Tyron Woodley is ready to return to the cage.
It’s been more than three years since the former UFC welterweight world champion has strapped on a pair of four-ounce gloves, but after a stint in boxing that saw him suffer back-to-back losses against Jake Paul, ‘The Chosen One’ is ready to break back into the world of MMA.
JAKE PAUL KNOCKED TYRON WOODLEY THE FUCK OUT
pic.twitter.com/xla3J2gM9Z— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 19, 2021
“I’m working on a comeback, not that I ever left, but a lot of people thought I had retired from fighting,” Woodley told Brian Mazique. “I needed some time to be normal. In 2021, after I fought those two fights against Jake [Paul], I just really took the next years to travel and go to concerts … I took myself off the grid. From the age of 10 to 40 with no brakes, 30 years straight through. It was my first break in my athletic career ever.
“In 2023, there was a lot of cap. A lot of people say they wanted to fight; Floyd [Mayweather] said he wanted to fight. Manny [Pacquiao] said he wanted to fight. KSI wanted to fight. One was down to a contract, but none of them went through.
“Now that I have everything in position, I can focus on getting this body back into shape and getting ready to do more destruction.”
Tyron Woodley gives a hint about returning to MMA
VIA | @UniqueMazique #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/LZ6o9Arduj
— FEDZ_MMA (@Fedzmma) October 7, 2024
Tyron Woodley Hopes to Find His First Win Since 2018
After making a name for himself under the Strikeforce banner, Woodley’s UFC run got off to a rocky start—going 3-2 in his first five fights with losses against Jake Shields and Rory MacDonald. Three bouts later, he would defeat Robbie Lawler to claim the 170-pound title.
He defended the belt four times, including wins over Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Demian Maia, and Darren Till.
Woodley surrendered the title to Kamaru Usman in March 2019 in what would be the first of a four-fight losing streak that would ultimately see him separate from the promotion. He has not competed in MMA since. Woodley went on to fight Jake Paul twice in 2021, coming up short via unanimous decision in August of that year before being brutally KO’d in their second meeting four months later.
Overall, the 42-year-old Missouri native is 19-7-1 in MMA with six wins by knockout and another six via submission.
Watch the full interview below:
