Tyron Woodley: GSP Is My Number One Pick

A new face graces the top of the UFC welterweight mountain, and his name is Tyron ‘The Chosen One’ Woodley.

Woodley got his long-awaited shot at UFC gold Saturday night (July 30, 2016), when he took on reigning 170-pound king ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler in the main event of UFC 201. Woodley didn’t waste any time to cash in on his self-proclaimed destiny, as he starched Lawler with a vicious overhand right to secure his first career UFC title.

Now coming fresh off his jaw-dropping victory, Woodley spoke on The MMA Hour today (August 1, 2016), to claim that his monstrous accomplishment has not yet sunk in, as well as detailing his long journey to the UFC welterweight throne.

 

When asked if he knew Lawler was finished after the devastating overhand right landed flush on ‘Ruthless” chin, Woodley claimed he knew all along he was going to land it sooner or later:

“Man I knew it. I knew it and I knew it was gonna land, I’m not gonna say I knew I was gonna knock him out with that particular punch, but I knew I was gonna land that punch. 

“I was prepared, I was ready, and there was nothing that led me to believe that it was not my time.”

Woodley is wasting no time to use his newfound championship fame to hit the big screen, as ‘The Chosen One’ revealed his is currently in the works for five potential films including the filming of a Marvel film on Thursday in Atlanta:

“I’ve already committed to three movies in the last three days, and I have two others that I might not be able to do. So that’s five potential films I could still be working on. I’m working on a Marvel movie on Thursday in Atlanta.”

Its no secret now that Woodley is looking to cash in on his championship opportunities by calling out 170-pound great Georges St-Pierre and the always-entertaining Nick Diaz for potential bouts.

Woodley wants to solidify himself as one of, if not the, greatest welterweights of all time, and who better to do that against than two future Hall of Famers?

“I want to say I’m the best in the world. As of right now I’m the UFC welterweight champion of the world. People can say I’m the best in the world, but I’ve never fought Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz is not a retired fighter.

“So, why not compete against Nick Diaz, who is definitely a top five, I feel like his other brother is cashing in on the big payday, but I also feel like Nick Diaz has brought enough attention to the sport raising up eyebrows, putting enough butts in the seats to sell pay-per-view buys.

“Well, maybe he kind of deserves, since we’re using this word deserves so much, maybe he deserves to cash out. And that’s why I made the suggestion cause UFC 202 is three weeks away, I’m in great shape, and I know he’s training with his brother getting him ready for this fight.”

“Secondly, Georges St-Pierre is the best of all time. I can say ‘I’m better that Georges’, but I have not competed against him to make that bold statement. If Georges St-Pierre decides that he wants to come back, and he’s interested in fighting me, which he is, that’s going to be my number one pick, but in hindsight I would like to fight both of them.

“I would like to prepare myself, get through Georges St-Pierre, shock the world once again, and after that I would like to fight Nick Diaz as well.”

The new welterweight champ believes that, shortly following his victory over Lawler, UFC President Dana White was already getting calls from St-Pierre and Diaz’s management to begin talks for a potential match between the new face at 170 pounds:

“I think they were already getting calls. I think Dana kept on looking at me and smiling and saying ‘We’ll talk soon, we’ll talk soon, I’ll call you on the phone.’

“I think Georges and Nick, before I even stated it showed interest. I’m pretty sure Nick’s managers had already started hitting Dana up about fighting.”

When asked if he will be able to make a potential meeting between Diaz or St-Pierre at the upcoming blockbuster card in New York due to his film commitments, Woodley was adamant that it will not interfere with his Octagon career, as opposed to former women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey:

“For sure. I’m not doing what Ronda is doing, I’m not doing like a super long six-month stretch. I got two weeks on this movie, I got three days on another movie, I’m not going to be on these long stretches so I’ll be fine. I’m not going to let myself get out of shape man, I didn’t get punched one time on Saturday.”

With such a dominant win over one of the most decorated welterweight to step into the Octagon, Woodley is looking for an upgrade when it comes to his current UFC contract, and believes he will get it if he is awarded a fight against the likes of St-Pierre:

“I believe so. I can’t imagine that someone could go out there, and put on that kind of performance against a guy who was the fighter of the year, who probably had the Fight of the Year this year with Carlos.

“The Fight of the Year last year with Rory, it’s funny that Robbie say he didn’t get the respect. I think he was given the proper respect, I think he had to tell himself that to keep the chip off his shoulder.

“Just in general it was weird hearing him say that, and he’s a very very highly regarded, very loved fighter of the UFC. And for me to completely destroy him like that man, I would expect a nice contract, change, and some different incentives in there, especially leading into the GSP fight.”

While it looks like current No. 1-ranked Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson will have to wait for a shot at welterweight gold, that is, if Woodley has anything to say about it, it’s looking more and more like a colossal showdown between Woodley and returning box office attractions St-Pierre and Diaz is becoming the route UFC brass wants to go down.