Woodley says that Usman performed better at UFC 235, but the former champion is heartbroken that he no longer holds the welterweight gold.
“I personally to this day think that skill set for skill set, experience for experience, I’m a way better fighter,” Woodley said on The Hollywood Beatdown (via Milan Ordonez of Bloody Elbow). “But, on that night, he was the more focused fighter. He executed, and I didn’t. So at that moment in time, it’s not my belt. It hurts for me to say it, it’s f—king heartbreaking, I’ve shed tears about it, but it’s not my belt right now. It’s his belt.”
One person that cane be considered a longtime rival of Woodley’s would be former UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington.
Covington, who was originally offered the title fight at UFC 235, found himself to be almost heartbroken at Woodley’s title loss.
“It’s very disappointing,” Covington told Bloody Elbow. “I was legitimately almost heartbroken on Saturday night. I was the biggest Woodley fan in the whole arena. I was Team Woodley all night. I wanted him to win.”
Covington is expected to get the next title shot against Usman, but nothing has been made official at this time.
