I don’t think I’ll get the credit I deserve, but I didn’t get into this game for credit. I got into this game to be the greatest welterweight ever. If I keep knocking them out one by one, I think that will happen. – Tyron Woodley
Let’s put the cards on the table. Real is real. If I was a different complexion, I think people and fans would treat me a different way. – Tyron Woodley
I’ve had five submissions in the first round. I have 3, 4, 5 knockouts. I’ve had decisions. I’ve had grinding fights. – Tyron Woodley
I don’t believe in ring rust. I used to believe in ring rust, but I talked to my buddy Dominic Cruz, who’s a bantamweight, and he basically said it’s a mindset. What you do in between in your time off determines how you’re going to look when you come in there. – Tyron Woodley
When I was in college, I was a landscaper. Other than that, coaching has been my life and my job. A lot of people like coaching college, but I would never do it again. There are too many NCAA bylaws, rules and politics. – Tyron Woodley
What’s on my playlist when I’m fighting is not so much hip-hop. Sometimes, it’s something more inspirational. I get a chance to think about what I’m fighting for, like, my family. It takes me to that state because a lot of times, it’s a spiritual warfare for me. – Tyron Woodley
I didn’t pick wrestling over football. My coaches picked that for me. I never wanted to wrestle in college. I always wanted to play football. They thought I was too small, but I had a lot of heart. – Tyron Woodley
My nickname, T-Wood, came from football because I was so small, but I used knock people’s helmets off. All I wanted to do was hit. I didn’t care about interceptions or touchdowns. – Tyron Woodley
There’s something about somebody who does something special in the UFC that they’re allotted certain freedoms and wiggle room around the rules. I’m just not in that category. So if I want to fight Georges St-Pierre or Nick Diaz or Nate Diaz, then it’s all the hooplah and all the talk about it. – Tyron Woodley
People don’t realize how sick Amanda Nunes is. She beats some of the UFC bantamweight males in the gym. – Tyron Woodley
I don’t want to be the dude that you just think about with a crazy suit, talking crap, fighting in these super fights and driving a Rolls-Royce. – Tyron Woodley
When things get you in the corner, and it feels like you can’t go on, you can fight back. You’re never out of the fight. – Tyron Woodley
If I’m straight outta shape for a fight, I might need 12 weeks or more to get in shape. – Tyron Woodley
My goal is to go out there and dominate. We all know if I’m in a position and I see my opponent hurt by landing good striking, I’m going to try to get him out of there. If I’m in the top position or in the position to finish by submission, I’m going to look for that. I don’t feel the need to prove the haters wrong. – Tyron Woodley
If you are the best in the world, and you believe you should be fighting for a title, I think it is important to get those things out. Because a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. – Tyron Woodley
My real fear with fighting is just not letting it go out there and hang out. I don’t fear other guys. I’m just scared I’m not going to go out there and give everything I have. Like I’m only going to give a fraction of the things we trained and worked on. – Tyron Woodley
Nobody should be treated any type of way because of their color, their race, their gender, their socioeconomic status. We’re all human. – Tyron Woodley
Legacy is really important to me. It’s more important than dollars to me. So with that said, I try to find the fights that would solidify my legacy. – Tyron Woodley
I used to be in a street fight at least twice a week, so locking me in a cage with somebody, with a set of rules and a referee to jump in if something get ugly, and a time limit, like, it don’t scare me. – Tyron Woodley
When you’re watching people in non-title fights making four times the amount of money that a champion makes, it takes away the flavor of being a champion. – Tyron Woodley
I love playing Rick Ross’ ‘Port of Miami’ album. Jeezy’s ‘Thug Motivation 101’ is a classic in my opinion, and I still listen to that album to this day. I’m a big fan of OutKast, so pretty much any album they put out is great in my opinion, but I find myself listening to ‘Aquemini’ a lot. Anything Kendrick Lamar does is great. – Tyron Woodley
A lot of people don’t understand my reasoning behind wanting to fight big fights and big names. Knocking off these big names in fights really solidifies me as the best welterweight that’s ever done it. – Tyron Woodley
I think the elements to shock the world is either the ability to wrestle and grind somebody out or the ability to knock someone out. – Tyron Woodley
What got me into MMA first was that I was a wrestler, and I was a gangbanger getting into trouble a lot and getting into fights. I grew up in a family of 15 in a four-bedroom house. It was dysfunctional, so that alone made me want to be an MMA fighter. It’s really the only sport where you gotta basically depend on yourself. – Tyron Woodley
