Tyron Woodley Feels He’s the Only Logical Opponent for Conor McGregor If He Wins at UFC 229
Tyron Woodley won’t go as far as saying he’s rooting for Conor McGregor to beat Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 but he might have a vested interest in the outcome.
It wasn’t all that long ago that McGregor was touting the possibility of claiming a third UFC title after he became the first ever simultaneous two division champion while holding the lightweight and featherweight belts.
McGregor even had a chance encounter with Woodley ahead of UFC 205 back in 2016 as he was preparing to face Eddie Alvarez the next day when he became lightweight champion.
Woodley, fresh off a second round submission win over Darren Till at UFC 228, admits that should McGregor get past Nurmagomedov on Oct. 6 that he’d be more than willing to welcome the Irishman back to the welterweight division.
“Just for selfish purposes, if Conor wins then the only fight that makes sense for him is to fight me. Try to get a third belt,” Woodley said on his ‘Hollywood Beatdown’ show on TMZ.
On paper, Woodley says that Nurmagomedov probably has the edge over McGregor based on his wrestling and ground control but that doesn’t mean the outspoken Irishman can’t win the fight.
If McGregor is victorious, Woodley would have no problem accepting a fight with him in 2019 after his upcoming surgery to repair damage to his right hand.
“My mind says when I put on my analyst hat, my mind says Khabib [wins] but my bank account and my legacy in this sport says Conor,” Woodley joked. “[I would take that fight] in a heartbeat.”
McGregor has twice fought at 170 pounds in the UFC for a pair of fights against Nate Diaz where he went 1-1 back in 2016. Now Diaz has more experience at welterweight but he’s actually a natural 155-pound fighter so in reality McGregor has never faced a true fighter from that division.
There’s also a long list of contenders including Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman, who would probably object rather loudly if McGregor somehow skipped the line to face Woodley for the belt instead of them.
Still, Woodley welcomes the challenge if McGregor’s willing because he knows exactly how that fight would play out.
“I would smash him,” Woodley said. “He’s too little. He’s got one punch. What fighter have I ever fought that’s been able to beat me with one tool? Conor, I’ll beat your ass.”
