Woodley after surgery: 'In 2 months, I'll be punching something'
The hear Tyron Woodley tell it, the UFC's welterweight title picture will be back to normal in short order.
After recently undergoing right shoulder surgery courtesy of the famed Dr. James Andrews, the reigning 170-pound champion told TMZ Sports this week he'll be back in the saddle within a few months.
"Just with the stem cell and PRP (platelet-rich plasma), the new technology and science, I’m gonna be fighting in the first quarter of next year," Woodley said. "In two months, I’ll be punching something."
Woodley sustained the injury in his July title defense against Demian Maia at UFC 214 - his third in an eight-month span - and was willing to postpone surgery for a rumored date with Nate Diaz at UFC 219 that was only momentarily entertained by the brass.
As for his next dance partner, the champ has repeatedly voiced his desire to face former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre - who's currently battling ulcerative colitis - although Rafael dos Anjos recently cemented his spot as challenger-in-waiting with a dominant unanimous decision over Robbie Lawler at UFC on FOX 26.
When asked what he thought of Dos Anjos' performance, Woodley didn't sugarcoat his appraisal.
"I wasn't too impressed with him, I'm going to be honest and I said it to his face. I wasn't too impressed with the performance. Just because people are punching and swinging, if you're punching and swinging and you're missing or you're hitting gloves and elbows, that ain't precision to me. When you're landing good powerful shots and making it count, and I wasn't really thrilled with the IQ of both guys.
"Would I be open to fighting him? Yeah. But is he the top fighter on my list? No."
- With h/t to MMAWeekly