Tyron Woodley explains what led to his improved relationship with UFC, Dana White

For a time, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley did not see eye-to-eye with the UFC. He and company president Dana White exchanged negative remarks in the media on more than one occasion, and their relationship appeared to be somewhat strained. More recently, however, Woodley, the UFC and White seemed to be getting along swimmingly. Woodley even attended White’s son’s birthday party.

On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, the welterweight champ confirmed that things have indeed improved between himself and the promotion, and explained what led to this improved relationship.

“The reason why Dana respects me is also the reason we bump heads sometimes,” he said. “I’m too smart for my own good. I will fight the wars, I will fight the smart battles, and I just want to be treated fairly, and I think at times those things can butt heads. I had some very strong concerns that I brought up to the UFC, and to Dana and the PR, about the way I was promoted, represented. I brought up some things that I didn’t feel were fair that were taking place. When I set those things out and strategically explained to them what was going wrong, why I felt the way I was, why did I go on ESPN and go ham that time, they sat down and said, ‘you know what Tyron, you’re right, we didn’t see it that way. You’re absolutely right, what can we do to change it, how can we fix this, how can we do a better job of helping push your brand?’ Those are things that I feel like the people in the PR, WME tried to do with me. So therefore you don’t hear me barking a lot. People think I’m a whiner, man. I’m just talking factual things, things people would never know are going on with me.”

“I’m feeling the effort,” he continued. “All I ask for is the fact that you value my concern, you value my opinion, and that if I come to you as your champion, of the best organization in the world, and I have a problem, that you’ll at least make my problem feel like it’s important and try to take steps forward toward try to making a solution.”

What do you think of these comments from Tyron Woodley?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/24/2017.