One week ago today, Tyron Woodley was knocked out by Jake Paul. However, three years ago today, the then-UFC champion Woodley envisioned knocking out Conor McGregor.
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On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 25, 2018, 6:41 PM]
Headline: Tyron Woodley Envisions Knocking Conor McGregor Out
Tyron Woodley has reason to believe he could be knocking out Conor McGregor in the future.
Tyron Woodley and Conor McGregor have had their names linked together in the past, beginning as early in 2016 after a backstage incident at UFC 205, the same event McGregor would become the first champion in two different weight classes simultaneously.
One idea floated around for McGregor’s next performance following this achievement was potentially moving up to challenge Tyron Woodley at welterweight. Woodley welcomed the idea, but McGregor would not compete again after UFC 205 until earlier this year at UFC 229, when Conor McGregor made his long-awaited return to attempt to reclaim the lightweight championship against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
One of the millions of viewers for that showdown was Tyron Woodley himself, who came away with an even bigger confidence boost should a bout between him and McGregor ever materialize:
“Yeah,” Woodley responded in an appearance on Fair Game with Kristine Leahy on whether he believes he’d defeat Conor McGregor, “especially after watching him fight Khabib. You know, Khabib is dope, and he was undefeated. When it comes down to overall martial arts and being able to be a great striker, and power, and wrestling, and defense, and striking, I think Khabib is dope for his pressure and his wrestling. But his striking is not the greatest in his division, and he was able to knock Conor down. So if Khabib could knock you down, I think I might be able to knock you out,” Woodley said.
It has been rumored that a bout between McGregor and Woodley could have actually happened, with rumblings of a potential interim welterweight title fight between McGregor and Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 224.
Had McGregor been victorious, both Woodley and McGregor would have gotten their wish: McGregor would have an opportunity to claim even more gold in his UFC career, while Woodley would finally get the big money fight he has longed for.
But with McGregor now fixated on earning his way back to Khabib and Woodley with a dual-title threat of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, a Woodley vs. McGregor bout may just end up on the long list of matchups that never was.
Do you believe Tyron Woodley would knock Conor McGregor out if the two were to clash in the Octagon?
