Tyron Woodley has dominated the MMA news cycle this week, a stark contrast from any other time in the welterweight champion’s career, due to his race-related comments on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_87H7TGyQM
Woodley held nothing back when discussing the treatment of black athletes in combat sports and his less than preferential treatment as UFC champion.
He openly pondered whether the current UFC climate allowed for a popular minority champion. Using others such as Demetrious Johnson & Jon Jones as examples of world-class fighters that never truly transcended the sport.
Is that due to race? Is it due a to flaw in the UFC’s marketing plan? Is it due to a fan base, and an openly Republican UFC President (Dana White), not willing to accept an American minority athlete as the face of its organization?
These are all questions that the few minority UFC beat writers have asked for years now but have gone relatively unanswered. It took a fighter to openly speak on the racial climate of the sport for the conversation to grow legs.
At UFC 209 media day in Las Vegas, Tyron further clarified his stance on the racial issues in the UFC and combat sports as a whole.
In fact, we first asked Tyron whether he thought playing the villain role, similar to what Floyd Mayweather adapted, was the only way for a black fighter to become a figurehead in his sport?
“In general, it’s unfortunate that it’s the dry reality of it. If I was all in it for a push in the PPV and to become a huge mega-star, then yeah I would consider that,” said Tyron.
“But I’m in it for the respect, the honor, the discipline; I’m in it for the long-haul. I’ve always the underdog, ever since I was a young kid growing up in Ferguson. So, what I think is important is to be myself louder. For me to be Tyron Woodley at a volume of 10 and not be as quiet.”
Tyron was very open about feeling the pressure of social commentary and not speaking up about issues, namely race, that had bothered him in 2016.
“I said it on social media, I won’t be quiet this year and I don’t care if people don’t like it. If there’s things that are going on that are not right, as far as race in sports, I’m going to frickin’ say it this year. Last year, I was worried about ruffling feathers and I was worried about not saying the right thing.”
The late-great Muhammad Ali was the one that really sparked Tyron’s new-found courage. In several UFC videos Woodley can be seen admiring the G.O.A.T while walking the halls of MSG before his first title defense against Stephen Thompson at UFC 205. Being that close to history and greatness clearly had an effect on Woodley’s mindset.
“I was reading a quote by Muhammad Ali that says, ‘There comes a point when silence becomes betrayal.’ When you have a platform to speak on issues that you know that are factually true and you can help bring light to those things you have to do that.”
If you think Woodley is the only UFC employee, fighter or athlete that feels that way then you’re wrong. He made it a point to share small details on the amount of support that has flooded in since his ESPN interview.
“If I show you my direct messages right now of every fighter on the UFC roster that has said , ‘Man I feel this way’ or ‘I’m glad you said this, I’ve been struggling with this.’ Boxers, celebrities, recording artists; everybody is hitting me up saying, ‘Man I can’t believe [it], what you’re saying is true.'”
Woodley’s stance is a brave one and one that has been needed for a long while in MMA but it is important to highlight that it can’t be the last. Hopefully this opens up the door for other minority athletes to come forth and demand to be marketed to the level of their talents. And for them to fight for the betterment of future minorities in the sport.
It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of the McGregor and Rousey era of the UFC but behind that veil there are still some deep seeded issues. Not everyone can become a superstar, that is true, but there’s more than enough money and resources to allow each champion, each fighter, each coach to become an influential figure to someone.
Tyron just took the necessary first step toward that goal.