Tyron Woodley Targets Early 2018 Return Date Following Shoulder Surgery
Tyron Woodley isn’t going to let shoulder surgery keep him out of action for very long.
The reigning welterweight champion just had arthroscopic surgery performed on his right shoulder by Dr. James Andrews, one of the leading sports surgeons in the world, and he’s already started his rehabilitation in Florida.
According to Woodley, the surgery will definitely benefit him going forward and thanks to a quick recovery time he doesn’t expect to be sidelined for very long at all.
“Just with the stem cell and PRP (platelet rich plasma), the new technology and science, I’m gonna be fighting in the first quarter of next year,” Woodley told TMZ. “In two months, I’ll be punching something.”
That’s welcome news for the top fighters in the welterweight division, who have been clamoring for a shot at Woodley and the title over these past few months.
Woodley last defended his belt in July with a unanimous decision victory against Demian Maia.
As for who’s next, Woodley admits he hasn’t been all that impressed by the current crop of contenders and that includes former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, who is fresh off a win over Robbie Lawler in his last fight.
While dos Anjos has been pushing for a title shot, Woodley doesn’t seem all that interested although he added that if the UFC makes that fight, he’ll absolutely accept but it’s not the top fighter on his wish list.
“I wasn’t too impressed with him, I’m going to be honest and I said it to his face,” Woodley said about dos Anjos. “I wasn’t too impressed with the performance. Just because people are punching and swinging, if you’re punching and swinging and you’re missing or you’re hitting gloves and elbows, that ain’t precision to me. When you’re landing good powerful shots and making it count, and I wasn’t really thrilled with the IQ of both guys.
“Would I be open to fighting him? Yeah. But is he the top fighter on my list? No.”
For now, Woodley will continue to rehabilitate his surgically repaired shoulder before booking his next fight in 2018.
