Tyron Woodley Exclusive Interview with NewBettingSites.uk

Exclusive with Tyron Woodley: I am helping Jon Jones pursue the Francis Ngannou fight, McGregor-Holloway announcement shows UFC ‘are feeling the pressure’, McGregor gets KO’d when Max tells him to stand and fight

Speaking to newbettingsites.uk, former UFC champion Tyron Woodley discusses Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway and his one return to action.

Can Jon Jones really break his contract legally?

Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather. My lawyer is the lawyer that actually gave Audie [Attar] and Conor the play and the manoeuvre to do it through the Ali Act. His name is Sam Spira. He doesn't get a lot of credit for it.

If Jon wanted to fight Francis Ngannou, there is a legal way where he can do it. It’s not going to be a cakewalk, but have the legal team deal with it.

Jon texted me afterwards, because Jon knows me. He knows if I say something, I’m not going to be sugarcoating it. As I was saying it on air, my lawyer was watching it, so he sent me a text message of exactly the injunction he would have to do, how he would have to file it, and the process.

It’s going to be a battle, but this is the way you can do it. Jon asked me himself, he said, “Tyron, send me that lawyer’s number that knows that play.” I said fine, and I forwarded him my lawyer’s info.

Does Jon follow through with it?

I would say he has the information he needs, if he legally wants to pursue that. But he is doing well business-wise. He’s got a lot of things keeping him busy.

He’s mentoring and training Gable Steveson, he has Dirty Boxing, he has a lot of streaming opportunities and appearances, training and seminars. So if he wants to fight, he’s got the information to do it. The ball’s in his court.

What do you make of the Ronda criticism?

What do y'all want? You want us to fight in the long fight, stressing our family members out. You can get cut, you can slip on a damn logo and fall on your back, and somebody ends up in the top position for too long. If you get a chance, if you get a submission, if you get a clean shot, you finish it.

UFC announced Conor McGregor’s return during Ngannou’s ring walk?

Real Gs move in silence. When you’re the top dog, you ain’t got to speak to everybody that’s got a fight going on. Clearly, they must have gotten underneath their skin.

I’m surprised they did it. If I’m the top dog, I’m not responding to somebody that’s supposed to be beneath me. I’m not going to do that. So you’re showing that you feel some pressure.

You’re like, “we got a big one, we got Conor and Max,” but you can’t deny what just happened.

Twenty-something million people watched Ronda come back. We saw Gina lose 100 pounds. You get Mike Perry that comes back and has his best MMA fight of his life. Francis looked good too.

Max Holloway seems a bad choice for Conor McGregor’s return?

Max is a tougher fight than Chandler. Conor could have fought Chandler at the White House had they had figured out the business. It would have been a three-round fight. Maybe they couldn't trust Conor to show up.

But I feel like Conor’s got a better chance of trying to come out on top in that fight. Chandler's more likely to walk forward and be over-aggressive, and you can maybe try to catch him.

Max is going to be countering, slipping, ripping, in your face, pointing at the line. McGregor being “I’m the tough man” type is going to step up at that moment. You’re probably going to get knocked out when you do it.

Over the last couple of years, Max has been active in the UFC, so I think it’s really an opportunity for Max to get his lick back. Conor is going to make so much money, it doesn’t even matter, really, what happens to him.

He’s just going to go out there and fight and make money. Win, lose or draw, we’re going to watch. I think Max is going to win. I think he stops Conor.

You’ve been behind the scenes at MVP and UFC, how do you compare them?

When you include Netflix, you can’t ever make a comparison [between the UFC and MVP]. I’m talking about the Ritz-Carlton, Netflix special brunch with the producers, Jon had his name stitched into his pillow, the riders, what’s in your trailer, how early you get there, the rehearsals, the wardrobe. It’s nothing comparative, because Netflix understands go big or go home.

100 percent [MVP MMA can compete with UFC] I know they can because I know what fighters respond well to. What makes us feel good? Treatment. You can pay us less and treat us great, and we may go with you because we’d just rather be treated well than make another $20,000.

Who would you like to fight on Netflix?

I’d fight Adensanya because I just don’t like people that I feel like are fake. I think he’s a great fighter. I think it’s a hard matchup for me, but with that kind of motivation, I think I’ll be able to figure it out.

I would do it in a heartbeat. For sure. It’s an international fight. UK, Africa, U.S., barbershops, inner cities, anybody coming from nothing, both of us kind of got that story.

And I really think he is corny. He may have real feelings about me. But the UFC is not going to let that happen, because they know I can probably beat him, and they don’t want to even let me get that over.

