Conor McGregor next? Welterweight champ Tyron Woodley says it's a no-win proposition

NEW YORK – UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley isn’t sold on an immediate rematch with Stephen Thompson. He’s also not sure Conor McGregor is a better option.

In Saturday’s UFC 205 pay-per-view co-headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York, Woodley (16-3-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) fought Thompson (13-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) to a majority draw in a “Fight of the Night” performance.

After the event, UFC President Dana White suggested an immediate rematch is likely. Woodley, though, isn’t necessarily sold on the idea.

After he won the title from Robbie Lawler in July, Woodley, who’s now the No. 1 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, was told he’d then be fighting  No. 2-ranked Thompson. Some bickering ensued, by Woodley vs. Thompson was ultimately booked, and at UFC 205, it ended without a definitive result. Still, Woodley’s not ready to commit to an immediate rematch.

“I’m going to talk to my management team,” he told MMAjunkie after the event. “We’re going to see what’s next for me.”

After all, another option could possibly by on the horizon – even if Woodley sees it as a no-win situation. In Saturday’s UFC 205 headliner, featherweight champ McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) added a lightweight belt to his collection after knocking out and dethroning Eddie Alvarez (28-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC). The Irishman hasn’t counted out the possibility of moving up to welterweight, where he recently went 1-1 in a pair of high-profile bouts against Nate Diaz, and trying to collect a third belt.

Woodley, though, isn’t sure it’s the brightest idea for McGregor.

“To be just straight up honest, Conor McGregor is a guy that fought at 145 – ever in his life,” he said. “I haven’t weighed 145 since my sophomore year of high school.”

So it’s too much of a mismatch?

“I’m not going to say that,” he said. “Because he’s tall, he has long arms, he has good timing, and when you’ve got good timing like that, you can place place good punches. But I’m 100 percent positive he’s never been hit with the shots I’d hit him with.”

Thompson, for example, can attest to Woodley’s power. The champ, though, isn’t sure McGregor can handle it that way a very resilient Thompson did.

“I just don’t think Conor understands the pressure I can put on him and the power I can put on him and all the different attacks,” he said. “I think it’s good for media, but in general, man, I don’t know how I can win. If I beat him, everyone’s going to say I’m supposed to beat him and that he’s a former featherweight. And if I lose to him, we know what’s going to happen there.”

Still, if McGregor, who’s hinted at a possible contract fight with UFC officials, wants a shot, Woodley is willing to oblige.

“If he wants to fight, we can sign it right now,” he said. “I’m good on the fight. I just don’t think it’s a good idea for him to fight me.”

For more on UFC 205, check out the UFC Events section of the site.