Woodley: Covington & RDA are fighting for ‘boo boo belt’ at UFC 224
Tyron Woodley makes fun of Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington for fighting for the interim welterweight title at UFC 224.
Tyron Woodley can’t help but laugh at the upcoming welterweight interim title fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington at UFC 224.
Woodley, the reigning 170-pound champion, respects both fighters’ skills but wants RDA and ‘Chaos’ to know that they’re fighting for the ‘boo boo belt’ in May.
“I’ve just got to focus on myself,” said on a recent on a recent episode of MMA Tonight, per MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew. “We know what the interim title means. That’s the ‘boo boo belt,’ that’s not the real deal. I’m the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. I put the belt up three times. In 12 months I fought four world title fights. Name me another fighter that’s done that. I can say whatever I want and I can solicit for fights that help my career and legacy but I’m the only one that’s really actually fought the number one contenders.”
Would fellow UFC champ @TWooodley come in on six days' notice like Max Holloway? #UFC223 @OfficialAJHawk @RJcliffordMMA pic.twitter.com/enG8Y4JcRG
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) April 6, 2018
‘T-Wood’ laughs at the thought of the dos Anjos-Covington winner walking around with the interim ‘boo boo belt’, as according to him, neither man is deserving of a world title.
“I try not to get too bent out of shape because I know what the interim belt means,” Woodley continued. “If someone wins it and fights for it and hoards it around and really walks around like it’s a real belt, I’m gonna make fun of you. I’m gonna roast your ass. So hopefully if they do that. The person better not try to stand next to me with that belt and think I’m gonna take it serious.”
Woodley underwent arthroscopic surgery for the shoulder injury he picked up in his title bout with Demian Maia last year, and told the UFC that he would be fit to return to the Octagon in July.
The UFC, however, wanted Woodley back in action by June, which is why they booked the interim title bout between dos Anjos and Covington in May.
Woodley, though, can’t understand why an interim title fight was booked when he’s expected to return and fight the winner later in the year.
“They already got me to fight the winner, they don’t need that belt,” he said. “If I was dos Anjos, he’s taking a risk he doesn’t have to take. If he just wants to fight and stay active and keep going, that’s his prerogative but we’ve seen what happened to Frankie Edgar. Frankie Edgar had a clear shot at Max Holloway, he did the T-City [Ortega] thing, it didn’t work out quite right and now he got jumped.
“I told the UFC that I would be willing to fight him in July. They wanted me to fight him in June but June and having surgery on December 20th seemed fairly quick. It usually takes six to eight months to recover. I’m pushing it up four to six months to recover.”
Woodley might be injured, but the 35-year-old is reportedly preparing Floyd Mayweather Jr. for a UFC bout and is hoping to have the undefeated boxer MMA ready in six to eight months time.
UFC 224, which features dos Anjos vs. Covington in the co-main event, takes place next month, May 12 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.