A win is a win. Tyron Woodley's TKO victory Saturday night was caused in part by a strange injury to Carlos Condit, but it was a win nonetheless and will surely move Woodley farther up the UFC welterweight rankings.
Woodley won the fight by TKO at exactly two minutes of the second round.
After a fairly even opening frame, Woodley attempted a takedown early in the second round. As he drove Condit off the ground, Condit's planted right leg twisted awkwardly, and as he hit the mat he grimaced in pain.
A ground exchange ensued. After the referee stood up the two fighters, Woodley apparently noticed that Condit had hurt his knee. A kick to the right leg caused Condit to spin in the air and land on the mat in pain. The referee quickly called a stop to the contest.
At the event's post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White indicated that the extent or severity of Condit's injury was not known. MMA reporter Ariel Helwani tweeted early Sunday morning that Condit was undergoing testing on his knee.
I'm told Condit is getting an MRI on his knee as we tweet. No clues as to the severity of the injury.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 16, 2014
Though the win will move Woodley up the ranks, it will probably not be enough on its own to earn him a shot at Johny Hendricks, who became the new UFC welterweight champion Saturday with his decision defeat of Robbie Lawler.
The good news for Woodley is that there is no other clear-cut top contender. Hector Lombard defeated Jake Shields at UFC 171, but did so in less-than-scintillating fashion.
Woodley, 31, now moves to 13-2 as a pro MMA fighter, including a 3-1 mark in the UFC.
Condit, 29, drops down to 29-8 overall. He has lost three of his last four, though each has come against elite competition.
Scott Harris writes about MMA and other sports for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter.
