Tyron Woodley’s Big Prediction For 2018 Involves Him Fighting Former UFC Champion

Although he is nursing his surgically repaired shoulder right now, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is already looking forward to his return.

The champion recently explained why he has such high hopes for 2018 and it involves him fighting a former champion.

Even though Woodley has several worthy title contenders just waiting on him to return to training, he is still hoping to get a huge title fight against former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre once he returns.

“GSP” made his return to the Octagon after taking four years off at UFC 217 where he picked up a submission victory over then-champion Michael Bisping in the main event. However, after the fight, he vacated the title.

While it’s understandable why Woodley wants this fight to happen, there is a problem in making it, which is that GSP has put his career on hiatus after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

Now, Woodley is trying to get GSP back to welterweight and fight him. Thus, it makes him offer a bold prediction in the process.

“I’d say that’s my big prediction for 2018,” Woodley explained during a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show (transcript courtesy of MMA Mania). “Big prediction for me is I fight Georges St-Pierre on my first fight back.

Georges, my shoulder is sore. I can’t even punch. Georges, I can’t even punch. I can’t punch. Georges, it’s hard to sleep. Georges, if you want to fight me brother, this is the time. If you want to get me, Georges, it’s right now. He’s a G. He would exit the sport, and nobody would give him that much stuff for losing to me.”

Over the past few months, Woodley has done what he can to get the fight he wants with GSP. However, his efforts have fallen by the wayside.

St-Pierre has gone on record by stating that he’s not scared of fighting Woodley but the UFC champion still believes that GSP doesn’t want a piece of the king.

“You think Georges [St-Pierre] wants to fight me?” Woodley asked. “You think Georges wants to fight me? Georges had the chance to fight me before [Michael] Bisping. He chose to fight Bisping.

It was definitely a better fight, because if would have came back against me looking like that, Georges would have been right back in retirement. He did not look great. Bisping did not look great. One thing that helped Georges in that fight was his experience. He loosened up. He was a little uptight. He hadn’t been in the Octagon in what, 4 years almost?”