Back at UFC 192 Tyron Woodley and former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks were set to compete in what many expected to be a #1 contender fight at welterweight.
Unfortunately a weight-cutting mishap saw Hendricks rushed to the emergency room and unable to fight. In the wake of Hendricks hospitalization, UFC President Dana White stated that Tyron Woodley was now the #1 contender, and Johny Hendricks was considered a middleweight.
White ultimately allowed Hendricks to stay at welterweight, however Tyron Woodley has yet to receive his title shot, and with Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson’s impressive win over Hendricks this past Saturday, Woodley wants everyone to know why he’s the true #1 contender.
He spoke on his podcast:
“I had to get off my Twitter,” Woodley said on his podcast. “People telling me, ‘You haven’t fought for a year. [Thompson] went out there and beat the No. 1 guy.’ OK, why didn’t I beat the No. 1 guy? [Hendricks’] lack of commitment to the sport and that bout [at UFC 192]. I’m starting to think he was scared to fight. I never believed that, but the fact that he didn’t even make it to the scale, it forfeited my opportunity to have a performance like that, to do what I’ve trained to do.
“Should I be penalized for that? I’ve been the only guy that’s been professional, making weight, going out there and fighting, taking short notice fights, doing favors for the UFC. Because [Thompson] fights the person I was supposed to fight he should jump over me? That’s a joke. That’s kind of comical.”