Tyron Woodley: “A fight with Conor McGregor makes sense if McGregor wins at UFC 229”
In the wake of his reign as UFC welterweight champion since initially winning the belt at UFC 201, Tyron Woodley has long desired of having a super fight with UFC welterweight legend Georges St-Pierre.
Unfortunately, GSP has already spoken out recently about why he is not interested in fighting Woodley at the moment, citing that a fight with him right now doesn’t do enough for his legacy.
Never the one to let things faze him, Woodley has moved forward and claims he’s now aiming his focus on bigger (smaller) fish?
On the latest edition of his TMZ show, The Hollywood Beatdown, Woodley announced he would be working as an on screen analyst for UFC 229, as he has a much vested interest in the result of that night’s main event between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight championship.
“I’ll be there. I’ll be working the desk,” Woodley said. “I would think that if Khabib’s really about that action, he’s going to do what he says and it’s going to be really tough for Conor to have any lead in that arm to throw that knockout punch in the fourth or fifth round, so I would say Khabib [wins]. But just for selfish purposes, if Conor wins, then the only fight that makes sense is for him to fight me. Try to get a third belt.”
Woodley has a good point here.
After McGregor won the UFC lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez, speculation began going around that the Irishman would be continuing to move up in weight.
I mean after all, it’s not like McGregor’s a stranger at 170 pounds, as he’s fought in the weight class twice against Nate Diaz.
Not to mention there was some verbal warfare that transpired between McGregor and Woodley that was laying the groundwork of a potential champion vs. champion affair.
For example, at the weigh-ins of UFC 205, an intense moment happened between the two in which Woodley appeared to apparently size McGregor up.
Woodley stated that the near altercation might just be the thing that prevents him from a bout with Conor McGregor because McGregor knows how the fight would turn out.
“Conor thought he wanted smoke and then he realized he really didn’t,” Woodley said. “I would smash him. He’s too little. He’s got one punch. What fighter have I ever fought that’s been able to beat me with one tool?”
The Chosen One’s next opponent presumably is former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, a fight that Woodley claims will get him one step closer to becoming the greatest of all time in the UFC’s 170 pound division.
Woodley ended by saying there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and a fight with Conor McGregor would not only benefit his legacy, it is also the most possible profitable fight for him.
“From my analyst hat, my mind says Khabib, but my bank account and my legacy says Conor. I would take that fight in a heartbeat,” Woodley said.
