Tyron Woodley On Nick Diaz Title Shot: I’ll Ask The UFC If That Fight Will Be Airing On Comedy Central

Rising UFC welterweight contender Tyron Woodley won by far the biggest bout of his blossoming mixed martial arts career when he beat former interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit at Saturday’s UFC 171.

However, the win was marred by a second round knee injury to Condit, leaving Woodley’s desired title shot up in the air in the most wide-open division in the sport. The anticlimactic ending lead to a ton of speculation that Condit may have come back to win the later rounds, but we’ll never know.

Woodley appeared on today’s “The MMA Hour” to discuss how the injury has put a severe black eye on what should have been a celebratory moment:

“I think that the good stories always make the front page. People fail to realize that it was seven minutes into the fight; I was winning the fight. I won the first round, I was winning the first two minutes of the second round, and I had no intention of slowing down the pace.

So for me, it was going as planned. It was actually initiated by an offensive takedown. I timed a great double leg, I ran through him like a freight train, and when I saw him wincing or hurting, I went after the leg.

If you submit someone with an armbar, if you choke them out, if you punch somebody in the jaw and you break their jaw or you kick them in the body and they can’t continue, it’s the same concept. It’s not like I did like Chris Weidman did, I lifted up my leg to check a leg kick and I broke his leg. I feel like that diminishes all the hard right hands and the takedowns and the things I did before that.”

Hoping to lock up a coveted 170-pound title shot with a win over Condit, instead Woodley is forced to wait the UFC’s decision on the next championship contender. New champ Johny Hendricks hurt his elbow in the first round of his unanimous decision victory over Woodley’s teammate Robbie Lawler, so it’s unknown when he’ll be back.

When he returns, there’s a very long list of elite fighters waiting to fight him, so Woodley may or may not be next. He touched on his frustration at the way his huge win has been viewed, noting that he felt Condit would have got an immediate title shot:

“I just beat the No. 2 guy in the world, you know, I shoulda been able to enjoy that. I knew what people were going to do; they were going to be asking questions about, “What if the fight would have went on?” What if I would have turned it up to 10 and I was only on 5?

I think that if he would have won, I think it would have been an immediate pairing, immediate match up. I just didn’t really like how that went down. You can only deny, you can’t deny. I will be the world champion; I will be the best in the world.

If they give the title shot, they should, it’s the right move; if they don’t, I won’t cry over spilled milk.”

Woodley moved on to blast both the suddenly back Nick Diaz and Rory MacDonald:

“Diaz, sitting on the sidelines. If you wanted the title shot brother, why didn’t you get in that cage with Carlos Condit when you had a chance? You shouldn’t have been sitting ringside; you should have been in there; you had the opportunity before me.”

Rory MacDonald, why didn’t you take the opportunity when you had the opportunity. I feel like everybody’s tooting the horn. Diaz is trying to get it all off pay-per-view buys, hype, and drama. I think I’m great for the company and I deserve it, so I think I should be at the front of the line.”

Woodley makes some great points, but he also has a ton of top-level contenders to step ahead of. Based on name recognition, Woodley likely has another fight or two to win before he gets his chance.

But he’s undoubtedly more deserving than Diaz. Woodley closed by saying it would be a joke if the trash-talking bad boy somehow got the next title shot:

“I would ask them if this going to be a pay-per-view fight, or is it going to be on Comedy Central? Because last time I checked, he hasn’t beaten a wrestler probably ever in his career, and he hasn’t won since 2011.

So how does he come in after he lost to Carlos Condit, which he has the chance to redeem his loss; he didn’t take it. He’s sitting ringside taunting Johny, I just don’t think on merit alone, I don’t think he deserves it. I think he lacks integrity and I think he lacks merit, and if they give him the title shot, I’ll be very furious with it.”

Given Diaz’ history for talking his way into big fights, Woodley might be very disappointed quite soon. Will “The Chosen One” live up to his nickname, or will he be overlooked in favor of the huge payday that Diaz provides?

Photo: Tom Szczerbowski for USA TODAY Sports