Coach expects Tyron Woodley to fight three times for another shot at title
Tyron Woodley lost his welterweight title on Saturday night to Kamaru Usman which was a surprise to many. It wasn’t a surprise that Usman won as many thought he would, but the way he won was shocking.
Usman simply dominated Woodley from bell to bell in the wrestling, grappling and striking aspects of the game. Now, Woodley wants his belt back but according to his head coach, Din Thomas, he believes it could be a long road back to the title for ‘The Chosen One.’
“I think it will be a tougher road getting it back than it was the first time,” Thomas told ESPN. “I think the UFC is really going to make him work for it, I never really felt the UFC appreciated him as a champ. (But), I could be wrong, but I never felt that way. And I think they’re gonna make him work to get another chance.”
Right now, Colby Covington is expected to get the next title shot. With that, Woodley needs to get a win in his next fight and most likely a fight a top-10 opponent. A name that has come up is Santiago Ponzinibbio or possibly a rematch with Robbie Lawler. Really, Woodley needs to win in his next fight and Thomas understands that.
“I think they’ll make him fight another three fights before a title shot,” Thomas said. “What he’ll be willing to do, is take another fight and say, ‘Listen, if I knock this guy out like I’m capable of doing, you should give me the title shot.’ What I see happening is them telling him he needs to fight a couple (of) times and them going back and forth over it for a while.”
If Woodley wants to get his belt back which he has said, he will need to put in the work and win fights. How many fights nobody knows, but Thomas is sure it will take at least three.
