He did wipe out Lawler and I think everyone thought he was going to be a "balls to the wall" kind of champion but then he pulled out 3 eggs and proceeded to make an omelette in his last 3 fights. It was more like watching a cooking show with a couple of accidents in between. Fighters get booed all of the time in fights where there is inactivity and his "inactivity" just happens to be in front of the whole world because he is the champion. Is normal. I don't think anyone hates him, it is more like they are just booing him to get him to either respond and fight or get the hell out of the way.
Before he was a champion and KO'd Lawler, Tyron was mostly forgettable. He was known as a boring fighter in strikeforce and was losing regularly in the UFC early on. Nobody cared for Tyron and there was no popular opinion on him. Then he suddenly KO'd Lawler and people started really watching Woodley for the first time and he failed to meet their expectations. All this and being a world champion makes the dislike and hate for Woodley magnified.
After looking at the thread here of Din Thomas trying to explain Woodley's unpopularity, I've decided to spend some time looking back on the last several years of Woodley's career to try and pinpoint when the fans began turning on him to attempt to isolate the true reason for the hate he receives (or perceives to receive).
TLDR:
Woodley was arguably justified and could be defended of his actions leading up to his call out of Diaz/GSP after knocking out Lawler, but he forever ruined his first impression to most of the fans as champion when he called out those retired/inactive fighters; his subsequent headlines in the media demonstrated his inability to accept responsibility and understand how he caused the fans to turn against him.
2015
Woodley fights Gastelum, the latter of whom misses weight; Woodley wins via split decision and opts not to take Gastelum's money; minority of fans attempt to argue that Gastelum won, but most agree that Woodley was the winner and Woodley receives a massive amount of praise for giving Gastelum his money back. Woodley empathizing with Gastelum possibly needing that money wins Woodley tons of support and new fans.
In a later interview, Woodley reveals how the Monday before his fight against MacDonald, Dana told him the winner of Lawler/Brown would be for the title, which would explain (and perhaps justify) the frustration he talks about over the ranking system and matchmaking.
When Dana announced that Hendricks would be moving up the Middleweight after being hospitalized for kidney stone(s) and promised that Woodley would fight the winner of Lawler/Condit, most of the fan-discussion was on Hendricks, though some had wished that Woodley had one more win before receiving a title shot, ultimately there was no hate for Woodley. https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/10...shot-hendricks-middleweight-mma-news#comments
Woodley intended to wait for his promised title shot, which many fans thought risky, but given that he had also been promised (or lead to believe) that he would receive a title shot if he defeated MacDonald, I can understand his reasoning for waiting it out.
I think that writer for BE jinxed it because then Thompson got a win over Hendricks and moved up to become the #4 ranked Welterweight in the UFC (#3 Woodley, #2 MacDonald, #1 Lawler); a vocal minority started using Woodley's split decision win over Gastelum and waiting for over a year against him in order to argue that Thompson deserved the next title shot (in addition to Thompson's exciting style). However, by and large I think most fans were still behind Woodley and were defending his right to the next title shot. https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/2/...oy-above-hendricks-but-below-woodley-mma-news
After Woodley knocked out Lawler, from what I could gather there was backlash against Woodley simply as a result of Lawler having a lot of fans, some of whom believed Woodley didn't deserve a title shot, but much of their comments were coming through a lens of bitterness over Lawler losing. https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/7/...-win-ufc-welterweight-title-mma-news#comments
TURNING POINT
This is where the vocal minority suddenly became validated, and it was no longer the vocal minority but instead deemed the truth. Up until this moment, Woodley was at least arguably justified in his decisions, his decisions could be defended. Suddenly his circumstances leading up to fighting Lawler were suddenly all his fault and his opportunities were all undeserved.
Headline: "UFC 201: After title win, Tyron Woodley wants Nick Diaz or Georges St-Pierre next"
From this article onward, the fans turned against Woodley, and Woodley did himself no favors as the months and years followed. Woodley became a hypocrite by ignoring the rankings; he previously lamented over Lawler/Brown competing in a title eliminator bout, and as soon as he became the champion he did something worse by calling out fighters not even ranked to begin with, despite there being a contender available in Thompson.
When Woodley had justifiable complaints over the UFC showing his knockout loss to Marquardt, it now looked nothing more than whining in the eyes of the fans, because first impressions are critical and Woodley's first impression as champion was to call out retired fighters for money fights instead of facing Thompson. https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/9/...appy-nate-marquardt-promo-ko-mccrory-mma-news
Name me a larger or more accurate census or vote or survey of whether or not white folk are scared of a black man's opinion, than a presidential election between a black and a white candidate.
The fact that white people were willing to hand over their monetary, fiscal, moral and social policy making to a black man is not evidence based on actual reality?
Yeah i suppose Tymoans subjective and biased opinion is much more accurate....
Name me a larger or more accurate census or vote or survey of whether or not white folk are scared of a black man's opinion, than a presidential election between a black and a white candidate.
The fact that white people were willing to hand over their monetary, fiscal, moral and social policy making to a black man is not evidence based on actual reality?
Yeah i suppose Tymoans subjective and biased opinion is much more accurate....
Those who voted for Obama were by definition registering that they don't fear a black man's opinions. A vote for Obamas opponents conversely does not measure fear of a black man's opinion. It measures only support for his opponents.
Since a majority or 'popular' vote of Americans voted for a black guy, by definition it shows that Woodley could be popular despite being black.
He isn't, so his shit show race baiting excuses for his own personality, are in arguably wrong.
Those who voted for Obama were by definition registering that they don't fear a black man's opinions. A vote for Obamas opponents conversely does not measure fear of a black man's opinion. It measures only support for his opponents.
Since a majority or 'popular' vote of Americans voted for a black guy, by definition it shows that Woodley could be popular despite being black.
He isn't, so his shit show race baiting excuses for his own personality, are in arguably wrong.
“Look at Tyron, he acts like he’s better than everybody,’ and she said that not knowing Tyron but just what he puts out there. But Jon Jones can’t because he’s a drug addict and steroids and he’s running pregnant ladies over, so he comes off as human. He has problems and people can relate to that.”
Comedic gold.
Yeah look at that uppity negro over there not taking drugs or running over pregnant ladies....he thinks he’s better than everybody. Just look at him, taking care of his family and shit...hmmmph.
Now my man over here doin coke, running over pregnant ladies, doubling back to grab the cash, drag racing and flipping off cops....that’s the black man we know and love.
Name me a larger or more accurate census or vote or survey of whether or not white folk are scared of a black man's opinion, than a presidential election between a black and a white candidate.
The fact that white people were willing to hand over their monetary, fiscal, moral and social policy making to a black man is not evidence based on actual reality?
Yeah i suppose Tymoans subjective and biased opinion is much more accurate....
Those who voted for Obama were by definition registering that they don't fear a black man's opinions. A vote for Obamas opponents conversely does not measure fear of a black man's opinion. It measures only support for his opponents.
Since a majority or 'popular' vote of Americans voted for a black guy, by definition it shows that Woodley could be popular despite being black.
He isn't, so his shit show race baiting excuses for his own personality, are in arguably wrong.
Generally I tend to support the plight of the African American community. In Tyron’s case, he’s just a strange personality. I don’t think skin color has anything to do with his unpopularity. If you watch him on Rogan’s podcast, it is evident just how unrelateable his personality is.
A reality that rejects the largest survey of whether people do or do not respect a black man speaking his mind, in favour of your own biased subjectivity? That's not reality at all.
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