UFC 171's Tyron Woodley on possible title fights with ATT teammates: 'We'll train together'

Three top welterweights will jockey for title position in three different bouts at Saturday’s UFC 171 event. They also happen to be teammates.

But if you this their affiliation could spell disaster for future title-fight scenarios, one of them, co-headliner Tyron Woodley, insists there’s no reason to worry.

Woodley (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) meets former interim champ Carlos Condit (29-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in Saturday’s pay-per-view co-headliner, which takes place at Dallas’ American Airlines Center. One of his American Top Team teammates, Robbie Lawler, fights Johny Hendricks for the vacant title in the headliner, and in another main-card bout, ATT’s Hector Lombard takes on Jake Shields.

So does Woodley, who said he’s been promised a title shot if victorious, worry about potential scenarios in which he’s forced to fight another ATT rep?

“Not at all,” he told MMAjunkie Radio. “If worse comes to worse, we’ll do whole a training camp together if we have to fight each other.”

Woodley initially sounded serious but later laughed the more he thought about it. More than anything, he seemed to suggest its a bridge they’ll cross once they get there.

“What better way to get the exact look of the person you’re fighting than training with him?” Woodley said with a laugh. “I think it’s kind of funny that there’s so much discussion talking about us fighting each other. But really, at the end of the day, we have to focus on our opponents.

” … That’s first and foremost. That and obviously the support (of each other).”

Anyway, the training ties don’t appear exceptionally tight. While all three contenders are proud ATT fighters, Lombard recently said he spent little time working with Woodley and Lawler for UFC 171. Woodley said part of the reason is that Lombard is a southpaw, and unless he’s fighting a southpaw, training one can throw off a fighter’s timing, he said. Besides, ATT has dozens and dozens of top-level fighters, so there are plenty of options for training partners.

Additionally, Woodley said he only spent “about a week and change” in Florida with ATT and did the bulk of his camp in St. Louis. Still, he said, he wants all three ATT fighters to put in strong performances, and they can worry about the consequences later.

“I want to see my teammates go out there, and I want to see them to send a message against Jake, against Johny, and me against Condit,” he said. “We’ll talk about the rest afterward.”

Lawler is a currently a 3-1 underdog to Hendricks, but if he pulls off the upset – and if Woodley (+165) does the same against Condit – the all-ATT matchup seems inevitable. After all, Woodley said, UFC President Dana White has promised him a title shot.

“It came out of the boss’ mouth,” he said. “Speculation is one thing, but the boss says this is definitely the No. 1 contender fight. The winner of this gets (a shot at) the world title. I want no ifs, ands or buts about it. That’s what’s been told to me. That’s what I’m training for. That’s what I’m mentally preparing for. I don’t even want people getting that buzz about ‘if’ out there. There’s no ‘if.’ This is a No. 1 contender fight.”

However, the UFC has changed such such plans in the past. So isn’t Woodley worried that a narrow win or otherwise poor performance could let the Lombard-Shields winner or another 170-pound contender cut the line?

“It’s going to be a ‘Fight of the Night’ performance anyway,” he said. “Doesn’t matter.”

For the latest on UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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