Who else do you want to box?

I want to do a couple boxing fights, and I want to end on MMA. My body’s a little beat up, so I’m just recovering and getting better.

I’ve been training with James Toney, training f***ing hard actually. It’s a whole new level of striking, knowing where I’m at, movements, and things I did wrong in fighting. My only mistake was backing up. You don’t see James Toney back up very often.

A Darren Till boxing fight would be an exciting fight for me. I’m up for that one.

Luke Rockhold is supposed to be my dog. But any time he has something to say, he’s like, “Tyron’s not really there anymore.” Dude, you just got killed by somebody I beat like a drum. I beat Darren Till like he stole $5 from my daughter. He didn’t land one punch in my face the whole time.

I would want to box Luke. Luke is longer and he’s heavier than me, so if I start f***ing Luke up, he can just try to go to jiu-jitsu and some other shit. I would want to box him, because I just feel like he ain’t got no hands.

If Jon does want the fight, is his protege Gable Steveson ready for Ngannou?

Gable could beat Ngannou in a couple years. The Francis I saw right now is a way tougher matchup for Gable than Aspinall, for sure. I feel like Aspinall is a very favourable matchup for Gable.

Gable is not scared to throw, he’s not scared to get hit, and he’s constantly figuring things out. He’s got a good IQ, he wants to learn, he’s having fun with it. Francis doesn't look like he’s having no goddamn fun.

I think in a year or so he would have enough skills to beat him. I think in two or three years, I think he will dominate him.

Could Jake Paul vs Francis Ngannou happen in boxing?

I can't see Francis being in great shape for eight rounds, and if Jake can stay away from getting hit, that is a whole other story. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened in boxing.

Jake has been in it with Anthony, so he’s going to have that experience. When you have a real fighter that size, punching, cutting you off and moving like a linebacker, I think cardio-wise and conditioning-wise, Jake will remember how that felt, and he’ll do something a little bit different.

Boxing only, though. No Francis being in MMA with him, because those leg kicks. I don’t remember Francis having leg kicks like that. Maybe I was always looking at the uppercut, but you get kicked with a couple of them, bro, it’s like getting hit with the bottom of a stop sign.

Jake Paul always does things we don't expect. Don’t be surprised if it happens.

If Jake Paul never fights again, what legacy does he leave?

What legacy does Jake leave if his jaw prevents him from fighting again? Conquering all odds, he created a lane that started off as just an influencer boxer to being a brand for athletes and artists that has massive influence. Then mashing them up with the proper outlet, the proper location, the proper marketing, and making these fights that are like, “damn, it’s the fight you didn’t know you needed to see.”

They found a way to do that, and it connected all of their different streaming assets to everything. They created a brand and system that seems to be working in the current culture. You can’t take that away from him.

Colby Covington has retired - what is his legacy?

His whole brand was modelled around an act that he was such a Trump supporter, America this and that, when really he was just a Drake-listening, Beats headphones-wearing, hanging out in Miami, thinking he’s a gangster guy, who put on an act and a character.

Your whole thing was baiting. Colby was piggybacking that because it was causing controversy. He wanted to create his own version of being a heel, but in MMA. I paid Colby weekly to be a training partner for Rory just to torture him.

He was an opportunist who took advantage of a quiet moment in MMA. I would say he’s tough. I would say he’s durable. I would say he’s a person that doesn’t work very hard, but he has crazy cardio.

People hated him in the gym because he wouldn’t work very hard, but he had a gas tank, and he knew staying close to you was the best for him. He found a way to do that.

He talked himself into positions that his record and ranking weren’t ever in. The sport was quiet. Ronda was gone, Jon was chilling out, Conor was out, and nobody was there, so we were willing to listen to him.

He’s an opportunist that took advantage of a moment where the sport was quiet with stars, and we were just willing to listen to WWE and go with the ride with him. That’s his legacy.

Topuria was saying he’d choke Islam in front of Khabib?

He’s not just saying that and fronting. He means it. I feel like he’s basically saying, “You can get it, Islam, and so can Khabib.” If Khabib wants to be in there with you, trying to take my arms off your neck, I don’t care.

He didn’t say knock you out. He’s telling you, I know you’re a wrestler, I can also beat you in your own stuff.

I f*** with Ilia. Ilia is hard to get to. He doesn’t say much. Very secluded, very private, very exclusive. He’s a bigger star than Conor, he’s a way better fighter, he’s a great fighter. I think he’s just actually saying what he feels.