Lloyd Woodard Would Consider it an Honor to Crack Rick Hawn Upside His Head

Lloyd Woodard’s nickname may be “Cupcake,” but don’t let the name fool you.  This hungry lightweight entered Bellator’s Season 6 Lightweight Tournament knowing only one speed, and that’s full speed.

If you need proof, look no further than Bellator 62, where Woodard engaged Patricky “Pitbull” Freire in an epic back and forth war that had mixed martial arts fans on the edge of their seats.   In the second round, Woodard was able to stun Freire yet again and then locked in arm-breaking Kimura to get the win.

With the win, it moves the Dogpound Fight Team pupil  to the semifinals of the lightweight tournament at Bellator 66, where he will meet former Judo Olympian Rick Hawn.  And Woodard believes that it’s truly an honor just to get the chance to crack the Judoka upside his head.

“I’m excited for the fight. He knows I want to beat him up. It’s an honor to crack him upside his head and that’s what I’m going out to do.  Everybody knows the way I fight and I don’t know if he’s ever fought somebody like that, but it’s going to be fun to go in there and see.  I wish it was tomorrow because I’m so excited for this.”

Woodard’s excitement to move forward with the tournament cannot be denied. If he could fight Hawn or Chandler tomorrow, he’d jump at the chance.  But for now he will have to get back to the grind of training and plans to outwork anyone in front of him.

If the 27-year-old succeeds against Hawn, the light at the end of the tunnel will be a title shot and a chance at redemption against Michael Chandler, the man who handed him his first and only loss.

“Mike Chandler has made me a better fighter because I got outworked that day and I ain’t going to get outworked another day in my life.  I’m going to work as hard as I have to, to beat him.  I want that rematch and I just can’t wait.”

Follow Andrew Gladstone at @gladstone1 on Twitter.
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