Tyron Woodley on Dana White’s UFC 209 criticism: I’d like to see him fight ‘Wonderboy’

Dana White and Tyron Woodley’s relationship is more confusing than ever.

After the two went back-and-forth in the media, calling each other “drama queens,” the duo seemed to be all good, as this video suggests. Granted, the “beef” was all a few weeks after the UFC president and Welterweight champion took in Super Bowl 51 together in Houston, Texas.

And after last night’s (March 4, 2017) UFC 209 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Las Vegas, Nevada, the two were at it again, as White stated that “The Chosen One’s” majority decision win over Stephen Thompson -- see it — “didn’t help his case,” which prompted Tyron to fire back.

“I want to see Dana get in there and fight Wonderboy,” Woodley said during the post-fight press conference via Bloody Elbow. “Watch everyone else that walked in there. Watch Patrick Cote, Robert Whittaker, watch all these guys that thought they were just going to bulldoze him, and they disrespected his style. I did the opposite. I embraced his style. I brought in the world champion, currently in his weight division. I brought in Sage Northcutt, tons of guys who are in that actual sport fighting. You can’t disrespect that style,” said Woodley.

Indeed, the rematch wasn’t as entertaining as their first bout at UFC 205 last November, but as Woodley puts it, when fighting someone like Thompson, a finish isn’t always in the cards.

No matter how bad you want it.

“If you think you have it figured out, kicks and punches come from weird angles, and you find yourself with out this (belt), and you find yourself knocked out. I know you guys love to see the knockouts, gore, blood — and I love watching it as well, but guess what, I love being world champion, and sometimes it’s not the sexiest fight,” said Tyron, who was agitated when asked how his performance affected his goals of being the popular champ he wants to become.

“A fight like what? A world championship fight against a very tough opponent? A chess match in a rematch?” he responded. “That’s okay (if the fans didn’t like the fight). The fans can also tap in, I’ll pause the fight, and they’ll enter the cage. I’ll exit the cage, and they can show me how to do better,” he said. “It’s so easy to say it from that seat you’re sitting in. But when you’re fighting a world class fighter who has finished so many opponents, so many knockouts, so many tricks on his sleeve. Sometimes you have to be patient and find that moment.”

Not a bad idea.

Still, while the the judges’ scores perhaps may not have pleased everyone — see them here — Woodley earned his first-ever title defense and can finally put his beef with Thompson to bed.

His tension with Dana White, however, may not be so easy to lay to rest.

For complete results from UFC 209: “Woodley vs. Thompson 2,” including play-by-play updates, click here and here.