Looking at his thundering highlight record, his deadly build, or his cold and calculated demeanor at all times, Tyron Woodley may have talked his way in to a fight against Carlos Condit in the main event at UFC 171 tomorrow night, according to UFC Pres Dana White, but only if you believe words stand on their own merit, and don’t merely proclaim the arrival of something ferocious.
Woodley suffered his first loss to Nate Marquardt for the Strikeforce welterweight title in 2012. I think he let something go in the process though as well. If anything, the way he commits to his movements with violent intent these days, he’s definitely not afraid or timid.
He may have been trying to win fights in the past, but now he settles for nothing less than destroying his opposition. He’s currently sitting at 2-1 since joining the UFC and since everyone finds themselves outwrestled by Jake Shields, I don’t exactly look at that loss as a defeat. Shields wins fights, but never hurts his opponents in the process.
If anything Josh Koscheck should thank Shields for the way Woodley blasted through him recently at UFC 167, coincidentally the same night GSP stepped in to the cage for the final time to defend the belt that is up for grabs tomorrow. Making Woodley lose has only made him win even more dominantly in his following appearances. Invoke the parable of every champion to have ever stepped in to a cage or ring to do battle, only the greatest ones rise above failures and embrace adversity.
Just as the chance exists that Condit will prove too technical and well-rounded for Woodley, so does the possibility also exist that Woodley will prove to be too powerful and explosive for Condit. This may be a sport, but it still involves a fight at its core. Now Woodley knows this going in to tomorrow night and he has every intention of taking the top spot in the division.
In fact if you take in to consideration that Condit is almost unanimously considered the next man in line for a 170 title shot, Woodley is facing the largest pay day, most prestigious opportunity, and frankly the culmination of every ounce of sweat blood and tears, if he can put that leather on Condit in the way he did against Koscheck at UFC 167 and Jay Hieron at UFC 156.
Consider Woodley’s evolution if you need perspective to aid in grasping his potential. For most of his career he was considered a home grown Strikeforce standout who was primarily a one dimensional wrestling fighter, at least against mid to high level opposition. That’s right folks he was considered talented, but boring. He laid and prayed his way through plenty of rounds, only finishing his opponents with the complete and utter aid of his wrestling abilities.
There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but it’s important to know his past fighting abilities when witnessing his current state, and finally imagining what he’s capable of becoming. Any fighter with a strong wrestling pedigree and a penchant for brutally knocking out his opponents on the feet, and is aided by the ability to evolve as a fighter, can make a case for being the champion at some point.
All I really care to point out is that if Woodley goes out and drops a loss to Condit, no one will be shocked, and Condit will have earned his shot once again. But if Woodley shocks the world and takes out the Natural Born Killer tomorrow night, we may have found GSP’s replacement after all.