Tyron Woodley: My next fight will be for the world title
Tyron Woodley was fresh off making weight for his canceled UFC 192 fight against Johny Hendricks when he told Megan Olivi that he simply wouldn't have any interest in booking another date with his former NCAA Big 12 wrestling rival. "I'm not interested. This was our opportunity," he said.
"This was the time. It's kind of a nasty taste in my mouth right now. I just want the title. ... I wanted to fight him to get where I'm going anyway, so that would be backtracking at this point."
Woodley clearly still hadn't gotten over the disappointment of training for an entire camp, making weight and still not getting to fight since Hendricks was unable to make weight. However, after UFC president Dana White said that Woodley would get to fight for the welterweight world championship next (though he's since backed away a bit from that promise), it isn't all bad news.
"It's unfortunate. I am taking the bitter with the sweet," Woodley said.
"I will be fighting my next fight for the world title, and I'm excited about that."
Champion and Woodley's American Top Team teammate Robbie Lawler is the reigning 170-pound champ. He defends his belt next in January at UFC 195 against Carlos Condit.
In 2014, Woodley scored a TKO over Condit. Since that fight, Woodley has won twice more and Condit once.
The wrestler clearly believes that he deserves a shot at the belt and insisted that he'll wait if he needs to. "I'm just going to enjoy this weekend with my family, get right back to training, so I'm good," he said.
"I'm willing to wait for the right fight."
