Tyron Woodley – Syndication Server

Tyron Woodley says UFC paid him similarly to Donald Cerrone, takes umbrage: ‘Motherf*cker never touched gold’

Tyron Woodley is furious that Donald Cerrone made the same amount of money as him and Demetrious Johnson without ever being UFC champ.

[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] takes issue with the UFC paying him similar to [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag].

Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion, defended the title four times during his reign from 2016 to 2019. He parted ways with the UFC in March 2021 after suffering his fourth consecutive loss.

Woodley revealed that he wanted to part ways with the UFC years prior and how fighter pay was the main reason for his departure. He said he made $500,000 for his final title fight against Kamaru Usman.

“I was going to leave the UFC after (fighting) Darren Till,” Woodley said on the “MIGHTYcast” with Demetrious Johnson. “I told them, ‘F*cking cut me, dog. Ya’ll don’t want me here. Why ya’ll keep holding on to me, dog?’ We (kept) fighting and sh*t every fight because you know how I was. I was a gorilla. … I knew the numbers so well. I knew what everybody was making. I’m not finna go out there and be making the same as ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.

“That motherf*cker ain’t never touched gold in his life. That’s just a principle thing. Sometimes when you’re an African-American in this game, they think you should just be appreciative. I’m not just appreciative. I’m thankful that you gave me an opportunity, but you didn’t give me the gifts. God gave me the gifts. I’m thankful to him.”

Woodley claimed that he fought with the UFC over former longtime flyweight champion Johnson’s pay, as well. Johnson recently revealed that it took three consecutive title defense for him to get a champion’s contract with the UFC, and he could never get pay-per-view points.

“I argued with them (UFC) over you a couple times,” Woodley told Johnson. “It ain’t have sh*t to do with me, but I was like, nah. I was talking numbers. I’m like, when you go to basketball, it don’t matter if Steph Curry throwing a Monster can at somebody’s dome or bust a window out. He can pull a three. He’s going to get paid top dollar.

“You got DJ who got (11) titles, but you going to pay ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone the same as him? Cowboy was making ($350,000). He never touched gold ever. So, your reason behind him making $350,000 per fight is that he never complains, he takes any fight that you offer him, he’ll even fight injured, he’ll even fight last-minute notice. That don’t work for me.”

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Tyron Woodley says he offered Georges St-Pierre a ‘dumb bag’ to fight, but he declined

According to Tyron Woodley, Georges St-Pierre (and Nick Diaz, maybe) turned down a lucrative offer to fight him in his new promotion.

According to [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag], [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] turned down a lucrative offer to fight him.

Woodley revealed that he launched his own fight promotion, The Realest International Promotion (TRIP), which he’s looking to compete in himself. Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion, made his first two offers to notable names in MMA, but neither accepted. St-Pierre, a former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, has made it clear on multiple occasions that he has no intention to fight again.

“I’m looking to fight guys that are legendary to me,” Woodley told TMZ, “that I feel like may not have gotten the respect and the money that they should have gotten when they were at the top of the top. Like Georges St-Pierre, I offered him a dumb bag. He said no. ‘I’m not in that world anymore.’ I offered Nick Diaz a dumb bag. When I say dumb, I mean pushing to eight figures, a lot of money. … They both said no.

“Sorry, Nick didn’t say no. Nick liked the comment, so I don’t know what that means. But people that I respect, people that I thought were GOATs, and now that the money is coming to the sport, I want to go to those people first to get them paid with me because it’s a partnership. Whether I like Jake (Paul) or not, I was a business partner with him for two fights. This is a business, you got a partner, it’s not choreographed.”

Woodley says his promotion won’t just be about fighting.

“It’s called The Realest International Promotion, TRIP,” Woodley said. “We’re promoting all things art, so we’re not just doing mixed martial arts. Obviously I would be a fool not to do that just because that’s my background and my base. We’re doing music, concerts, festivals, cryptocurrency, e-sporting events, boxing, and then we just doing a lot of crossover.”

