Outside Source
Tyron Woodley looks back fondly on his rivalry with Jake Paul. | Amanda Westcott/Showtime
Tyron Woodley believes his rivalry with Jake Paul was career defining.
Paul had just shot to the limelight with a knockout win over former UFC welterweight and ONE Championship title holder Ben Askren. Meanwhile, Woodley had just retired from MMA on a four-fight slump.
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No one had initially expected Paul to beat a veteran UFC fighter like Askren. When “The Problem Child” emerged victorious, people dismissed it as a victory over a wrestler. Fans wanted Paul to be tested against Woodley, who was also a wrestler but also known for having knockout power. Woodley made his professional boxing debut against Paul in 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Paul walked away with a split-decision victory that was deemed controversial.
While Paul was scheduled to face Tommy Fury later that year, Fury was forced out with an injury. Woodley stepped in on short notice for a rematch against Paul. Paul knocked out Woodley in the sixth round of their rematch in Tampa, Florida.
Woodley recently revealed that his rivalry with Paul meant everything to him. “The Chosen One” believes their two outings were bigger than Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Logan Paul. Woodley further noted that even those who were his detractors while he was in the UFC wanted to see him beat the YouTuber turned boxer.
Woodley: People That Hate Me in MMA Wanted to See Me Win
“[The rivalry with Jake Paul] that was everything for me,” Woodley told the PressBox’s Fruity King. “It was my chance to show that you’re a star, and I feel when I fought Jake, those two fights took over the internet for the entire 2021. It was bigger than the Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather fight. And this was the rivalry, this was the fight where the culture stood up, and everybody that hated me in mixed martial arts, wanted to see me beat Jake. They wanted me to beat Jake more than they wanted to see me lose, and it was the first time in a long time where everybody was rooting for me.”
Woodley hasn’t competed in combat sports since his losses against Paul. Meanwhile, Paul went on to beat Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, Mike Tyson, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., while only losing to Fury. Paul is now scheduled to fight WBA lightweight champ Gervonta Davis in an exhibition match on Nov. 14 in Tampa, Florida.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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