UFC TONIGHT Quotes – Woodley on Fighting Maia at UFC 214
Florian on BJ Penn’s next move: “It’s never easy to retire. For BJ, I can relate. But he’s got to find his identity outside of the Octagon.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – UFC TONIGHT was hosted by Kenny Florian and guest host Tyron Woodley, with Karyn Bryant adding reports.
UFC TONIGHT guest host Tyron Woodley on defending his title against Demian Maia at UFC 214: “I’ll be taking on backpack, backpack. Demian Maia and I will be fighting on July 29. I’ve been training. He’s coming for the belt and guess what, I’m not giving it up easy. I’ve been training, cutting those ankles, so I can lift that head up. I know he’s going to go for the legs and will try to put me down and work his jiu-jitsu game. I’ll be very prepared. I’m excited to defend my belt.”
VIDEO: BREAKING: Tyron Woodley confirms that he’ll defend his welterweight title vs. Demian Maia at #UFC214! Details here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6TWaEJDYhM
UFC TONIGHT host Kenny Florian on Kevin Lee’s defeat of Michael Chiesa: “Kevin really impressed me with his wrestling. He took down Chiesa and controlled him well. Chiesa is a tough guy to take down. He looked very sharp. He maintained his composure and got the win.”
Florian on who he’d like to see Lee fight next: “Dustin Poirier should be next for Kevin Lee. I’d like him to move a little slower up the rankings. Poirier has a lot of experience and is good all over. If he beats that guy, it’ll set him up for a guy in the top five.”
Woodley on who Lee should fight next: “I commend him for what he’s trying to do to fight Tony Ferguson. To be the best you have to fight the best. I like the fight against Tony. We saw the interview. How they went back and forth. I’d like to see that.”
VIDEO: Kevin Lee’s now the No. 7 lightweight in the world. Who should he fight next? We’ve got some options…
https://twitter.com/UFCONFOX/status/880208640539467776
Florian on Lee and Ferguson’s interview: “For a 24 year old, I thought Kevin handled himself very well. He’s got skills in the Octagon but he’s got skills on the mic, as well. He was talking about how people underestimate how smart he is. I think he proved he’s a smart cat.”
Florian on BJ Penn’s next move: “It’s never easy to retire. For BJ, I can relate to it. When I retired, it was difficult. But he’s got to find his identity outside of the Octagon. It’s not always an easy thing. For BJ, he wants greatness, and I don’t know if his body can perform at that level.”
Woodley on Johny Hendricks’ current skid: “This is a tough division. He’s been in a lot of really close fights. The level of competition is high. This is not the Johny we remember. Something is going on with him internally, maybe it’s the camp, losing the restaurant, or something else that’s carrying over to the Octagon.”
Florian on Francis Ngannou fighting Junior Dos Santos: “I think it’s a good matchup for Francis is a striker. We haven’t seen him against a high level wrestler yet. This is a fight that’s going to deliver. You go out there and beat JDS and you show you are for real.”
Woodley on Conor McGregor’s sparing partners preparing for Floyd Mayweather: “If I was him and his coaches, I’d have him sparring three – four times a week. Drilling and technique. One person in front of you throwing combinations, where you’re just defending and getting the muscle repetition.”
Florian on what McGregor needs to prepare for: “Conor started as an amateur boxer originally. It’ll come down to him finding that pacing for three-minute rounds. Being able to go 12 rounds is important for him.”
Woodley on what would be a moral victory for McGregor against Floyd: “If McGregor can capture 2-3 or 4 rounds and last for 12 rounds, in my mind he won.”
Florian on what would be a moral victory for McGregor against Floyd: “Winning a few rounds would be a big statement. Hurting Floyd would be big for him too. But Conor won’t settle for just winning a few rounds. He believes he’s going to beat Floyd.”
Woodley on the fight he’s most excited for in the next quarter: “I’ll say Cormier vs. Jones 2 – this is one of the strongest rivalries we’ve ever seen in the UFC. I think they’re both motivated for this. Jones is motivated by emotion. Cormier, this is his next chapter, to beat the only one who’s ever beaten him. He’s so mentally tough.”
Florian on the Cormier vs. Jones rivalry: “Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, these are two of the best fighters I’ve ever seen. These guys don’t like each other. Their first fight was awesome and this will be even better. They’ll bring out the best in each other. Cormier, this is all he thinks about. He doesn’t like to lose. Jones is the only one guy who’s beaten him. They really bring out the best in each other.”
VIDEO: What type of boxing camp should Conor McGregor put together vs. Floyd Mayweather? Tyron and Kenny lay out plans.
https://twitter.com/UFCONFOX/status/880213489590992896
VIDEO: Robbie Lawler’s opponent Donald Cerrone off UFC 213 card after blood infection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuVBRGI2Jq8
