"It's tough for my calves"- Tyron Woodley talks about training as a professional boxer
Tyron Woodley has talked about training as a professional boxer. Woodley asserted that one of the most challenging things about the training is that it’s been tough on his calves.
Tyron Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion and a veteran MMA competitor, is all set to make his professional boxing debut against YouTube megastar Jake Paul this August.
Woodley recently parted ways with the UFC and has indicated that he’s willing to try his hand at a wide variety of combat sports rather than compete solely in MMA.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Tyron Woodley opened up on multiple topics. Upon being asked whether he feels a physical difference in terms of the grind on his body from undergoing a boxing-specific training camp rather than an MMA training camp, Tyron Woodley stated:
“Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough for my calves because I’m working with two different styles of boxing – Floyd Mayweather style, working with a guy named Gerald, we call him GT. There’s a lot of angles and a lot of positioning, a lot of slipping, and it’s always punching but always being ready to counter and punch back with power. And that position and that foot is very meticulous. They’re very strict, and very so much perfectionist when it comes out to it.
“The Cuban boxing style is a lot about making people pay and making it hurt, but also it’s very fluid. It’s almost like dancing. There’s a lot of moving. So, my calves are burning a lot from that, lot from the running, lot from jumping rope and hitting the bag. You’re on your toes the whole time. In mixed martial arts, we have the opportunity where we may be static against an octagon or a cage, wherever you’re fighting in. You may have a point when you’re on the ground doing submission stuff. Or you may have a part where you actually let your legs leave the ground and kick or knee.
“In boxing, your feet are on the ground the whole time. And then for me, I mean, I’m built like a running back. So, that explosive motion, I’m just really kind of just honing in on. So, that was the most taxing thing on my body the first couple of weeks, but now I’m getting used to it.”
Tyron Woodley is being hailed as the biggest test of Jake Paul’s boxing career so far
During his time as one of the top welterweights in the UFC, Tyron Woodley earned widespread recognition for his skills inside the octagon, including his KO power.
Woodley is currently on a four-fight losing streak, albeit all four of his losses have come against top-tier UFC welterweights.
The consensus in the combat sports community is that Tyron Woodley is indeed the biggest test of Jake Paul’s boxing career to date.
The eight-round professional boxing match between Tyron Woodley and Jake Paul will take place at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 29.