Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight king Tyron Woodley threw himself under the bus last month when he declared himself an unfairly treated champion who isn't liked by fans because he is black. Woodley's declaration prompted considerable feedback from around the sport, including a response from this guy, and now has UFC president Dana White finally weighing in on the situation.
"He's a smart guy, he's a good-looking kid," said White during an interview on ESPN Radio's Russell and Kanell show earlier today (Fri., Feb. 10, 2017). "He's explosive. He's got knockout power. But he's a bit of a drama queen."
As far as White is concerned, the color of Woodley's skin has nothing to do with his lack of popularity among a growing mixed martial arts (MMA) fan base. Instead, the UFC head honcho believes it is the champion's willingness to argue with social media warriors that puts him a step behind others.
"That's not what people want to hear," said White regarding Woodley's comments. "People don't want to hear that. And then what he does is he'll start fighting and arguing with people on social media. Then he wonders why when we show up to a press conference, the whole crowd is booing him. They're not booing him because he's black. There's tons of black guys fighting in the UFC, you know what I mean?"
White added that Woodley would be better off taking a page out of Conor McGregor's book and offering to fight anyone at any time. Not everyone can be like "Notorious," but Woodley may find it easier to deal with haters if he followed suit.
"If Tyron Woodley had that attitude, Tyron Woodley would be a massive star," said White. "Massive star."
Woodley will have another opportunity to prove he deserves the respect of fight fans worldwide when he meets Stephen Thompson in a welterweight title rematch at UFC 209 on Mar. 4 from Las Vegas, Nevada.