Tyron Woodley: Robbie Lawler Needed Rematch More Than Me
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is not sure if his next opponent will be Robbie Lawler again.
Just over a month from losing his welterweight title to Kamaru Usman in March, Woodley was booked to face Lawler in a rematch at UFC Minneapolis.
Woodley, of course, knocked Lawler out in the first round of their UFC 201 headliner three years ago to become the champion. However, a rematch will have to wait as “The Chosen One” withdrew last week due to a hand injury.
Having had issues with it since the Darren Till fight last year, he claimed his hand was feeling weird while throwing overhand punches as well as defending takedowns in camp. He has fought through injuries before, but this time, Woodley decided to be “real” with himself.
“”In my career — I’ve been fighting since 2005 — it’s the first time I’ve been committed to a fight and had to be real with myself,” Woodley said on Ariel Helwani‘s MMA Show (via ESPN).
“… It got to a point where I was like, ‘Am I really going to be able to do this fight? Am I going to avoid properly rehabbing my hand again and maybe further damaging it?’ … I got to be real.”
Next Opponent?
Since the news of Woodley’s withdrawal, a number of welterweights have made their case to be Lawler’s next opponent.
With UFC Minneapolis taking place June 29, Woodley made sure to inform the promotion in advance so they have enough time to find a replacement.
As for Woodley, he doesn’t seem to believe a Lawler rematch is necessary even when he is 100 percent healthy.
“This fight wasn’t as much for me as it was for Robbie,” Woodley explained. “I don’t need to prove anything. This is a guy I took his belt from. I took his ability to earn PPV. I took his ability to have a larger platform and fight. He wants this fight back. For me, it was just me making a strong statement to the UFC and everybody else.
“I’m on the road back to throne. I’m ready to get my belt back. I want to go back out there and take what’s mine.”
As of now, there is no replacement opponent booked for Lawler, who is still expected to headline the Minneapolis card.
