Israel Adesanya and his unique personality have evoked mixed reactions within the MMA community since his UFC debut. ‘The Last Stylebender,’ recognized for his flashy entrances, passion for anime, and public persona, seems to have irked a former UFC champion.

Tyron Woodley, the former UFC welterweight champion known for his explosive strength, recently stirred the MMA community with his surprising statement about returning to the octagon. Woodley had transitioned to boxing, faced Jake Paul, and was reportedly eyeing a bout with Logan Paul. However, in an appearance on the Jaxxon podcast,  Woodley revealed what would draw him back to MMA. And it is something the fans were definitely not expecting!

Tyron Woodley reveals this is why he doesn’t like Israel Adesanya

Woodley while expressing his disapproval of Adesanya, explains to host Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson that isn’t based on his skills inside the Octagon. He stresses that his admiration for Adesanya’s skills was genuine from the beginning. Woodley had identified Adesanya as a unique and charismatic fighter with impressive martial arts skills. But that changed soon.

When asked about a potential UFC return, Woodley expressed that the only thing that could bring him back to the octagon was a fight against Israel Adesanya. Stating, “The only person I just wanna beat the f**k out of is Israel Adesanya. I don’t like him.”

When pressed further to reveal why he doesn’t like him, Woodley said, “…coz he cap.”  He explained that he disliked Adesanya, not because of his fashion choices or personality but because he believed Adesanya lacked authenticity.

Last month, Woodley gave an interview to TMZ Sports where he called out Logan Paul for a boxing match. Woodley’s decision to target Adesanya in the UFC thus comes as a surprise to many. That is of course considering his last boxing matches against a Paul brother didn’t end favorably for the MMA fighter.

‘The Chosen One’ and his history with the Paul brothers

On August 29, 2021, Tyron Woodley and Jake Paul squared off for the first time, taking the fight to a decision. Ultimately, Woodley suffered a split decision loss. Later, a rematch was set up when Tommy Fury, Jake’s initially scheduled opponent, withdrew from their bout. Woodley took the opportunity for a second showdown with Paul. This time, the fight went back and forth, but in the 6th round, Woodley found himself knocked out on the canvas.

During an interview with TMZ last month, Woodley was asked about the possibility of fighting Logan Paul in October. In response, Woodley stated, “I would love to fight Logan Paul, you know and if, you know, I didn’t think about that, damn, that’s a good idea.  Logan, what’s crackin’? You was talkin’ mad s*** while I was fighting your brother.”

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There has been no response from Logan Paul to the Woodley callout. The social media star turned-boxer is supposed to face Dillon Danis in a 10-round boxing match in Manchester on October 14th.

Although it remains to be seen whether Tyron Woodley will make his return to the UFC Octagon, a bigger question lies! Will he be able to regain the form that made him one of the most dominant welterweight champions of his era?

Do you think Woodley should return to MMA? And how well do you think he’ll do in a fight against Logan Paul? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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