Tyron Woodley has admitted to taking a subtle jab at Dana White, his former boss, without White initially realizing it.
Back in September 2018, Woodley was celebrating a successful welterweight title defense against Darren Till at UFC 228. “The Chosen One” had secured four consecutive title defenses amidst a strained relationship with White (then president, now CEO). The tension was amplified by White`s public criticism following a previous championship fight.
After Woodley`s victory over Demian Maia at UFC 214, White criticized the fight`s lack of excitement, blaming Woodley for not securing a finish. This criticism motivated Woodley to include a hidden message for White in his debut rap single, I’ll Beat Yo Ass, released soon after the Till fight.
“That song I’ll Beat Yo Ass, it was for Dana White,” Woodley explained on the Verse Us podcast. “If you listen to the lyrics, they were directed at Dana White. I couldn’t explicitly say I wanted to beat Dana White’s ass, but I really wanted to because he made me look foolish. He made comments while people like Michael Bisping and Kenny Florian were laughing. I wanted to retort, but I was told to stay silent. Someone said they even cut off my microphone. In my ear, I heard, ‘You can’t reply. You can’t say anything. You can’t address this.’”
Woodley held the UFC welterweight title from 2016 to 2019. Throughout his reign, he openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the UFC`s promotional efforts and his desire to fight high-profile, veteran fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, regardless of their retirement status.
From Woodley`s perspective, he was using the leverage he had, but the UFC disapproved of his negotiation strategies.
“I think they felt like, ‘This guy thinks he’s too clever,’” Woodley stated. “That’s the vibe I always got. But I refuse to underestimate myself for anyone. I’m aware of everyone’s financial figures. As a fighter who knows these numbers, I approach negotiations differently. If I know someone is renegotiating their deal every fight, champion or not, then it’s my turn to do the same. I was on the same management team as an athlete who operated like that.”
“When I fought Robbie Lawler, I knew Lawler was with American Top Team and managed by Dan Lambert. I was privy to much of the negotiation surrounding our fight. I know he received an extra $250,000 to fight me.”
Woodley defeated Lawler at UFC 201 with a first-round knockout, claiming the welterweight title. He went on to defend it against Till, Maia, and Stephen Thompson (twice, with their first match ending in a draw).
According to Woodley, none of this aligned with the UFC`s plans. He claims officials intended to book Lawler against St-Pierre or Conor McGregor had Lawler won at UFC 201. Woodley disrupted those plans and later felt slighted that he wasn’t afforded the same opportunities as Lawler.
“The friction began before that, but the real power struggle emerged because I knew what he was offered,” Woodley explained. “If this were the NCAA tournament, and he’s the top seed and I beat him, then I become the top seed. I wanted everything that was promised to him. I wanted all the benefits, every extra perk, and I was persistent about it.”
