Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson II | UFC Betting Sites

Earlier this month (March 4, 2017), Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson did battle for a second time at UFC 209 in a rematch of their UFC 205 bout last November.

Once again, Woodley defended his 170-pound title, but the bout fell far short of the expectations it was given based on the entertaining nature of the first “Fight of the Night”-winning scrap between the two.

At times, this happens in mixed martial arts (MMA).

While title fights typically consist of two of the best fighters in the world at a given weight, the fights don’t always end up being entertaining, and on some occasions, they end up being quite boring and lackluster.

With that being said, let’s take a look at Woodley vs. Thompson II and five of the worst title fights in UFC history:

Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn II

UFC legends Shamrock and Severn met in a rematch at UFC 9 on May 17, 1996 in a bout that most fight fans consider to be one of the worst fights of all-time period, let alone one of the worst title fights of all-time.

With Shamrock’s UFC Superfight championship on the line, but bout produced embarrassingly little action. Shamrock took the center of the octagon, while Severn appeared to be content circling around on the outside. Each man seemed to be waiting for the other to engage, which resulted in a supremely lackluster bout, and one that fans found as nothing more than boring.

When speaking of this fight, it must be noted that there were major rule changes put in place just prior to the contest, specifically a rule prohibiting the use of a closed fist, which is simply mind-blowing to even consider nowadays.

Perhaps this is why the fight turned out to be what it was, but either way, it remains one of the more prominent match-ups on our list of worst UFC title fights.

The post Championship Fails: The Five Worst UFC Title Fights Of All-Time appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley successfully defended his title this past weekend (March 4, 2017) with a majority decision win over Stephen Thompson in their rematch. The bout, however, was a lackluster fight at best, and Woodley has certainly felt the criticism from fans.

In addition to the criticism, it appears as if Woodley has begun to feel the pressure of being a champion after his first title defense, and he recently opened up regarding the topic:

“When I talk about carrying my shield and going into battle, and I think about all the distractions, all the ways out, all the people that want to see me lose, it’s a lot of pressure,” Woodley said at the UFC 209 post-fight press conference.

“People don’t understand that – you think you got (the belt) and your life is changed. To be honest, my life was a little bit better before I had the belt.”

Woodley hasn’t received the same love from fans as other champions have in the past, but he also hasn’t been afraid to open up his mouth regarding controversial topics. As a champion, “The Chosen One” feels as if he has a duty, which is why the pressure is weighing so heavily on him:

“I just think that it’s a lot of pressure as a champion,” Woodley said. “You’ve got to separate yourself. You want to be the best in the world. You want to wear the gold. It comes with a lot. It comes with a lot on your platter. It comes with a lot of expectations, a lot of obligations. And I feel at a certain level you have a duty, and I feel like part of the time my duty is to, you know, be honest, and if I see something that’s incorrect, speak on it.

“If I see something that’s right, congratulate that as well. And in our society, everyone doesn’t like to hear the truth all the time. And when you speak the truth sometimes, people are either sensitive or insensitive and, as we all know, I see all you guys quiet, don’t want to ask me the wrong questions. Sometimes I get a little bit of a bad rep for just speaking up on things I think are true.”

What are your thoughts on Woodley as a fighter and as a champion?

The post Tyron Woodley Explains Pressure Of Being Champion appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.