Woodley: I'm the worst-treated UFC champion in history
UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley sees himself as having a dubious place in the company's history books.
During an appearance on ESPN's Sportscenter alongside UFC 209 title challenger Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, Woodley repeatedly complained that neither the UFC nor Thompson have given him the respect he deserves.
"I'm by far the worst treated champion in the history of the UFC," said Woodley. "Blatant facts. And guess what? When March 4 comes along, UFC 209, I will defend this belt. I will move forward in my legacy and I will continue to do what I'm doing for why I'm doing it. I fight for my family, I fight for God, I fight for my legacy. I don't fight for fame, I don't fight for money contrary to what people believe.
"But I'm going out here and I'm trying to be a legend, I'm trying to be the best welterweight that ever graced the Octagon and to do that I've got to knock him off again. And I've got to knock three or four other loudmouths off again until it's undeniable that I'm the best welterweight on the planet Earth."
Despite their first bout at UFC 205 going to a majority draw, a rematch with Thompson was not high on Woodley's list. After some speculation that he may book a superfight with fellow champions Michael Bisping or Conor McGregor, he eventually agreed to meet Thompson again at UFC 209.
Woodley is frustrated with what he believes was uneven promotion between himself and Thompson prior to their first meeting. The champion claims Thompson was marketed over him and that he received more promotional opportunities. When asked why he thought that was the case, Woodley explained that there is a racial aspect to how he and Thompson are represented.
"People don't like to hear it, but it's the culture of our sport," said Woodley. "We're dealing with a different set of rules. The UFC fans in general, we go through niches, we go through genres of people we like to fight. This is a genre they want to see, a clean-cut guy like this young man to the left doing razzle dazzle, super flashy fighting and that's what they're in to.
"Before then, it was the guys who would fight to the death. Some people would say that's race in sport, the second I bring up race in sport I'm immediately race-baiting.
"Let's put the cards on the table. If I was a different complexion I think people and fans would treat me a different way."
To drive home his point, Woodley brought up flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, two prominent black UFC fighters. Johnson has struggled to connect with a wide audience despite his dominant performances, while Jones is currently persona non grata with the organization after a recent PED bust as well as his legal issues outside of the cage.
Regardless, Johnson and Jones have established themselves as two of the most respected MMA fighters ever, a status Woodley is still striving for. He'll look to continue his climb when he rematches Thompson at UFC 209 on March 4 in Las Vegas.