Woodley accepts only opponent UFC offers

After Tyron Woodley knocked out Robbie Lawler in July to become the UFC welterweight champion, he immediately turned his focus toward leveraging his title into a lucrative fight against a big-name opponent.

Stephen Thompson doesn’t fit that criteria.

Woodley lobbied for his first defense to come against former champ Georges St. Pierre, who is considering a comeback out of retirement, or Nick Diaz, who is eligible to return from a marijuana suspension.

Both would have theoretically drawn a lot more eyeballs — and money for the new champion — than a fight against Thompson, the division’s unquestioned top contender.

Yet Woodley finds himself set to defend the belt against Thompson at UFC 205 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

He also discovered fans were none too pleased with the perception he was avoiding Thompson when Woodley was booed loudly at the news conference announcing the card in September.

While the 34-year-old two-time all-American wrestler at Missouri wasn’t bothered by the negative reaction, he wasn’t necessarily ready for it.

“I was just kind of surprised because when you think about the reasons why people boo an individual, I really don’t have too many things in that category,” he said during a conference call. “I’m an entrepreneur, I’m a businessman, I’m a top fighter, I’m a champion, I’m a husband, I’m a father, I own a gym, I’m an analyst. I do so many positive things in and outside the octagon that it just caught me by surprise.”

Woodley doesn’t believe most fans understood his position.

“ I think the fans took it as me not accepting fights, turning them down and this brand new champion trying to call any shots, when that was so far from the situation,” Woodley said. “I actually never declined (Thompson). When they offered me the fight the first time, I accepted it.”

Should he defeat Thompson on such a big stage, Woodley will still be in line for those big-name opponents and his own profile would be all the more impressive heading into any potential blockbuster showdown.

Woodley, however, knows Thompson is too good to look past.

“I just focus on the fight in the season right now,” Woodley said of a matchup with the former champion, who is embroiled in legal wrangling with UFC officials about the status of his contract. “Thinking down the road, obviously with an opponent that’s as difficult as ‘Wonderboy,’ thinking even beyond Saturday to Sunday can put you in a position where you might end up on the canvas. So I’m just blocking all those things out and going in out there and focusing on this fight.”

Thompson, who could be champion when that happens, agreed.

“(St. Pierre) is definitely one of the best guys who ever stepped out in the octagon at welterweight,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the reasons why I got in this sport in the first place. I was training with him, helping out with his fights and that’s why I actually started mixed martial arts was because of Georges. So yeah, give him that title shot.”

Thompson, of course, has to worry about Woodley first. The champion combines his strong wrestling base with significant power in his hands. Woodley won the belt by knocking out Lawler with the first significant punch he landed in the fight.

“He’s definitely got some one-hitter quitter power, as you saw when he fought Robbie Lawler,” Thompson said. “I mean, it took one shot. Obviously I want to stay away from that right hand. But he’s not only a good striker, he’s always a good wrestler, so when I go out there I definitely have to be on my P’s and Q’s, because not only could he hit you with the right hand, but he’ll take you down as well.”

Despite walking to the cage with the belt around his waist, Woodley once again will be the underdog. Thompson, a flashy 33-year-old karate specialist, is a minus-200 favorite. It’s getting to be a familiar position for Woodley.

“You don’t fight fights on paper,” Woodley said. “I’ve been the underdog the last six fights, I think. I think I’ve won five of them. So I don’t really focus on it and I just go out there and do my deal.”

The bout will be part of a pay-per-view card headlined by a lightweight title bout between champion Eddie Alvarez and featherweight champ Conor McGregor. Women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will also defend her belt against Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.