ‘The Chosen One’ Woodley – the latter remained firm that he’s still the greatest 170-pound fighter on the planet.
Woodley, who dropped the welterweight crown to current titleholder, Kamaru ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Usman at UFC 235 in March of last year, dropped a second consecutive defeat for the first time in his twenty-five fight career, when he lost via unanimous decision to incoming title challenger, Gilbert ‘Durinho’ Burns in May.
Taking on arch-rival and former American Top Team stablemate, Covington in a relatively high-stakes main event pairing on Saturday at UFC Fight Night Vegas 11 – Woodley has explained how he still believes he’s the best welterweight in the world right now.
“I just want to beat him (Colby Covington) because he’s my next opponent, and because I should,” Woodley said during an interview with UFC.com. “I’m the best welterweight in the world. It’s time for me – for myself, to start proving that and going out there and fighting free. Should I really be out here competing if my only motivation – had he not pissed you off, had he not been saying politically crazy stuff, had he not done these things – then I wouldn’t have wanted to beat him? No. I’m the best welterweight and I’ve got to go out there and show that.” (H/T BJPenn.com)
Woodley, who currently sits at #5 in the official welterweight pile won the undisputed championship back in July of 2016 at UFC 201 – scoring a massive first-frame knockout over then unstoppable force, ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler. In four successful defences of his throne, the St. Louis wrestling and knockout threat scored a majority draw against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in the co-main event of UFC 205 – before taking a split decision rematch against the Simponsonville native.
In another criticised performance, Woodley eeked out a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia in a largely uneventful matchup, before submitting Darren Till with a D’Arce at UFC 228 in September of 2018.
The 38-year-old announced plans for a quite devastating knockout of Covington ahead of this weekend’s clash, in what would come as his first finish via strikes since his crowning moment opposite the previously mentioned, Lawler.