I think it’s safe to say Dana White isn’t the biggest fan of Tyron Woodley.
Earlier this week, White took a dig at Woodley by stating that the 170-pound division will ‘move on’ with or without ‘T-Wood’ defending his title, and the UFC president followed up on Friday at the UFC 231 ceremonial weigh-ins by ridiculing the reigning champ for ‘never’ wanting to fight.
“Woodley,” White said when asked who he thought was responsible for holding up the welterweight division (h/t Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting). “When is Woodley ready to fight anybody ever?”
According to White, the UFC had to jump through hurdles to get Woodley to defend his title against Darren Till, who he battered and submitted with a D’Arce choke in the second round of the UFC 228 main event earlier this year.
“And it took us forever to get him to fight that fight,” White continued. “Guy never wants to fight. You want to be a world champion, but you don’t want to fight anybody. That’s a problem.”
The head president reiterated that the welterweight division will move on with or without Woodley.
“You know what happens? The world moves on without you, boys,” White said. “That’s what happens. We’ll see how this thing plays out. Obviously, I’ve got to deal with this down here and I’ll go home Saturday night after the fight and we’ll get this stuff figured out next week.”
The UFC want Woodley back in the Octagon for UFC 233 on Jan. 26, but it’s looking like ‘The Chosen One’ won’t be fully recovered from his thumb injury.
White doesn’t have much sympathy for Woodley’s condition.
“You have to understand, I know guys like Conor McGregor, I know all the guys behind the scenes,” he said. “Don’t you guys remember the thing when Conor McGregor said, ‘Who needs a thumb? You don’t even need a thumb to fight.’ Conor fought with so many injuries that it’s ridiculous. Even times that Conor doesn’t say it publicly.
“So when you’re used to dealing with guys like that and you get a guy with a thumb, and it’s not just one thing, it’s always something with Woodley.”
When asked about the possibility of Woodley being stripped, White had the following to say.
“I’m not talking about anything, I’m just saying fights will continue to happen,” he said. “Whether you fight or don’t fight, we’re gonna roll on.”
Amidst all the drama, Woodley has insisted that he will defend his title against Colby Covington, although the current champ didn’t give a timeline for his return.
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