Photo by Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Tyron Woodley is set to make his return to mixed martial arts (MMA) to face Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC Fight Night 171 on March 21, 2020 in London, England.
For Woodley, it’s the first stop on his wrecking shop tour, as he vows to make the Welterweight division great again since it’s been “corny” for some time now.
“This f—ng division is getting so corny, and it’s starting to irk me so bad,” Woodley said on the Ariel Helwani MMA Show (transcript by BJPenn.com). “I just really need to come back and try to f—k everyone up.”
Woodley hasn’t competed since losing his 170-pound strap to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 last year. And while he still isn’t guaranteed a title shot with a win over Edwards, the belt is still the endgame.
As he looks at the layout of the division, Woodley has a very unique perspective of just what it looks like and who he is eyeing in the future.
“Who makes the most money in our sport? Not the world champion Kamaru Usman,” he added. “[Jorge] Masvidal, he’s finally making his paydays. He’s at the top of the list now. So [are] the Diaz brothers, so is Conor McGregor. Some of these people have never had a belt. Cowboy Cerrone just earned a big payday, never been remotely close to a world title in the UFC,” said Tyron.
While he was hesitant to face Leon, Woodley explains why fighting certain guys just isn’t as alluring as others.
“A Leon Edwards, a Kamaru Usman, a Colby Covington,” he said. “None of those guys are going to make me that much more of a great than a Carlos Condit, a Robbie Lawler, than a Josh Koscheck, than a Dong Hyun Kim.
“People that are going to put my name into the record books are the people I’ve already defeated. This sh-t is just personal now.”
As it stands, there is no telling whether or not Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman will tango in a championship bout later this year, since “Gambred” still has eyes on Conor McGregor. That means a dominant performance over Leon could get Woodley back to the promised land sooner, rather than later.