Woodley reiterates he’s not fighting Usman as replacement: ‘This is not a circus to me’

UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is currently scheduled to defend his title against Darren Till at UFC 228. But because of Till’s weight issues,…

By: Milan Ordoñez | 5 years ago
Woodley reiterates he’s not fighting Usman as replacement: ‘This is not a circus to me’
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is currently scheduled to defend his title against Darren Till at UFC 228. But because of Till’s weight issues, there are concerns about him missing the mark for this fight once again.

One fighter that is said to be on tap to replace “The Gorilla” is Kamaru Usman, but it is an idea that Woodley had already opposed to. During a pre-fight media luncheon on Tuesday, “The Chosen One” doubled down on this decision.

“It’s Till or no fight at all,” Woodley said (via MMA Fighting). “I’ll fight Usman on a full training camp,” Woodley said. “I’ll fight anybody on a full training camp. I’ll fight you on a full training camp, but I’m not a guy, this is not a circus to me.”

“No, you’re not going to waste my time, you’re not going to money that I put into training camps, you’re not going to add this one crazy variable and make me feel like I’m the pansy for not taking the fight,” he continued. “No, it’s not what happened. So if he’s making some money for making weight, congratulations, he gets some free bags.”

As for Till, Woodley welcomes the idea of facing an overweight opponent.

“I’m a fighter who likes to focus on the fight. I don’t want to focus on him making weight, that’s out of my control. I’m going to make weight,” Woodley said. “Tell me one time you’ve seen me step on the scale and you didn’t see 170 or less. I’m a professional, I’m going to do what I have to to make weight.”

“Whether he’s 170 or 176, he’s still going to get his ass kicked. That’s something that he has to deal with. And his body is going to be beat up from cutting all that weight. He’s probably not doing it the right way. So, it’s going to be to my benefit if he doesn’t make weight.”

UFC 228 takes place on September 8th in Dallas, Texas.

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Milan Ordoñez
Milan Ordoñez

Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments.

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