Tyron Woodley thinks former UFC lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor is coming for him once he gets done with his next fight and is healthy enough to fight once again.
Woodley is fresh off a submission win over Darren Till in the headliner of UFC 228 to retain his welterweight title. However, he won’t be fighting former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington right away. The UFC welterweight champion revealed to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani that he would be sidelined for 8-12 weeks dueto a hand injury.
Tyron Woodley Thinks Conor McGregor Is Coming For Him
It should be noted that prior to this news coming out, Woodley went on record by stating on his show that is on TMZ’s platform that he thinks McGregor is coming for him next. The reasoning behind his belief is due to historic purposes. McGregor’s UFC 229 fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title is quickly approaching as this fight goes down next month.
Woodley’s Explanation
The UFC welterweight champion believes that if McGregor can beat the UFC lightweight champion then he would try to move up to 170-pounds. This would give him the chance to win three UFC titles at three different weight classes.
He beat Jose Aldo to win the UFC featherweight title, Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title then potentially Woodley for the welterweight title.
“If Conor wins, the only fight that makes sense for him is to fight me,” Tyron said on ‘The Hollywood Beatdown’ … “[he’ll] try to get a 3rd belt.”
After winning his second UFC title in as many weight classes this past November at UFC 205 in New York City, lightweight champion Conor McGregor expressed some interest in capturing the 170-pound title, which is currently held by Tyron Woodley. As of now, McGregor’s future is currently unclear, as a potential boxing match between him
After winning his second UFC title in as many weight classes this past November at UFC 205 in New York City, lightweight champion Conor McGregor expressed some interest in capturing the 170-pound title, which is currently held by Tyron Woodley.
As of now, McGregor’s future is currently unclear, as a potential boxing match between him and Floyd Mayweather still looms. If he were to return to the Octagon for a showdown for the welterweight title, however, McGregor’s longtime head coach John Kavanagh ‘wouldn’t see a massive challenge’ in Woodley:
“I’d fancy him in there with Woodley,” Kavanagh said during a Q&A session in Australia. “He’s just another wrestler with an overhand right, and that’s the type Conor grew up knocking out.
“So I wouldn’t see a massive challenge in that.”
Woodley’s future is also unclear at the moment. “The Chosen One” is coming off of a decision victory over Stephen Thompson in their rematch at UFC 209 last month and has since expressed interest in bouts with Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz.
While a bout between McGregor and Woodley is certainly a possibility for the future, Kavanagh would rather see rising 170-pound contender and McGregor teammate Gunnar Nelson get that title:
“I would like to see Gunni get that belt,” he added. “Gunnar Nelson will be the next SBG world champion.”
Conor McGregor’s fighting future is currently a cloudy mess. After adding the UFC lightweight title to his collection that already includes the UFC featherweight title at Nov. 12’s UFC 205, McGregor made it clear that he had a plethora of options waiting for him, although it was also said that he likely wouldn’t fight until
Conor McGregor’s fighting future is currently a cloudy mess.
After adding the UFC lightweight title to his collection that already includes the UFC featherweight title at Nov. 12’s UFC 205, McGregor made it clear that he had a plethora of options waiting for him, although it was also said that he likely wouldn’t fight until the spring due to the fact that he has a baby on the way.
On option that the brash Irishman discussed was the possibility of jumping up to welterweight and fighting 170-pound champion Tyron Woodley in hopes of winning a third title in a third different wait class.
Many have laughed McGregor’s talk of this possibility off, but his longtime coach John Kavanagh doesn’t agree with what the masses are saying:
“I don’t see why not,” Kavanagh said on The MMA Hour. “I don’t know. Maybe it won’t happen. We’ve got so many irons in the fire at this stage. But I don’t see what other people are saying, ‘There’s no way Conor can touch this guy.’ There is. No one is perfect. There’s openings there. Of course, he’s a bigger man, he’s got more power and you’ve gotta be super careful. But Conor trains with big guys like this. I see him do amazing things in the gym all the time.”
The two fighters appeared to have some tension between them during the lead-up to UFC 205 where Woodley also fought. In fact, “The Chosen One” said after the event that he would sign on to face the “Notorious” one.
Woodley would undoubtedly be the bigger man if the the bout were to actually materialize, but Kavanagh feels as if McGregor beating the 170-pound champion is very ‘doable’:
“He’s not enormous,” the coach said. “He’s not some Goliath man. He’s a little bit bigger. Conor would have reach on him, he would have technique on him in the striking, for sure. He’d have to of course deal with that power. … I certainly don’t in my head go, ‘Oh my God, no. We couldn’t possibly beat him.’ It’s a doable fight.”
After the madness of UFC 205, the dust is now starting to settle. Arguably the biggest UFC event of all-time, the New York debut could not have gone better. Following the highly disappointing UFC 200 card back in July, this weekend’s action was refreshing in its entirety. Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor headlined the stacked
After the madness of UFC 205, the dust is now starting to settle. Arguably the biggest UFC event of all-time, the New York debut could not have gone better. Following the highly disappointing UFC 200 card back in July, this weekend’s action was refreshing in its entirety. Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor headlined the stacked card at the MSG (Madison Square Garden), on an evening filled with all the highs and lows of an instant classic event. Fighting for his own piece of history in the main event, McGregor made an incredible statement.
‘The Notorious’ was simply on another level at UFC 205, and Alvarez looked lost in the octagon. Like he’d never been before, ‘The Silent Assassin’ was controlled and put down with hitman-like accuracy. Eventually crumpling Alvarez at the eight-minute mark, McGregor stamped his name in the history books with conviction. Now the first champion to ever hold simultaneous titles in the UFC, the doors for many potential fights are wide open.
Who’s Next?
Speaking during his most recent podcast series The Joe Rogan Experience, the popular color commentator discusses being live in NYC for McGregor vs. Alvarez:
“It was the biggest card we’ve ever put together. It’ll never be like that again, that was the last block of corruption standing in the way of the UFC in New York. The main event was almost bizarre, it’s almost bizarre the way he picked apart Eddie Alvarez. Like magical is almost the word I want to use. He touches motherf*ckers with that left hand.”
“The moment Eddie got hit, he was like ‘What the fuck?’ I just think Conor knew that he had him. He’s such a unique personality, but it’s also his style. He does a lot like what Wonderboy does, but with less kicks, but I think he does it better. It may be something he does with the focus of his shots, the precision. He’s hitting them in a surprise way, and he’s not telegraphing it at all. There’s no fat in his movements.”
All The Belts!
After their confrontations leading up to UFC 205, there’s been a lot of debate about Tyron Woodley vs. Conor McGregor. ‘The Chosen One’ retained his title with a thrilling majority draw in the UFC 205 co-main event, earning ‘fight of the night’ against Stephen Thompson. Rogan believes the UFC should allow McGregor the title shot in a third division:
“Let him try, I say they should let him try. I know what Woodley would say, he’d say ‘Let him try.” Do you know how big Tyron Woodley looks compared to Conor McGregor? He is jacked, he’s the most jacked dude, I think, other than Yoel Romero.”
Whether you love or hate him, it’s hard to argue against Conor McGregor’s vast influence on the UFC and MMA as a sport. Holding two belts, it’s conceivable he’ll try for another, but where will it all end? Will the UFC force McGregor to vacate or defend before a potential fight against Tyron Woodley?
