Issue 071

January 2011

The Missouri native was raised in a wrestling singlet. But a 9-0 record with eight finishes means Tyron Woodley is one of the most intimidating fight-enders in Strikeforce’s welterweight division

You have an accomplished wrestling background but you’ve only got one decision win. How come you’ve got a different fight style to most wrestlers?

Tyron: “Having just a wrestling background and just using your wrestling is missing one half of the game. One that’s on the ground, one that’s standing up, and you start each fight standing up. I don’t want to be a fighter that just goes out there and dives in on takedowns and uses that as my bread and butter. I want to be able to be dynamic and use every part of the game to get the victory. That’s why I’ve been training striking, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and everything to go with it.”

How did you get involved in MMA?

“Basically, I saw a lot of wrestlers doing it. I was watching The Ultimate Fighter show and I was working and I was like, ‘Man, I think I could take some of these guys.’ Then it just kind of progressed with me lifting weights, working out with the wrestling team because I was still coaching, hitting the bag a little bit. Then I said, ‘You know what? I’m fighting.’ So I just went down to a local gym and said, ‘I want to fight on your card.’ I was still in good shape because I was still coaching and working out with the guys. I just went in there, took an [amateur] fight and I won in like 20 seconds so I didn’t really get a feel of it. My next couple of fights after that were all done in less than a minute. So, basically, I was trying to get a feel to see if it’s something I like and then before I knew it I was in a career.”

You’re in the new EA Sports MMA video game. Have you had a chance to play it yet?

“I’ve played it a ton. I played it when they were getting it together; I played it when they had it almost done. Me and my son played it before it was released a couple times. And I’ve obviously got it since and played it. It’s just so realistic. The career mode is really a career mode. A friend of mine I called when I got the demo online, I was like, ‘Ah man, I thought they’d have a career mode,’ because I’d been hearing a lot about it. He said, ‘You are the career mode!’ And it’s just funny because that’s kind of true. A guy walking into a gym with no money wanting to train, you get a fight, train a little bit more, finally get a pro fight and make a little money, now you’ve got enough money to travel and train a little bit. Realistically that’s kind of the bulk of my story. It’s fun to play a game that realistic. You can play in a ring, you can play in a cage, a circle cage, you can use the Japanese rules where you can stomp and soccer kick to the head. It’s just cool to give a really international view of mixed martial arts and not just one organization.”

We heard that you tried out for The Ultimate Fighter a few years ago. Is that right?

“Yeah. When I didn’t make it I didn’t understand why. I thought I was going to make it, especially when I made it to the finals. Actually it was the US vs the UK, TUF 9. I knew I was probably the most talented out of the bunch, but, you know, it’s reality TV so it’s not all about talent. I think some of the guys stuck out a little bit more, were a bit more animated and were willing to be complete morons and I wasn’t. So I think, for me, that’s the reason why I didn’t make it. I think it was a blessing in disguise.”

You’ve recently taken a break from a full-time Public Administration and Business masters degree. A lot of fighters start education but then drop it completely. How come you’re still learning?

“That’s a good question, because I wonder that myself sometimes, like, ‘Why am I doing this?!’ [Laughs]. Realistically, I don’t really need it for what I want to do, but it’s interesting to have the extra accreditation.”

Nick Diaz is the Strikeforce champion in your weight class. How would you fight him if you were given the chance?

“I don’t know if I want to spill all my beans but I’m going to fight him differently than everybody else. I’ve seen the guys who’ve fought him and the total domination on his part. But I’ve also seen glimpses of guys where they got the advantage. What he does to everybody, avoiding them, trying to mock them, it’s hard to find somebody who’s that long, can punch that many times... I just don’t want to lose a fight like that against a champion. I want to go out there, I want to win where there’s no question. If I lose I know I’ve put it all out there, sometimes judges judge different ways, but I know myself that I won the fight.”