UFC champ Tyron Woodley: ‘Fighters that press me’ like Colby Covington get KO’d

Tyron Woodley isn’t exactly known for his frenetic pace and cardio, but the reigning UFC welterweight champion does have ferocious one-punch knockout power and the best takedown defense in the UFC.

That’s why Woodley, who is anticipated to fight Colby Covington in a title unification bout, believes he matches up very well with the newly-crowned interim champ.

Covington, who outworked and overwhelmed former lightweight kingpin Rafael dos Anjos earlier this month at UFC 225, is a relentless pressure fighter with arguably the best cardio in the sport.

But Woodley, a former training partner of Covington, says ‘Chaos’s’ pressure is going to make it all the easier to set up the KO on fight night.

“His ground is terrible. When you think about all those attributes, I’ve said this before, put your chin on the treadmill. Show me how you can condition your chin to take a punch,” Woodley said on a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast, per MMA Weekly’s Jeff Cain.

“Fighters that press me like that have been the ones that get knocked out. Koscheck was one and got knocked out. Robbie (Lawler) is a pressure fighter. He got knocked out. I’ve fought a guy like him before. These are people I call The Walking Dead. They know they have to get a takedown.”

Citing his impeccable takedown defense, ‘T-Wood’ thinks it’s funny that Covington actually believes he can drag him to the mat.

“It’s not like I just have the best takedown defense in the welterweight division. I have the best takedown defense in the history of the UFC. It’s kind of funny that his whole game plan is surrounded around taking me down.”

The blockbuster fight between Woodley and Covington hasn’t been announced, but expect the UFC to confirm the bout in the coming weeks.