Following his loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley could only describe the fight as a "bad dream." For five rounds, Woodley was absolutely dominated by Usman, who, with the win, became the first African-born UFC champion and the first Nigerian champion in UFC history.
Usman was the aggressor from the start and didn't let up the entire fight. He outscored the three-time defending champion Woodley on judges' scorecards 50-44, 50-44, and 50-45. It looked like Usman was going to finish Woodley on multiple occasions throughout the fight, but the most dominant moment came in the fourth round when he had Woodley's back against the cage.
How Woodley wasn't knocked out is beyond me, but it didn't matter much anyway as he showed little offensively throughout the fight leading up to that moment. According to UFC Stats, Woodley landed just 60 total strikes compared to a whopping 336 for Usman.
Usman was overcome with emotion following the fight. "I'll be honest, I might not be the best striker or best wrestler in the world," Usman said during his interview in the Octagon. "But when it comes to mixing this sh*t up, I'm the best f**king welterweight on the planet right now."
Woodley was humble in the loss, giving Kamaru credit for being well-prepared. The 36-year-old, who suffered his first loss since 2014, vied for an opportunity at a rematch with Usman.
"Kamaru came out and brought it," Woodley said. "It felt like a bad dream. You want to throw punches, you see opportunities, but you don't take them. He came out prepared and had a great game plan. Really heavy on top. Hat's off to him. I have no excuses. I was ready for this fight. Hopefully, we can run it back."
With the win, Usman improved his UFC record to 10-0. Prior to his loss at UFC 235, Tyron Woodley had successfully defended the UFC welterweight championship four times.