Chael Sonnen believes Tyron Woodley needs to switch weight classes.
In the main event of UFC Vegas this past weekend, Woodley was returning for the first time in 15 months to take on Gilbert Burns. In the lead-up, he was saying he would take Burns into deep waters. Yet, that is far from what happened as Burns dominated the fight and won a clear-cut decision.
Now, Sonnen believes the time is right for Woodley to move up to middleweight.
“What do you with Tyron? I come back to guys like Tyron, and I realize I’m a little redundant but guys, it’s a great one,” Sonnen said of Woodley on his YouTube channel. “You change weight classes, you get a fresh coat of paint the second you change weight classes. You’re now undefeated in that weight class. You may not have any wins but you don’t have any losses.”
Why Sonnen believes Tyron Woodley should move up is due to the fact he no longer has a clear path to a title shot at welterweight. He also believes “The Chosen One” would have more success not having to worry about his weight.
“Life, in general, would be happier. He could now put his focus solely into training as opposed to having to beat the scale. It’s a very real thing,” he explained. “Take it from a guy who has done it… If you are looking for a trajectory to a championship, a clear path, I do not believe he will find that at 170. It is too cutthroat.”
Not only would the weight cut be better, but Tyron Woodley would likely not be the main event anymore according to Chael Sonnen. So, he believes that will make the former champ better, and the fact he is fighting new opponents will add to the motivation.
“If Tyron moved up, not only would that be an interesting experiment, not only would it provide for some parity, which would also be a mental relief for him,” Sonnen concluded. “Get some new guys, get some new blood that you haven’t sat around for 10 years thinking about every day. Just get some new faces. I also don’t think he’s likely to walk into the main event and I think that is a positive.”
Do you think Tyron Woodley should move up to middleweight as Chael Sonnen says?