It didn’t take long for Tyron Woodley to capture the UFC welterweight title.
Woodley (19-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) faced the division’s boogeyman, then-champion Robbie Lawler, at UFC 201 in 2016 for his first shot at gold since joining the roster.
Lawler had been involved in some of the greatest wars in UFC history, outlasting the likes of Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit.
But Woodley got him out of there quick.
After an almost minute-long feeling out process, Woodley lunged in with a combination, backing Lawler to the fence and engaging in the clinch. With Woodley not working enough, referee Dan Miragliotta separated the fighters.
Lawler continued to circle around with a more patient approach but just over two minutes into the fight, Woodley exploded with an overhand right, knocking Lawler out.
Woodley would go on to retain his title four times, before losing out to current champion Kamaru Usman last March.
He will return to action for the first time since losing his belt, when he faces Gilbert Burns this Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 9 headliner. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Before he faces Burns, relive Woodley’s championship winning performance over Lawler in the video above.
