UFC President Dana White has clearly stated that the next person in line for the welterweight title is the winner of Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown, however Tyron Woodley believes that he or UFC 174 opponent Rory MacDonald will likely take that position.
Tyron Woodley: This will be my last three round fight
For that to happen, the co-main event winner would likely have to put on the performance of their lives.
The 32-year-old says that he is not looking past MacDonald, however he does feel that this will be his last time fighting a 15-minute battle.
“I’m focussing on fighting Rory MacDonald, I think he’s an opponent that deserves full attention and I think he brings a lot of skills and threats to the table,” Woodley told MMASucka.com. “I think a good performance over the number two and three guy in the world is the number one contender in the world. I think in my opinion this will be my last three round fight that’s not a championship fight. I plan on every fight from now on being me fighting for the title or me defending the title.”
It’s hard to believe that Woodley has only been in the UFC for one-year. He made his debut with the organization back in February 2013 with a knockout win over Jay Hieron at UFC 156. He was undefeated until his final Strikeforce fight, where he lost to Nate Marquardt for the vacant welterweight title. The journey will continue, as he looks to climb the rankings and eventually get the 170-pound gold.
“Sometimes I’ve won fights and I felt better losing to Nate Marquardt because I was in this slugfest and I showed everybody that I’m not just this wrestler,” Woodley said. “I felt better about that loss then some of my wins where I played it close and conservative. I think the way I took that loss and came back in one year, I’ve only been in the UFC for one year. In one year I’ve made more noise than any fighter who’s ever came to the UFC. I’m ranked number three in the world in one year. I’ve taken on and asked for the toughest opponents — I haven’t had an easy fight.”
MacDonald will have a very loud advantage on Saturday night, as this fight takes place in his home province of British Columbia. Woodley says he will be cancelling that out with his Monster Octagon Headphones and only worries about coming into this fight with a healthy body and good mindset.
“The way he [MacDonald] speaks, he acts like he blocks out everything and it’s business no matter where and what. For me, I don’t get a rise out of people booing me. I think [Josh] Koscheck used to and also I don’t get a rise out of people cheering me, because those are the same people who say you’re the worst fighter ever if you have a close fight. I’m just trying to get a rise off having a great training camp, having great trainers, having a good circle and being healthy. Sometimes it’s just being healthy, there have been fights I’ve fought with hands all tore up, back is all sore and neck and nobody hears about those things. But really the amount of cross training we do, it’s surprising that fighters make it to the cage. Mentally, I feel a sense of peace with Saturday coming up.”
The American Top Team fighter does not feel like he will be in hostile territory inside the Rogers Arena, in fact he doesn’t think MacDonald has as big a following in Vancouver as people are making it out to be.
“I really don’t think Rory MacDonald has this huge following in Vancouver like people think. He’s not Georges St-Pierre, this is not Montreal. I think that he has a lot of fans generally, but I think that Vancouver fans like MMA and they might like me, they might like him, but I think they respect what I bring to the table and they respect that I respect him.”
