UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman feels Tyron Woodley is doing himself a disservice.
Usman and Woodley may have done battle but there is mutual respect between the two. Back in March 2019, Usman captured the UFC welterweight title from Woodley. While “The Chosen One” was a tough code to crack as the 170-pound king, Usman turned in a flawless performance.
Usman Believes Woodley Is Hurting Himself
In an interview with MMAFighting.com‘s Damon Martin, Usman expressed his belief that Woodley has a false sense of pull after losing the welterweight title.
“This whole situation has kind of thrown a damper on things, but I feel like Tyron is holding himself back for god knows what,” Usman told MMA Fighting. “Cause you’re not getting any younger. You’re a talented guy. You’ve got a lot of skills. The only way for you to get back to the title is just to fight.
“Fight, guys. It doesn’t matter who you fight. Say yes to everybody. Go out there and fight, and I know he’s not saying yes to everybody.
“But say yes to anyone that they throw in front of you, and you go out there and knock out enough guys, guess what? They have no choice but to give you a title shot. This whole pick and choose who you want, this and that, that’s not working for you. Because the only thing you’re wasting is time.”
Woodley hasn’t competed since his March 2019 loss to Usman. He has made it clear that he doesn’t believe in signing on for every fight the UFC offers him. The former welterweight king was even against the idea of fighting Leon Edwards in London but he eventually took the fight. The bout hasn’t come to fruition as the event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
