Former UFC champion Tyron Woodley is rolling with the punches after his loss to Jake Paul, even paying a fan for a hilarious meme.
Woodley lost to Paul this weekend via sixth-round knockout, in arguably one of the most eye-opening knockouts in recent boxing history. Paul was supposed to fight Tommy Fury before Fury suffered an injury, and he stepped up on short notice.
Woodley has been criticized from all angles since his loss to the polarizing Paul but has taken it with stride. After hosting a fan contest on his Instagram for the best meme from the knockout, he awarded content creator Chris Ashley a $5,000 prize.
Check out Woodley announcing the winner, along with a clip of the meme here.
“Merry Christmas!” Woodley said in the caption. “Spread some love and do some good.”
Tyron Woodley Seems Forward-Thinking After Jake Paul Loss
Just minutes after his loss to Paul, Woodley seemed optimistic about his fighting future during his post-fight press conference. He encouraged fans not to write him off just yet as he gets ready for a potentially very active 2022.
Woodley has previously said that he envisions multiple boxing and MMA fights next year. He was originally slated to face Dan Hardy in a boxing match in the UK in January before the Paul rematch became available.
Woodley is arguably one of the most decorated fighters in UFC history, stemming from his welterweight championship run. He earned the belt over Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 via first-round knockout before defending the belt three times.
Despite approaching his 40th birthday, Woodley seems intent on keeping his combat sports career intact for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, he appears to be handling the knockout loss to Paul well, which has no doubt earned him the praise of many fans.
What do you think should be next for Tyron Woodley?