5 reasons why Tyron Woodley wanted a fight against Jake Paul
YouTube star Jake Paul has found an opponent for his next boxing match, and it is none other than former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Mike Coppinger of The Athletic broke the story about the bout that is set to take place on 28th August. The boxing match will take place at 190 pounds and will comprise eight rounds, with the fighters wearing 10-ounce gloves.
MMA purists would argue that it is beneath UFC fighters to fight a YouTuber-turned-boxer. However, Tyron Woodley has a lot of solid reasons to fight Jake Paul.
#5 A career switch for Tyron Woodley
Tyron Woodley parted ways with the UFC on the back of four consecutive losses in the promotion. He was last defeated by Vicente Luque. The UFC did not renew 'The Chosen One's' contract after losing to the Brazilian by submission in the first round. The former middleweight king has been dabbling in various things on the side, like rapping and acting.
The transition into boxing makes sense for Woodley right now. He has real knockout power. 'The Chosen One' has proved this on several occasions, notably in his fight against Robbie Lawler, who Woodley knocked out to become the UFC welterweight champion.
#4 To end Jake Paul's win streak
Jake Paul has been unafraid to talk trash to many respected MMA fighters, including Ben Askren and Daniel Cormier. 'The Problem Child' even got into a confrontation with the latter during UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2.
Many MMA fans feel Paul is disrespecting the sport. The community wants someone to shut the YouTube star up for good. Tyron Woodley might be the perfect man to do it. Woodley has repeatedly shown that he can beat elite strikers, with wins over Stephen Thompson and Darren Till.
The former 170-pound champion has a significant chance of breaking the 24-year-old's three-fight win streak.
#3 Revenge for Ben Askren
Seeds for the Tyron Woodley vs Jake Paul fight were sowed when Woodley got into an altercation with Jake Paul before the 'Problem Child's' fight with Ben Askren. After the unpleasant confrontation, 'The Chosen One' called out Paul, challenging him to a boxing match.
Woodley and Askren are close friends and long-time training partners. Leading up to the fight, Paul insulted Askren multiple times before eventually knocking him out in the bout's opening round.
So, it is natural for Woodley to seek revenge for his friend. Several MMA fans will support 'The Chosen One' in his noble pursuit.
#2 Biggest payday of Tyron Woodley's career
One of the best reasons for Tyron Woodley to take this fight is money. Fighter-pay issues have been common in the UFC, with Dana White constantly under pressure to remunerate fighters in a more fair manner. By fighting the Disney star, Woodley will finally be able to get the payday he deserves.
Woodley reiterated this sentiment to Ariel Helwani, saying:
"Easiest fight of my career and the biggest purse of my career, all in one night. Basically, they brought me in to take out the trash. I can't wait to shut this b---- up. This is getting done for the culture, the whole MMA community and boxing community, to rid this guy of combat sports."
#1 To silence the critics
A lot has been said about Tyron Woodley's career lately. The conversation has gone from Woodley being considered one of the greatest welterweight fighters ever to a past-his-prime fighter who needs to quit MMA. Criticism against Woodley is not entirely unfounded; the 39-year-old has been dominated and beaten in each of his last four fights in the UFC.
A fight against Jake Paul could be Woodley's chance to silence his critics. 'The Chosen One' has the experience, power and technique to put Jake Paul to sleep with a single punch.
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