“It Was Necessary for My Journey” – Tyron Woodley Reveals How He Fought Depression

At one point in time, Tyron Woodley looked like one of the most dominant Welterweight champions in UFC history. However, his reign ended in almost the same dominating fashion by Kamaru Usman. After he lost the belt last year in March, Woodley went into a state of depression. Looking back at that phase, Woodley thinks that gut-wrenching feeling was necessary for his evolution.

Coming into the fight with Usman, Woodley had defended his belt thrice with wins over Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia, and Darren Till. By the time it was Usman’s turn, Woodley had his hands in other ventures as well. He had just started stepped foot into the rap industry. It was probably because of such diversions that Woodley’s focus wasn’t at its maximum.

Hence, Woodley didn’t even know what hit him once he lost the belt. Being in an unfamiliar situation, Tyron went into depression and stopped his usual training as well. Ahead of his fight with Gilbert Burns this weekend, Woodley opened up on his state of mind after he lost the belt.

“I went into a state of depression for a while,” Woodley told reporters at Thursday’s virtual media day. “I really wasn’t talking to many people, I was eating terrible, I wasn’t training, and I just really didn’t expect – I felt like all my competition before Kamaru Usman was my stiffest competition. I felt like all the great welterweights I beat before then would be my toughest competition. I didn’t take anyone lightly.”

Tyron Woodley still can’t explain what happened in his fight with Kamaru Usman

At UFC 235, Kamaru Usman dismantled Tyron Woodley. For twenty-five minutes, there wasn’t a single point where it looked like Woodley was capable of handling the Nigerian. “The Nigerian Nightmare” made sure that Woodley knew why he had kept that nickname. While Woodley had a forgetful night in the Octagon, he now looks back and is thankful for the experience.

“I got to the point where I felt like I faced it head-on. I felt like I’m a better person, I’m a better fighter, a better human being because of it. I felt like it was necessary for my journey. I’m coming out swinging, and I’ve always come out swinging after defeat, but this time it’s a little different because I plan on making this a complete lifestyle change. The way that I’m taking the fight game and really my focus is really set back to the amateur Tyron Woodley,” Woodley added.

As far as his performance inside the Octagon is concerned, Woodley still considers it a fluke. Instead of dwelling upon a bad day at the office, “The Chosen One” is focussing more on moving forward.

“I really can’t explain what happened, so I didn’t make any adjustments. So I really can’t make any adjustments,” Woodley said. “I just wasn’t in my body that night. I haven’t really watched the fight or focused too much on it, just focused on moving forward from it and that’s what I’m doing right now.”

An impressive performance against Burns this weekend can open up multiple exciting avenues for Tyron. He is still the No. 1 ranked Welterweight. However, he isn’t letting his thoughts run away from himself. He has all his attention fixed upon this weekend as of now.