I entertained these ideas even before Conor did - Tyron Woodley on inspiring other MMA fighters to move to boxing
Tyron Woodley recently gave a piece of advice to MMA fighters wanting to pursue a career in professional boxing.
In recent years, there has been a trend of former MMA fighters transitioning to boxing. Woodley was among the first fighters to do so. The former UFC champion was recently asked if he had any advice for MMA fighters who are looking to follow his lead. He said:
"For me, I've always been a trailblazer. I was the first one with the vlog... I was the first one to really entertain these ideas, even before Conor [McGregor] did. I was talking about boxing beforehand."
"Actually, my coach Din Thomas, who's here, was talking about boxing before any other MMA fighter was boxing. So my mind has always been ahead of the curve. I suggest people do what they are put here to do."
Woodley stated that moving from MMA to boxing is not a move that's well-suited to every fighter. However, he did encourage those thinking of starting a second career as a pugilist. He added:
"Whatever excites you and motivates you to go out there and do whatever God put you on this Earth to do and be passionate about, do that. Every MMA fighter shouldn't box. Some MMA fighters should box. But they got to make that decisions for themselves so I'm not going out there waiving a banner for MMA."
Check out Tyron Woodley's press conference interview below:
Tyron Woodley acknowledges Jake Paul's punching power
Tyron Woodley gave Jake Paul credit for possessing knockout power ahead of their rematch on Saturday. According to Woodley, Paul's punching power is comparable to that of former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. He said:
"[Robbie Lawler] didn’t knock Ben [Askren] out with MMA gloves on, so when [Jake Paul] did it with boxing gloves, of course [I respected it]. I was in his corner. Anybody that has the power to just – actually, I would compare it to Robbie, to be honest. Robbie had what we call that ‘dumpy’ power. He didn’t have to move a lot. He could just stand there and hit you with a punch. You’ve got to respect that."
Check out Tyron Woodley's interview below:
Paul knocked out Ben Askren in the opening round of their boxing match in April. Woodley, Askren's friend and training partner, cornered 'Funky' for the fight. After the bout, 'The Chosen One' confronted Paul backstage which led to the two facing off months later.