Woodley thanks Usman for ‘humbling’ experience at UFC 235

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is now grateful for his loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235. After three successful title defenses, Tyron Woodley’s championship run was…

UFC 235: Woodley v Usman

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is now grateful for his loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235.

After three successful title defenses, Tyron Woodley’s championship run was derailed at UFC 235 against Kamaru Usman last March. “The Nigerian Nightmare” dominated Woodley for five rounds to become the new welterweight champion.

Nine months later, a seemingly rejuvenated Woodley just sees the positives from his loss to Usman. In a recent live stream on Instagram, he shared how the fight became a major learning experience for him.

“Even in loss man, I thank Usman for that fight because I had to check myself. I had to humble myself, I had to put myself back on the grind,” Woodley said (transcript by BJPenn.com) “I had to put myself back to where I was at when I f—king got to the top, very uncomfortable place.

“Sparring world champion boxers and getting beat up. Wrestling division I wrestlers on a day-to-day basis. Running, training, strength, and conditioning at weird hours and just really get my body to a point where f—king it couldn’t stand me. It hated me for what I was doing to it and that’s what I did. I got back to that now.”

Woodley has yet to book his next fight. He did, however, make significant adjustments to his camp when he began training with Firas Zahabi and Georges St-Pierre at the Tristar Gym last August.