After both men emerged victorious from their respective title contests at UFC 205 this past weekend (Saturday, November 12, 2016), UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, and welterweight champ Tyron Woodley could potentially share the Octagon in the near future.
After the two champions bumped heads in a Twitter war and exchanged words backstage at the UFC 205 weigh-ins, McGregor has expressed interest in moving up to another weight class to chase yet another UFC title belt.
During the UFC post-fight press conference, however, Woodley admitted that McGregor challenging him for the title would not be a good idea for ‘The Notorious One’. Here’s what he said (courtesy of MMA Junkie):
“Just the power behind the punches, and the size and the ability to clinch him or put him on the ground or keep him on the ground. I’m not giving up a whole lot of speed on Conor – that’s the whole thing. Welterweight is fairly close to the middle of the weight divisions – we move fast and punch hard. That’s why it’s so difficult to keep a belt around your waist, because so many different guys bring different things to the table.
Woodley went on to breakdown Mcgregor’s strengths and how he would conquer it if the situation presented itself.
“So if he doesn’t have that speed advantage, and I will not allow him to get into my mind during the press conferences, then I’m only giving up an inch in reach. So I’m giving up an inch in reach, but I make up for it with power and explosiveness and keen eyesight getting to the target. I just don’t think it’s a favorable matchup for him. He’s going to have zero advantages if we ever competed.
McGregor took home the lightweight title belt, with his second round knockout victory over Eddie Alvarez, in the main event of UFC 205, while Woodley would retain his title after a draw against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, in what was one of the most entertaining bouts of the year.
The two champions are incredibly skilled and are riding on massive momentum, however, if the two do find themselves meeting inside the Octagon for the welterweight championship, Woodley’s massive size and power advantage could prove too much for the Irish champ to handle.
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