Woodley: I’m overwhelmed by number of ways to beat Lawler

Tyron Woodley is smart.

He had a busy 2014, first getting a win over Carlos Condit, when The Natural Born Killer’s knee gave out. Then he lost a unanimous decision to Rory MacDonald. And then he stopped Don Hyun Kim with punches.

Woodley beat Kelvin Gastelum via Split Decision at UFC 183 on January 31, 2015, at a catchweight, after Gastelum failed to make weight.

Woodley hasn’t fought since.

Both the fighter and the UFC were apparently waiting for the right time to give him a title shot. He got it, and fights division champion Robbie Lawler in the main event of UFC 201 Saturday night.

Lawler is a master at sucking fighters into a brawl where it comes down to durability, will, and heavy hands. The fight with Rory MacDonald was extraordinary, but fights like that can leave one or even both fighter not quite right, for ever.

And remember, Tyron Woodley is smart.

As a fan, it was one of the best fights I’ve ever seen in my life, said Woodley to Fernanda Prates and John Morgan for MMAjunkie. I was standing up to my feet. They really put this division on the map. That fight’s going to go down in history. But as an athlete … Rory MacDonald will never be the same after that. It probably cost him the fight, going into Robbie’s game and standing in front of him. You can choose to not engage into that type of brawl, and you can choose to engage on your own terms. You can brawl with Robbie on your own terms.

“Where are the guys standing at when they’re taking this damage? They’re standing right in front of his ass. They’re going back-and-forth – you hit me, I hit you.”

I’ve fought Robbie so many times in my mind, I’ve visualized so many ways of this fight going, and me winning. I’ve had daydreams of me losing fights before. I’ve had those visualizations. And I’m honest and I’m OK with that. But every time I visualize this fight, it never goes five rounds. I never lose. I finish it so many different ways.

I had to take a moment because I was overwhelming myself – because I’ve given myself so many different options. I just feel like I’m going to win this fight. I don’t know how. I don’t know if it’s going to be a gutsy decision. I don’t know if it’s going to be a knockout or a submission. But either way, I visualize myself getting my hands raised so many different ways that I’m just excited. I can’t wait, I’m definitely ready for this.