UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor have certainly had their issues in the past. When Woodley heard the news that the Irishman had finally made his much-discussed boxing match with Floyd Mayweather happen, however, he could only offer his respect.

“I immediately started thinking in my mind how I’m going to be at the fight, that’s the first thing I thought” Woodley told BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor of his reaction to the news. “Obviously, you know, me and Conor haven’t seen eye-to-eye a couple of times, but from a standpoint of what he does for the sport – I’ve made a lot of money being on the same card as him. Do I really want to sit here and act like I can’t stand this dude or I can’t respect him? I’d be lying to you. I respect the hell out of his hustle, and what he’s done to put himself in this position that he’s in. His ability to go out there and make himself this larger than life figure, and then to get the pound-for-pound best boxer of our generation to come out of retirement and fight him? Come on now. Give the dude his due. Everybody stand up, everybody clap. He is now the ambassador of quan. He just made something that happen that wasn’t even fathomable in our minds. So with that being said, I can deal with it and I’m excited to see it.”

“I’ll be there man, mark my words,” Woodley added. “I told [UFC President Dana White], I need to be there, and he said man, ‘it’s gonna be tough to get tickets,’ and I said ‘man, I’m your ticket.’”

Do you agree with Tyron Woodley’s assessment of Conor McGregor? Do you think the two UFC champions will fight once this Mayweather showdown is in the rear-view mirror? Make your opinions heard in the comments section!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 6/14/2017.