Tyron Woodley predicts he’ll fight Georges St-Pierre in his first fight back

Despite currently nursing a surgically repaired shoulder, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has high hopes for 2018.

Not only does “Chosen One” have a plethora of seething title contenders to fend off, but he’s hoping to land a massive title fight opposite former divisional king Georges St-Pierre, who returned to action at UFC 217 to defeat Michael Bisping via submission to claim the middleweight championship (GSP later vacated the title).

The only problem for Woodley is that GSP has put his career on hiatus (once again) after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Leave it up to “T-Wood” to try and bait the welterweight legend back to the 170-pound rankings, while offering a bold prediction in the process.

“I’d say that’s my big prediction for 2018,” Woodley explained during a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show. “Big prediction for me is I fight Georges St-Pierre on my first fight back. Georges, my shoulder is sore. I can’t even punch. Georges, I can’t even punch. I can’t punch. Georges, it’s hard to sleep. Georges, if you want to fight me brother, this is the time. If you want to get me Georges, it’s right now. He’s a G. He would exit the sport and nobody would give him that much stuff for losing to me.”

Woodley has done his best over the past few months to score a megafight with St-Pierre and really solidify his role as one of UFC’s biggest stars. Unfortunately, the champ’s efforts have fallen by the wayside, which at one point had Woodley thinking about a move up to 185 pounds to fight St-Pierre there.

While GSP has stated in the past that he’s not scared of fighting Woodley, “Chosen One” remains adamant that the Canadian mixed martial artist doesn’t want a piece of the king.

“You think Georges [St-Pierre] wants to fight me?” Woodley asked. “You think Georges wants to fight me? Georges had the chance to fight me before [Michael] Bisping. He chose to fight Bisping. It was definitely a better fight, because if would have came back against me looking like that, Georges would have been right back in retirement. He did not look great. Bisping did not look great. One thing that helped Georges in that fight was his experience. He loosened up. He was a little uptight. He hadn’t been in the Octagon in what, 4 years almost?”

Even though St-Pierre’s camp has already stated that he’d be open to a return against current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, it doesn’t hurt to try if you’re Woodley. After all, McGregor has his hands full at 155 pounds and UFC president Dana White has already nixed the idea of a McGregor vs. GSP superfight.

So if Woodley continues his pursuit of St-Pierre there’s a good chance he lands the massive welterweight contest sometime this summer, maybe even for the promotion’s July extravaganza in Las Vegas.