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Tyron Woodley thinks Jake Paul facing anyone but him in MMA would be disrespectful: ‘Fight the No. 1 guy’

Tyron Woodley thinks he’d be Jake Paul’s perfect debut opponent in MMA.

[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] thinks he’d be [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag]’s perfect debut opponent in MMA.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul has teased a move to MMA after partnering up with PFL. Having boxed Paul twice in the ring, Woodley says it only makes sense for them to fight in the cage.

“I think if you’re going to fight anybody in MMA, you fight me in MMA,” Woodley told TMZ. “I’m the one that did the numbers with you. I’m the one that had the crazy millions and millions of views in the press conference. I’m the one that was a five-time champion. I’m the one that took the fight on two weeks’ notice.”

Woodley lost twice to Paul in 2021 – once by split decision, then four months later by knockout on short notice. The former UFC welterweight champion thinks his resume in MMA makes him the most attractive option for Paul.

“People would not have been buying Christmas gifts had I not stepped up to the plate,” Woodley said. “So to talk about fighting anybody in MMA outside of me is disrespect.

“If you really, really want to prove that you can do it in my world, you fight the No. 1 guy in that world. Nate (Diaz) has never touched gold, never been close to gold ever. I think (Derek) Brunson started barking and some other people.”

Paul is coming off a first-round knockout of Andre August this past Friday in Orlando, Fla. Meanwhile, Woodley hasn’t competed since losing to Paul a second time in December 2021.

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Every UFC title fight to end in a draw

It’s rare, but every now and then a UFC championship fight ends in a draw. Here’s a look back at the times it’s happened.

It’s rare, but every now and then a UFC championship fight ends in a draw.

Whether it’s because a title fight is closely contested or a point deduction or a judge’s inexplicable scorecard, we’ve come away from certain title fights with an unfulfilling result.

Below is a list of the draws that have been scored in UFC history.

Unfortunate circumstances: 14 unforeseen injuries that ended UFC main events

Nobody saw the endings to these UFC main events coming.

While the term “freak injury” might not be appropriate to use when discussing a sport that is inherently dangerous, 14 UFC main events have ended in unforeseen injuries – broken legs, separated shoulders, eye pokes, etc. – that don’t typically come in the sequence of MMA combat.

Scroll below to see a chronology of UFC main events that ended in that nature.

Note: Injuries sustained on a TKO due to strikes or tapout due to a submission are not included, nor are retirements on the stool due to extended fight damage or exhaustion. Laceration-based stoppages also are not included since they come as an intentional result of the opposition’s attack.

Tyron Woodley would only return to the UFC ‘to beat the f*ck out of Israel Adesanya’

There’s only one fighter that would make Tyron Woodley fight in the UFC again.

There’s only one fighter that would make [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] fight in the UFC again.

Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion, fought out his contract after his fourth-straight loss to Vicente Luque in March 2021, and ended up parting ways with the promotion.

He has since boxed Jake Paul twice, losing their first bout by split decision, then their rematch by knockout. If Woodley were to ever return to the UFC, only former middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] would entice him – simply because of a misunderstanding that rubbed him the wrong way.

“The only thing that would get me back to the UFC, the only person I would just want to beat the f*ck out of is Israel Adesanya,” Woodley said on the JAXXON PODCAST with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. “I don’t like him.”

After losing his welterweight title to Kamaru Usman, Woodley expressed interest in a future fight with Adesanya – a callout which was laughed off by “The Stylebender.” But Woodley says his desire to fight Adesanya came early, and it was simply to test himself competitively.

“Because he cap,” Woodley explained. “He was never Israel Adesanya. ‘How do I do this again? I filter myself now … Israel Adesanya.’ I get on the same show, TMZ, they asked me who was next up. I said, ‘I like this Israel kid. He’s kind of different, but he’s got some pizazz. He’s got his own character. He’s flashy, but he’s a good martial artist. I think he’s the next one to watch out for.’ This is when he first started. I already gave you respect.

