Is Tyron Woodley’s resume enough to earn him an immediate rematch with Kamaru Usman? If not, who should he fight next?
Sean Covington, Columnist – Covington’s Corner
There’s no way Dana White will even give Woodley another title shot in any division. Demetrius Johnson had to leave the UFC and it won’t be too long before Woodley considers that same option. Dana White hates Woodley and hates certain types of fighters, any fighter that stands up for himself basically. Dana White doesn’t like you unless you like to stay in the house and tend to things in the house, he doesn’t hear the plights of those in the field…I wonder what readers will catch on to that one.
Frank Hyden, Columnist – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
No. Woodley has had some good wins but they’ve also been very close wins. There’s also been some less than exciting wins in there, so it’s even less likely to happen. By his resume alone, no, he doesn’t deserve an immediate rematch. Those should be reserved for fighters who’ve dominated a division for a long time. He can get back into the title picture with a big win in his next fight. As for who that should be against, it’s hard to say exactly. I think having him fight Rafael dos Anjos next would be interesting. Things will have to play out a bit more before that happens, though, but if Woodley can get a big win in his next fight, he could probably jump back into the title picture. An immediate rematch, though, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Gary Meigs, MMATorch Contributor
I believe just being the former champion should earn him a rematch. Any titleholder who loses his belt should be entitled to a rematch. As for who he could fight next without the rematch, another fight with Darren Till would be nice.
Christian Moore, MMATorch Contributor
Obviously yes. He was the current longest reigning champion, and defended the belt four times, more than so many others that have been given immediate rematches. Will he get it? Absolutely not. Dana White’s hatred towards Woodley has been very obvious, and Woodley definitely won’t get a rematch soon, or possibly ever. That being said, if this happens, I see 1 of 2 things happening. We’ll obviously get Usman/Covington, and I guess Woodley then fights RDA or someone like that. Or, he moves up to middleweight which is the best option. OR, he doesn’t take any fight and heads to Bellator. There is really no one in the 175 division for Woodley to fight because he’s either beaten them, won’t get the fight, or takes a fight against someone like RDA.
NEXT: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY FROM UFC 235
Michael Hiscoe, MMATorch Managing Editor
Tyron Woodley’s resume is good enough to warrant a rematch, but his performance on Saturday was not. Considering how dominant Kamaru Usman was over Woodley, there is no incentive to see that rematch. A fight with Usman’s previous victim, Rafael dos Anjos might make the most sense.
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