Tyron Woodley believes he and Jake Paul could fight again, but this time in MMA.
Woodley made his boxing debut against Paul in August of 2021, with Jake winning a split decision in a fight the former UFC champion thought he won. The two then rematched a few months later in December but this time around, it was Paul winning by KO.
Although Woodley did lose by knockout, both fights were competitive, so he is open to having a trilogy in boxing. But, with Paul signing with PFL to fight in MMA, Woodley says an MMA fight is much more intriguing to him and the fans.
“I don’t know, I don’t want to sound like I’m crying over spilled milk,” Woodley said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I fought him and the first time I thought I won, maybe one or two punches here or there could have solidified it, but I thought I won. The second time we fought, I was clearly winning every round and then I got caught slipping with my hands down. It was like damn, I thought I won the first fight and was definitely winning the second fight, made a mistake, and dropped my hand at the wrong time.
“Is me asking him to fight in boxing, is like why, why why, and crying over spilled milk? Or will people see it that way? It’s hard to think people will see that I was winning the whole fight and got caught,” Woodley continued. “That was a f*****g hard knockout, so it’s like people will remember the last punch thrown and won’t remember what happened before. The MMA aspect of it puts it in a different perspective. Like damn, he’s not technically a boxer by trade, he can box, but what if he got into what he was known for and won all his championships in? I think that would get the fans more excited and I’m about getting the fans more excited. That will get me more money, more people watching, so I need to be at a seven-figure payout each time I step in there.”
Whether or not Tyron Woodley and Jake Paul will fight again is uncertain. But the two do have a history, and an MMA fight would add a new wrinkle to their rivalry.
In the immediate aftermath of their second encounter, many fans suggested the fight was fixed. However, Woodley makes it clear Paul just landed a good punch and he wants people to realize a person can die by letting someone hit them as hard as they can to get knocked out.
“Obviously they heard the negotiations, they were obviously in my locker room, they were there when I knew which round it was going to happen and watched me drop my hands and let another man punch me with everything,” Woodley added. “You can die that way. I don’t know if people know that. If you stand still and let someone punch you as hard as they can, you can die, break your neck, get brain damage, and you can die. For someone to think for a certain amount of money to let somebody knock you out, I don’t even know the last time that has ever happened in boxing. Maybe back in the day, but I have never heard of a person letting someone beat them for money.”
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