Tyron Woodley Explains Why GSP Doesn’t Want To Fight Him

Tyron Woodley doesn’t think Georges St-Pierre wants any part of him inside the Octagon.

‘The Chosen One’ finally climbed his way to the top of the 170-pound division when he knocked out Robbie Lawler in grisly fashion to secure his first UFC title back in July. Woodley then made his first title defense against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in the co-main event of UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, where the ‘Fight Of The Night’-winning bout ended in a majority draw.

Soon after the bout’s conclusion, Woodley began campaigning for ‘money fights’ against some of the welterweight division’s biggest names, and one of those names was former 170-pound kingpin Georges St-Pierre. Instead Woodley signed on to defend his title in a rematch with Thompson in the main event of UFC 209 this weekend (Sat. March 4, 2017), meanwhile ‘GSP’ has signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC to return to the Octagon.

Woodley recently spoke to ESPN ahead of his rematch with Thompson and touched on GSP’s return, where ‘The Chosen One’ stated ‘Rush’ doesn’t want to fight him in fear of getting a concussion:

“Let’s not get it twisted, part of the reason he left the sport was concussions,” said Woodley. “He doesn’t seem to be extremely thrilled to get in there with somebody that can punch him to the point of getting dropped and suffering a concussion – an ugly, grueling fight.

“I’m a guy who makes that fight for him. I have the highest takedown defense in the entire welterweight division, maybe the second-highest on the UFC roster. It’s going to be very hard for him to take me down and keep me down.”

St-Pierre is all set to return to fighting action, and all he needs now is an opponent. Woodley believes the Canadian will be watching this weekend’s welterweight title match-up intently and hoping he doesn’t retain his title.

If ‘Wonderboy’ emerges victorious Woodley believes that is the fight St-Pierre will begin to campaign for as he doesn’t present the same stylistic issues for ‘Rush’ that Woodley could:

“I think they want to see how this fight plays out. If ‘Wonderboy’ comes up with a victory, I think we’ll see him try to fight ‘Wonderboy.’

“[Thompson] has a crazy style and he has knocked guys out, but how many times has he stood in the pocket and just thrown heavy leather [and] let them damn UFC gloves fly and knock somebody out? Never.”

There are potential match-ups for St-Pierre outside of the welterweight division, as bouts with UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and lightweight champion Conor McGregor also interest the former 170-pound champ.

Woodley then began to heavily poke at his fellow FS1 analyst Michael Bisping’s reign as champion, stating that Bisping himself doesn’t even believe he is the best 185-pound fighter in the world. He was simply at the right place at the right time:

“A smaller guy like [lightweight champion] Conor McGregor or a heavier guy like [middleweight champion] Michael Bisping who we all know is an overachiever in that division.

“Bisping knows he’s not the best middleweight. He’s just a guy who is tough, seized his moment and became the champion of the world. There’s nothing bad about that, but those are way better options for [St-Pierre] than fighting somebody like me, who has been looking at him for many years, is a better wrestler, punches harder and has been more active in the last three years.”