Woodley wants to clear out welterweight, and move up to middle
Tyron Woodley: “I wouldn’t mind fighting RDA, Colby, Usman, Till, and at that point … I’ve cleaned out the division and I’m the greatest welterweight of all time.”
Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington fight for the UFC interim welterweight belt on Saturday night at UFC 225. The interim champ is supposed to fight the champ champ next. However, during a recent appearance on MMAjunkie Radio, Woodley, who is coming off shoulder surgery, said he wants to fight at UFC 227, and doesn’t care if Saturday’s winner would be ready.
I’m projected to be back August 4. That’s when I want to fight. I want to fight in L.A, said Woodley as transcribed Simon Samano for MMAjunkie. I’m not really concerned with who’s ready, who’s next. You’ve got to realize, there are certain rights you deserve as a champion. When I’m ready to fight, now it’s time to fight. Whoever they got for me to fight at this time, come get this work. I don’t want to sit back and say, ‘Oh, I want to sit and wait to see what happens with this fight.’ I’m the champion. I want to fight.
Some of these bouts should’ve taken place anyway, maybe not with the label of interim title, but I think at that point, you make a fight, even if it’s somebody that’s not currently in the division. Maybe it’s a Diaz brother – well, obviously maybe not Nick because I think he’s in a little trouble – maybe it’s Nate, maybe it’s Georges, maybe it’s somebody else; but I’m also willing to fight all these other guys.
I kind of want to legitimately clean the division. I wouldn’t mind fighting RDA, Colby, Usman, Till, and at that point, unless another prospect emerges, I’ve cleaned out the division and I’m the greatest welterweight of all time at that point. Then it’s time to go up to 185, and I want that belt and I want to defend.
I don’t want to just go up there and get two belts to say I got it. I want to finish off my division. When it’s all said and done, I did everything I could do there. I want to go up and challenge myself once again, and I want to try to win the belt at 185 and defend there and pretty much retire as a middleweight.
Woodley’s plan to fight the Rafael dos Anjos, Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, and Darren Till sounds like a long-term plan. However, Woodley won the belt on July 30, 2016 and 364 days later had fought Robbie Lawler, Stephen Thompson, Thompson again, ad Demain Maia. Those four fights could happen fast.