Tyron Woodley did it.
While many didn’t give the heavy-hitter a chance to dethrone Robbie Lawler from the top of the Welterweight mountain — largely because many felt he didn’t deserve the didn’t deserve the title fight — “The Chose One” silenced all his critics an naysayers with one devastating punch.
Midway through the opening frame, Woodley connected with a huge right hand that dropped “Ruthless,” and proceeded to wail away on the downed champ — and I mean he threw his strikes with evil intentions — to ensure himself his first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title.
Now, “The Chosen One” has what he’s longed for; hopefully he also gets the respect he’s felt he’s long-deserved, too.
First up for Woodley should be Stephen Thompson, who has won seven straight inside the Octagon, including four knockouts. Sure, “Wonderboy” wanted to go blow-for-blow against Lawler, but Woodley is now the champion and he’s got what everybody wants.
Unfortunately for Thompson, Woodley isn’t a big fan, dubbing him “Wonder Woman” presumably for not giving him a chance against Robbie. In fact, when Thompson asked “The Chosen One” for a shot at the strap during the post-fight show, Tyron shut him down hard.
That’s because he would rather throw down against Nick Diaz to earn some “big money.”
Ouch.
But, at the end of the day, UFC matchmakers rule supreme, and if they feel Thompson should get next crack then that’s what it is. Plus, Diaz is coming off three straight losses, two of them title fights; so he is far from deserving a shot at the strap.
Regardless of how much of a fan favorite the Stockton slugger is.
For complete UFC 201: “Lawler vs Woodley” results, including real-time play-by-play updates, click here.