Tyron Woodley Denies That He Was Waiting on a Title Shot During Lengthy Layoff

By the time Tyron Woodley steps into the Octagon to face Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title at UFC 201 on July 30, it will have been 546 days since his last promotional appearance. Since Woodley garnered a split-decision against an overweight Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 182 in January 2015, Lawler has defended his title in a pair of “Fight of the Year” candidates, Stephen Thompson has emerged as a serious contender in the division, Demian Maia is on a roll again and Neil Magny has solidified himself as a Top 10 talent by going 5-1. So in short, a lot has happened since “The Chosen One” last showcased his talent in the cage. The extended absence wasn’t entirely Woodley’s fault: He was slated to face Johny Hendricks at UFC 192 this past October, but that matchup was canceled when “Bigg Rigg” was hospitalized due to weight-cutting issues. Sometime shortly thereafter, it was reported that Woodley would receive the next 170-pound title shot for his troubles. Eventually that promise came true — it just took a little longer than some people might have liked. Woodley would like to point out that it is a popular misconception that he turned down other potential opponents in the interim. “I was not offered other bouts. It’s tough to put that to bed because everyone doesn’t listen to the same broadcast at the same time. Even if they listen they have their own mindset,” Woodley said during a recent appearance on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “Our fans are so entitled and so all-knowing that I was waiting around, whether I admitted it or not. [According to them] I was being an overly-entitled pouty fighter that …

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