UFC 171's Tyron Woodley a Carlos Condit fan? 'I would be a liar' if I said no

Tyron Woodley fights in tonight’s UFC 171 headliner, but he he’d be lying if he said he didn’t have a great amount of admiration for the man standing across the cage for him.

Woodley (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) takes on former WEC champ/ex-UFC interim titleholder Carlos Condit (29-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in the pay-per-view bout at Dallas’ American Airlines Center. Prior to the welterweight fight, Woodley has been less than complimentary at times, but when he launched his own career five years ago, he admits Condit was a source of inspiration.

“Yeah, I watched Carlos Condit a lot,” Woodley told MMAjunkie. “I would be a liar to say I don’t. The kid is one of my favorites to actually watch compete, the way he brings it, the way he’s never counted out of any fight. Until the last 10 seconds of the fight, he’s still trying to finish the guy.

“It’s always entertaining to watch him, the heart that he brings. It’s the martial-arts spirit, and that’s what I respect most about him.”

Check out the full conversation above as Woodley also gives his tips on how fighters can best market themselves.

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