“Then they asked me who did I want to fight? Whoever is at the top. So you’re at the top, my brother, so salute. I never wanted to fight Nick or Nate (Diaz) or (Michael) Bisping, or Conor (McGregor), or Georges (St-Pierre) because I thought they were weak, easy or they were whack. I thought they was the best. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”

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Tyron Woodley doesn’t stress over Jake Paul KO loss, hoping for that Anderson Silva life

It’s coming up on a year since the combat sports world has seen Tyron Woodley in action. But don’t worry – he hasn’t retired.

It’s coming up on a year since the combat sports world has seen [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] in action. But don’t worry – he hasn’t retired.

The former UFC welterweight champion, who set off into the boxing world in 2021 with a pair of matchups with Jake Paul, says he’s just taking some time away right now and enjoying freedom he hasn’t had since he was a kid.

Woodley is planning a 2023 return, he recently told MMA Junkie Radio, and isn’t planning on letting a decision loss in August 2021 to Paul and a follow-up knockout loss to him a few months later be the end of his story.

“I can’t just walk away from the sport just because I have adversity,” Woodley said. “I’ve never been a quitter. I’m just in a place right now of wisdom. I feel like my conversation with God is: ‘It’s time for the comeback season. It’s time to show people what you’re made of. It’s time to go out there and show people how I showed you we were going to finish this sport,’ … and go out with a bang. It never showed me going out like this. The pride and the spirituality fight, and I just need to keep checking myself to make sure I’m on the spiritual side.

“I want to be seen as a person that didn’t give up, didn’t quit, came back – ‘Oh my f*cking God, I can’t believe he did that.’ Anderson Silva’s living that life right now. That’s kind of what I’m envisioning right now. I want to make seven (or) eight figures no matter where I’m fighting at, whether it’s in the backyard or anywhere because I deserve that.”

Coincidentally, Silva is next up for Paul later this month in a boxing main event in Phoenix.

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Woodley knocked out Robbie Lawler in July 2016 to win the UFC welterweight title. His first two title defenses came against Stephen Thompson – a majority draw, followed by a majority decision. Then he beat Demian Maia and Darren Till before he lost the belt to current champ Kamaru Usman.

The Usman loss started a run of four straight setbacks to close out his UFC tenure before he left as a free agent and moved to boxing, where he found himself in a feud with Paul after Paul’s knockout of Woodley teammate Ben Askren.

That likely made his knockout loss to Paul sting a little bit more, but Woodley said he’s dished it out enough times that he had to know how to take it.

“I dropped my hands at the same time he threw a punch,” Woodley said. “I will never let anybody take me out of a sport (or) take anything away from me because I’ve hit (people the same way). If (Josh) Koscheck goes back and looks, he’s going to regret he dropped his hands. So would Dong Hyun Kim taking that spin. So would Robbie Lawler – reacting to their fate. … It’s unfortunate it happened to me, but I can’t knock people out and then crawl up under a rock if I get knocked out.”

Woodley turned 40 in April, and though it’s likely his days in the UFC are over, he hopes the promotion eventually recognizes what he did while he was there.

Woodley went 9-6-1 in the UFC after coming over from Strikeforce, where he went 8-1 and fought for the welterweight title.

“I feel like I contributed my body to this f*cking sport, and my mind and my time and my family, and the sacrifices, and I’ve done everything,” he said. “Why am I not in the (UFC) Hall of Fame yet? That’s f*cking crazy – I won five (title fights). (Some) people in the Hall of Fame won zero titles.”

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Tyron Woodley wants to make a ‘few millions of dollars’ by fighting Nick or Nate Diaz

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley says he has an opportunity available for the Diaz brothers.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] is not retired, and now has the itch for competition after taking some time to enjoy life.

