Tyron Woodley wants to talk about ... well, Tyron Woodley.
Unfortunately for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion, the mixed martial arts (MMA) media seems more focused on what opponent Darren Till is doing (or not doing) ahead of this weekend’s title fight.
Probably because the Liverpool slapper has struggled to hit the 170-pound limit in recent years, to the point where the promotion was forced to throw top welterweight contender Kamaru Usman into the mix, just in case Till fails to make it to the Octagon.
The champ, however, would rather you focus on the true professionals of the sport.
“I’m tired of answering questions for his weight,” Woodley told MMA Junkie. “He’s the one that missed weight. He should answer questions about his own weight. People should want to know what I’m doing, how I’m ready, what I’m going to do different, what you guys expect to see from me], why do I think I’m better than this young buck. That’s what I want to focus on. Because, at the end of the day, I’m the one that’s the professional. When have you seen the scale tip over 170 on my scale?”
Never, but there are no accolades for doing the job you are contracted to do.
Despite his success in MMA, Woodley finds it difficult to get the respect he believes he’s entitled to (because of this). Perhaps the promotion is also to blame, as “The Chosen One” insists he’s treated unfairly and only marketed in a way that meets the bare minimum for championship title fights.
That probably won’t change with a victory at UFC 228 this Saturday night (Sept. 8, 2018) inside American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas (full fight card here), but it at least clears the way for a fight against a combatant who is perhaps more loathed than anyone in the sport.
Assuming his “sore vagina” is healed by then.