Tyron Woodley on Michael Bisping: 'I would whoop his ass'
Backstage at UFC 207, UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Michael Bisping had an encounter that ended with the two of them agreeing to meet in a catch weight fight.
Considering Woodley and Bisping both double as analysts during the UFC broadcasts on FOX, it appeared to be just some friendly banter between co-workers but it certainly seems like they are serious about meeting in the Octagon at some point in the future.
For his part, Woodley definitely seems to be on board to face Bisping but he'd like the chance to take home a second world title if he's going to move up to face the current middleweight champion.
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"It could be. It was a lot of fights on the table that was offered but that fight might happen cause I think it makes a lot of sense," Woodley told FOX Sports' Andy Nesbitt about the potential matchup with Bisping. "I think fans are always looking for something that's out of the ordinary. Something that's really exciting.
"When you think about it, usually when someone goes up in weight class they give up size, they give up power, they give up speed — I give up nothing. I'm very similar to him in weight. I'm stronger than him. I punch harder than him. I'm faster than him. I'm a better wrestler than him. I'm a better grappler than him. I'm a better boxer than him. So I'm really giving up no advantage and I can go and take his belt so I'm down."
During the initial discussion, Woodley noted that he's not that much different in size than Bisping despite the two of them competing at weight classes that are 15-pounds apart.
Woodley is definitely one of the biggest welterweights on the roster, who routinely walks around near 200 pounds ahead of his fights. Competing at middleweight might actually give Woodley a slight advantage over his typical fighting weight at 170 pounds because the cut would be far less taxing on his body.
"I was 200 pounds, but I think I'm in the mid 190's maybe. Maybe high 190's. That wouldn't be a problem," Woodley said about fighting at middleweight.
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Perhaps the initial conversation between Woodley and Bisping was just backstage chatter, but the welterweight champion has gotten much more serious about the potential matchup in recent days.
Bisping is currently awaiting word on his next fight and Woodley hasn't been booked since his last bout against Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson last November so they have taken it upon themselves to do a little matchmaking.
Considering the attention a super fight between two champions would receive, Woodley may be onto something by pushing for a matchup against Bisping next.
Woodley is definitely confident that he would not only step up to the challenge to compete against the middleweight champion, but he's quite sure that he'd walk out with a second world title around his waist.
"I would knock Bisping out. I didn't even think about it until he started running his mouth in the back. I'm like damn, does he really understand that I would whoop his ass?" Woodley said.
"This is not a good fight for him. This is a horrible fight for him. But if he wants to do it, I'll gladly take your belt."
