Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is the clear cut #1 contender in the welterweight division.
However, welterweight champ Tyron Woodley isn’t necessarily pumped up about the idea of fighting RDA.
Woodley, who is coming off recent shoulder surgery, has stated publicly that he doesn’t think there are any clear contenders in the division right now.
Woodley continues to say that former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is the opponent he wants and that he will tell fighters such as dos Anjos, Colby Covington, and Kamaru Usman to wait a little longer.
The welterweight champion is all about wanting to take money fights these days and has got into it publicly with UFC President Dana White.
RDA, who is fresh off a win over former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in December, recently spoke with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour about why he believes Woodley waited so long to have shoulder surgery.
“Here’s the thing: I was ready to fight Woodley,” dos Anjos said Monday on The MMA Hour. “After I beat (Robbie) Lawler (last December), I thought that Woodley would be the next guy.
“Long story short, after the Demian Maia fight, after Woodley fought Demian, he knew he hurt his shoulder. He should get surgery right away. He took six months to get surgery, right? And then he wants to fight (Michael) Bisping, and then he wants to fight (Nate) Diaz, and then GSP, then Conor (McGregor). None of these fights happened, so he knew the next guy in line was me. So I was told that he would be ready to fight in November, December. I said no, I can’t wait that long.
“I told Sean Shelby I can’t wait that long. My last fight was December 2017. I can’t wait until December 2018. It’s one year. I have a family, I have things to do.”
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” dos Anjos. “I don’t think it’s not to fight me. He wants to fight somebody else. He wants to fight a big name. That’s what it looks like, because I was told that he said, ‘Okay, I’ll be ready to fight in June with GSP.’ No, no, Tyron, you’re going to fight RDA. ‘No, no. RDA, only in November.’ That’s it, man. I can’t wait. I have a life.
RDA is slated to fight Covington for the interim welterweight title at the upcoming UFC 225 pay-per-view event.
“I have bills to pay, like anybody, and I can’t just wait for one guy. Man, he got hurt with Maia. He should get surgery the next day. For me, as a fighter, I don’t want lose six months. Even when he had an injury, he still wanted to fight Nate Diaz. I don’t get it. If you need surgery, and you’re willing to take a fight with somebody?So I think he’s just trying to get a bigger fight, a bigger name.”
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