Tyron Woodley once envisioned a path that would have placed him among the greatest champions in UFC history. After dominating Darren Till in 2018 to complete his third consecutive welterweight title defense, Woodley believed he was on the verge of something even bigger: two more defenses, then a move to middleweight to chase a second belt. Instead, everything fell apart and Woodley now openly admits he has only himself to blame.
Woodley: “I Negotiated Three Fights in One Call… That Was My Game Plan”
Looking back on that period, Woodley says he already had a detailed blueprint for how he wanted the next chapter of his career to unfold. “I was the first and maybe the only fighter to negotiate three fights on one call,” Woodley told MMA Fighting. “I was supposed to fight Usman, then Colby in victory, then go up in weight and fight for that belt. That was my game plan.”
But instead of becoming a two-division champion, Woodley lost his welterweight title to Kamaru Usman and never returned to championship form again.
Fame, Lifestyle, and Distraction: “I Became a Socialite”
Woodley doesn’t shy away from the truth: as his fame grew, his focus didn’t keep up.
“I lost focus. I was focusing too much on the lifestyle… women, partying not drinking and drugs, but just being at the Maxim 100 party. I became a socialite.”
For someone who came from an environment where opportunities were rare, the sudden access to wealth, attention, and popularity felt like overdue rewards.
“I grew up in the murder capital of the world. I’m a street baby. I was fueling the 10-year-old Tyron who couldn’t get name-brand shoes, who girls wouldn’t talk to. I was giving myself everything I didn’t have when I was younger.”
He compared himself to other champions who appeared to enjoy the lifestyle without consequences a trap he fell into. “I thought, why am I being the goody-two shoes when all these other champions are doing whatever they want and still having success?”
“I Started Living Two Different Lives”
Woodley speaks candidly about how the duality of his life began to tear at him.
“I started living two different lives. I was a great father. I was a great athlete. But I was a terrible husband, and I was living a rockstar life.”
He believed he could compartmentalize grind at the gym, dominate in the cage, parent at home, party elsewhere but eventually learned he was wrong. “I fooled myself into thinking those things were separate. They weren’t.”
Though he never uses the word regret, he acknowledges the collapse cost him what could’ve been a historic run.
Still Proud of His Resume: “I Pumped the Brakes on the Darren Till Hype Train Real Quick”
Woodley still appreciates what he did accomplish.
-
He dethroned Robbie Lawler with a first-round knockout
-
Dominated rising contender Darren Till, handing him a career-changing loss
-
Beat former interim champ Carlos Condit
-
Put together one of the best title runs in welterweight history
“I pumped the brakes on that Darren Till hype train real quick,” Woodley said. “I feel like that changed him. He didn’t bounce back.”
Even if he fell short of a second belt, Woodley believes his best wins still speak for themselves.
Why Anderson Silva Was the Fight He Didn’t Know He Needed
At 43, Woodley’s MMA championship dreams may be behind him but his competitive fire remains. That’s why he jumped at the chance to face Anderson Silva in a boxing match on the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua card. “He’s a legend and I’m chasing legendary status,” Woodley said. “Beating him puts me in the category of being a legend.”
Woodley admits Silva wasn’t on his radar when he was in his UFC prime and eyeing a move to middleweight. “Me and Bisping wanted to fight. We ran that by Dana. But Anderson? I never thought about him because the division was different then.”
Now, the matchup feels like fate. “This is a fight people are going to be like, ‘Goddamn, this is a fight we didn’t know we needed.’ I think it’s going to be the best fight on the card.”
The Future: A Chance to Add One More Legacy Moment
Woodley can’t rewrite the past, but he can add to his legacy in the present.
He once aimed to become a two-division UFC champion. Instead, he now finds himself standing across from one of the greatest martial artists of all time, with a chance to secure a signature win late in his career.
And after everything he’s been through fame, failure, reflection, reinvention Tyron Woodley is embracing the opportunity.
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
