Tyron Woodley was initially against the idea of fighting Leon Edwards in enemy territory but he warmed up to it.
On March 21, Woodley and Edwards will collide inside the O2 Arena in London, England. The bout will headline the 2020 UFC London card. There was a time when the former UFC welterweight champion said, “f*ck that” to fighting in London. That all changed rather quickly.
Abe Kawa Dishes On Why Woodley Accepted London Bout
Woodley’s manager, Abe Kawa, spoke to MMAJunkie.com. During the interview, Kawa discussed why Woodley decided to ultimately fight Edwards in London.
“I think Tyron looked at the landscape, and he said to himself, ‘OK, I got to get back to the mix of things,” Kawa told MMA Junkie. “We forget: Tyron always fought the No. 1 contender every single time … when we’re now living in the day and age of everybody (calling out) the big superstar, we pick and choose who it’s OK for and who it’s not OK for.”
Kawa went on to say that he feels Edwards has a hard time connecting with the MMA fanbase.
“Tyron ended up with Leon, if that makes any sense,” Kawa said. “Leon, I think has the same problem Kamaru does. People don’t relate; it’s very hard for them to sell a pay-per-view. Great fighters, I take nothing from their skill. I’m not bashing them. I’m saying when Tyron has more fans than that person’s own country … I told Tyron, ‘If you go to London and knock out Leon, you did the same thing Jorge Masvidal did a year ago.’ The only difference is, Masvidal walked in there and took fans from (Darren) Till compared to Tyron going into London and giving fans to Leon.”
Do you think Tyron Woodley made the right choice accepting a bout with Leon Edwards in enemy territory?
