Big money fights are still are on the mind of current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title holder Tyron Woodley. “The Chosen One” will defend his gold against Stephen Thompson at UFC 209 on March 4. The two competed in a title bout back at UFC 205. Woodley retained his title, but it was thanks to a majority draw.
Woodley has said he believes he clearly won the fight and shouldn’t even be in a rematch with “Wonderboy.” He eyed Nick Diaz, Georges St. Pierre, and Michael Bisping. Woodley finally agreed to give Thompson another shot at the title.
The champion hasn’t taken his mind off the Diaz match. He feels upper management dropped the ball when it came to Diaz’s offer (via MMAFighting.com):
“I think it’s a missed opportunity for the UFC to push someone that is a legend for the sport. An all-time top five welterweight, someone I saw a lot in Strikeforce and always, it was more of a respect thing that, I think someone who has done that much for the sport, it was getting to the point where the platform was higher than the paycheck, he probably should have been able to fight.”
“T-Wood” said he understands that challengers such as Thompson and Demian Maia are necessary to legitimize his run as the 170-pound king. He also feels fights against big name opponents will push him towards greatness.
“There are about five or six fights in my career that, I really think are the fights to show I’m the best welterweight ever. Obviously a rematch with [Thompson] at some point is one of those fights. Also Demian Maia is one, he’s caught in a holster and he is deserving. You think about the Diaz brothers, you think about Conor [McGregor], you think about Georges St-Pierre, all of them are big fights.”
