Despite Being ‘Unranked,’ Tyron Woodley Gets #1 Contender Fight Against Carlos Condit at UFC 171


(Woodley might not be in the top ten, but he was definitely the people’s champion that night. / Photo via Getty)

Ever since Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler was booked as the first welterweight title fight in the post-Georges era, the UFC has been trying to find a high-profile dance partner for Carlos Condit on the UFC 171 card (March 15th, Dallas). As UFC president Dana White has recently explained, it wouldn’t be Matt Brown because Brown’s health is uncertain, it wouldn’t be Nick Diaz because Diaz turned the match down, and it wouldn’t be Tyron Woodley because T-Wood hasn’t cracked the top ten according to the UFC’s totally irrelevant rankings.

But earlier today, the UFC found an opponent for Condit, and it’s…Tyron Woodley? Huh. We’re not saying that the guy doesn’t deserve the opportunity, considering that he just beat the brakes off of Josh Koscheck and everybody else in the division is either booked or injured. Maybe now we can stop pretending that the UFC’s official rankings mean jack-shit, since they always seem to fly out the window as soon as it’s time to find a warm body. (Though I’ll bet you a nickel Woodley magically appears in the top ten the next time the rankings are updated. Seriously. Just watch.)

According to Dana White, Woodley texted him “15 times a day” when Matt Brown pulled out of his scheduled UFC on FOX 9 match against Condit, but of course, DW digs fighters who step up. “There are guys like (Woodley) that are out there,” White said. “Those are the guys I want to deal with. Those are the guys I want to hear from. I love Tyron Woodley. I love it.”

As MMAJunkie reports, the winner of Condit vs. Woodley is likely to get the winner of Hendricks vs. Lawler, which means that theoretically, MMA dinosaur Robbie Lawler could be defending his UFC welterweight title against currently-“unranked” Tyron Woodley sometime next summer. What a country.


(Woodley might not be in the top ten, but he was definitely the people’s champion that night. / Photo via Getty)

Ever since Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler was booked as the first welterweight title fight in the post-Georges era, the UFC has been trying to find a high-profile dance partner for Carlos Condit on the UFC 171 card (March 15th, Dallas). As UFC president Dana White has recently explained, it wouldn’t be Matt Brown because Brown’s health is uncertain, it wouldn’t be Nick Diaz because Diaz turned the match down, and it wouldn’t be Tyron Woodley because T-Wood hasn’t cracked the top ten according to the UFC’s totally irrelevant rankings.

But earlier today, the UFC found an opponent for Condit, and it’s…Tyron Woodley? Huh. We’re not saying that the guy doesn’t deserve the opportunity, considering that he just beat the brakes off of Josh Koscheck and everybody else in the division is either booked or injured. Maybe now we can stop pretending that the UFC’s official rankings mean jack-shit, since they always seem to fly out the window as soon as it’s time to find a warm body. (Though I’ll bet you a nickel Woodley magically appears in the top ten the next time the rankings are updated. Seriously. Just watch.)

According to Dana White, Woodley texted him “15 times a day” when Matt Brown pulled out of his scheduled UFC on FOX 9 match against Condit, but of course, DW digs fighters who step up. “There are guys like (Woodley) that are out there,” White said. “Those are the guys I want to deal with. Those are the guys I want to hear from. I love Tyron Woodley. I love it.”

As MMAJunkie reports, the winner of Condit vs. Woodley is likely to get the winner of Hendricks vs. Lawler, which means that theoretically, MMA dinosaur Robbie Lawler could be defending his UFC welterweight title against currently-”unranked” Tyron Woodley sometime next summer. What a country.