"Woodley got paid to take a fall" - Ike Villanueva suspects Tyron Woodley will lose to Jake Paul on purpose
UFC light heavyweight Ike Villanueva is suspicious about Tyron Woodley's upcoming boxing showdown with Jake Paul. He believes Woodley may lose to Paul on purpose in exchange for a heavy payday.
Villanueva is expected to challenge Marcin Prachnio at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov on June 26, 2021.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's John Hyon Ko, the 37-year-old weighed in on the much-awaited contest between Woodley and Paul.
"You're throwing this guy (Tyron Woodley) all this money. He ain't never made money like that," Villanueva told Sportskeeda. "I think Woodley got paid to take a fall. I don't tell everybody (but) it's going to happen, man. I hope not but these guys are 190 pounds, 200 pounds, fighting on 170 little guys. So I wish they would call like a light heavyweight like us," he added.
Ike Villanueva said he would be happy if Woodley finishes Paul. However, considering how the Paul brothers have ventured into the boxing world, he remains suspicious about the matchup.
"I hope Tyron doesn't take a fall. It's an ugly situation because I'm a big Woodley fan. He pulls it off, that's great for him but these guys are doing something different. I don't know, man. It's a suspect."
You can watch Ike Villanueva's full interview below:
Ike Villanueva predicts he will finish Marcin Prachnio in the second round at UFC Vegas 30
Ike Villanueva's next UFC outing will be against Marcin Prachinho. The 32-year-old Polish fighter last challenged Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 257 and defeated him via unanimous decision. However, according to Villanueva, it was Rountree who won the fight.
Predicting the outcome of his upcoming clash, 'Hurricane Ike' said he'll catch Prachinho with a check hook, something which he hasn't shown in the UFC.
"I respect him (Marcin Prachinho) but Sam Alvey caught him with that check hook. I'm looking to smile the same way with my check hook because I think I got one of the best hooks in the game. I just haven't shown it. I'm going to catch him. Let's put on a show. I don't BS the crowd, I come to fight. My job is to put on a show. Like I said, I'm thinking about the second round, I'll catch him. I can't rush it, but second round, I'm going to catch him," said Ike Villanueva.