Mighty Mouse on race, Tyron Woodley, and the Cash Me Ousside girl

UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley recently started an extended debate over the role of race in the UFC. It is an important one, despite pushback from fans and UFC president Dana White.

Let’s put the cards on the table, real is real, said Woodley on ESPN in January, as transcribed by Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. If I was a different complexion I think people and fans would treat me a different way. Demetrious Johnson, African-American male, completely a Tasmanian devil. Why don’t he have the big endorsements? Why isn’t he making the most money?

Johnson has long been a fan and then a friend of Woodley’s; he even named his son Tyren after him. During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Mighty Mouse explored some of the complexities of the issue with good humor.

If I were to say that’s never came into my mind, I’d be lying to the world, said Johnson.

Everybody just misunderstands Tyron when he talks about that. But I understand where he’s coming from.

As an athlete, you have to sit back and think like, ‘Why won’t they push my work? I’m an analyst, I’m a husband, I’m a father, I don’t do drugs. I never disrespected anybody on a big level. So why won’t they promote me, but they’ll promote this guy? … Do you think it’s because I’m black or is it because he’s white?’

That’s where he’s coming from. I totally understand it, because as an athlete and as an African-American, you have to sit back and think about that.

Johnson points out, however, that his experience has not been identical.

I don’t want to say it’s an issue, said Johnson of racism in MMA. Because obviously I’ve been promoted very well as the flyweight champion. But can I say that people might feel there is? Yeah, probably people feel it. But I don’t think Dana White has ever been like, ‘I’m not gonna look at that a**hole, he’s black. Get somebody else in front of me.’ I don’t think Dana White is doing that. But I’m saying if people feel that way, it’s possible that some people feel that way. That’s just how it is.

The next fight for the best pound for pound fighter in the sport is headlining UFC on FOX 24 against Wilson Reis. There’s no cut of a blockbuster PPV, but Johnson attributes that more to the drama that puts asses in seats, rather than racism. As an example, he joking cited Danielle Cash Me Ousside” Bregoli who found fame via The Dr. Phil Show.

I guarantee you if you get her some gloves and put her in the Octagon, she would be the highest selling pay-per-view fighter in the world, said Johnson. She’d probably do way more numbers than Ronda. Just because she brings drama and negativity to wherever she goes.

And while they hold sometimes differing observations and experiences, Johnson remains enormously supportive of Woodley.

He’s a huge inspiration to me in my career, just the way he carries himself, said Johnson. He just says whatever he wants and I respect that. And you have to respect his opinion and how he feels about things.

I always ask him, ‘You sure you want to do that?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna do it. This is how I feel, that’s what I’m gonna say.’

Tyron Woodley’s next fight has not been set. He has been called a boring fighter by some after his recent decision win in the rematch with Stephen Thompson. However, in his four previous fights, Woodley won one Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night awards. Make of the “boring” characterization what you will.