Jul 30, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tyron Woodley reacts after knocking out Robbie Lawler (not shown) in the first round for the world welterweight championship during UFC 201 at Phillips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports | Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
I think it’s safe to say that former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who hasn’t competed since losing his 170-pound title to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235, is still kicking himself for coughing up the crown, especially after watching “The Nigerian Nightmare” perform against Colby Covington at UFC 245.
“Kamaru won the fight, broke Colby’s jaw,” Woodley told TMZ Sports (via MMA Fighting). “Colby, I thought, was winning the fight by a little small margin. I wasn’t impressed. I was really disgusted. I wanted to throw up, the fact that I lost to Usman. If I would’ve punched Colby, he may be on life support right now.”
While Woodley may be critical of the champion’s performance, there is no denying “The Chosen One” laid a few eggs of his own when he battled Usman back in March. But that five-round stinker was not enough to damage his legacy as the greatest welterweight of all time (sorry, Georges).
“I always got respect for Kamaru but that don’t mean I’m not gonna say fuck him,” Woodley explained. “I respect what you do, I respect that the night that we fought, he came forth and executed a game plan. Even if he loses the next fight to me, forever he will get the word champ from me. But when it comes down to fighting, fuck him, fuck all the welterweights, Leon, peon, whoever else. Fuck everybody because I’m the best welterweight of all time.”
Usman, at least for now, appears to agree.
Woodley (19-4-1) may rebound against Covington, depending on when “Chaos” returns, but appears to have no interest in fighting a “gatekeeper” like Leon Edwards. As for Usman, his next assignment has yet to be determined, but this guy appears be next in line.