After exiting the UFC’s octagon for the last time in March 2021, Woodley stepped into the boxing ring a few months later for back-to-back bouts against Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Since then, Woodley has let the rumors of his retirement grow across the internet while he focused on time away from competition for, according to him, the first time since middle school.

Now, as a combat sport free agent with many options available, Woodley would like to explore a potential bout against Nate Diaz, who recently completed his contract with the UFC in September, and will soon have a number of opportunities to choose from as well.

“Nate Diaz, I would tell him he a boss, he a ‘G’,” Woodley told MMA Junkie Radio. “He did what he needed to do. I think the fight against Tony Ferguson was a fight he should have had anyway. Sometimes karma and sometimes things work out the way they supposed to work out.”

Diaz was originally scheduled to fight Khamzat Chimaev in his sending off from the promotion, but a last-minute shuffling of opponents resulted in Diaz facing, and submitting Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279.

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Woodley’s former opponent Paul, who is currently slated to face MMA legend Anderson Silva, has spoken on a number of occasions about a potential fight against Diaz in the near future. As for how Diaz should navigate the waters of free agency, Woodley offered some advice, including himself in the mix.

“I would suggest he go and get paid top dollar,” Woodley said about Diaz. “I would suggest that he do what makes him feel good, if he still wants to do it, when he wants to do it. That’s what I’d suggest – and I suggest he come over on this side and make some money with me, because I got a good opportunity with me and Nick or Nate, or both of them, (we) can make quite a few millions of dollars fighting each other.”

Woodley did not specify the “opportunity” he referenced, or what type of combat sport they would compete in, but mentioned someone reached out to him looking to get in contact with the Diaz brothers.

The former UFC champ has expressed interest in competing in various combat sports disciplines when he does return to action, including muay Thai, kickboxing, or boxing. He also made it clear his days in MMA are not done either.

Above all, Woodley’s focus is on ensuring he maximizes his next bout by picking the right opponent that will generate interest and a large payday.

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Fight Week: Vergil Ortiz returns to action against Michael McKinson

Fight Week: Vergil Ortiz will return to action against Michael McKinson on Saturday in Forth Worth, Texas, Ortiz’s home state.

FIGHT WEEK

Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz will take on Michael McKinson of the U.K. on Saturday in Forth Worth, Texas, Ortiz’s home state.

VERGIL ORTIZ (18-0, 18 KOS) VS. MICHAEL MCKINSON (22-0, 2 KOS)

When: Saturday, Aug. 6
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
TV/Stream: DAZN
Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
Rounds: 12
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Ortiz 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Marlen Esparza vs. Eva Guzman, flyweights (for Esparza’s WBA and WBC titles); Maurice Hooker vs. Blair Cobbs, welterweights; Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Sladan Janjanin, super middleweights; Alex Martin vs. Henry Lundy, junior welterweights
Prediction: Ortiz KO 10
Background: The Ortiz-McKinson fight was scheduled to take place in March but was postponed after Ortiz pulled out because of illness. The 24-year-old slugger from Dallas is now healthy and ready to resume his pursuit of a shot at a 147-pound title. He has stopped all 18 of his opponents, the most recent being capable Egidijus Kavaliauskas in eight rounds in August of last year. No fighter has gone past eight rounds with Ortiz, who is ranked in the Top 3 by all four major sanctioning bodies, No. 1 by the WBA and WBO. He hopes that status will lead to a title fight sooner rather than later. McKinson is unbeaten but has faced no one with ability comparable to Ortiz. The 28-year-old Englishman is a good, experienced boxer but, with two stoppages in 22 fights, he has one of the lowest knockout percentages in the sport. He’s coming off a one-sided decision over Alex Martin this past March in Los Angeles, his first fight outside Europe.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

Callum Walsh vs. Benjamin Whitaker, junior middleweights, Montebello, California (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

Antonio Moran vs. Michael Dutchover, junior welterweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBoxTV).

SATURDAY

Michael Conlan vs. Miguel Marriaga, featherweights, Belfast, Northern Ireland (ESPN+).