logo
Dark horse no longer: Sean Woodson fixated on kicking off breakout year at UFC 314

Dark horse no longer: Sean Woodson fixated on kicking off breakout year at UFC 314

USA Today03-04-2025

Sean Woodson has been in the shadows, quietly rising up the ranks of one of the UFC's most talent-filled divisions.
But on April 12 at UFC 314, Woodson (13-1-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) and his 6-foot-2, 145-pound frame will step fully into the spotlight as he faces his first ranked challenge, promotion-No. 15 Dan Ige[autotag] (18-9 MMA, 10-8 UFC).
'I've been patient,' Woodson recently told MMA Junkie. 'I've had the utmost and belief in myself. I don't rush sh*t. I don't rush nothing. I've been more than confident that my time will come. I've just got to keep putting in the work and staying focused and doing what I do. Eventually, I'll be undeniable. After this fight, god willing it goes my way, I'll be right there damn near a 10-fight unbeaten streak.
'2024 was a great year for me. I fought three times. I was 3-0. I feel like it really has me set up for 2024 to really be my year. 2025 is my breakout year, the year where I really make some noise and get everybody talking about me and really force my hand and force the UFC to give me the big fights to lead me to the title.'
Woodson, 32, has done it his way. Frequently asked why he doesn't compete at a higher weight class with a lesser weight cut, Woodson has stuck to his recipe – and it's worked. He's been loyal to those who have been loyal to him. That right there might be the secret to his success.
'I take pride in being a guy who just trains at his hometown, local, no-name gym, sort of say,' Woodson said. 'We don't have a huge reputation. I train at Wolves Den in St. Louis, Missouri and I do my strength and conditioning at Project Deliverance with my guy Matt Owen. Nobody knows about us, but I take pride in that. It's given me extra motivation to be a guy in his hometown of St. Louis knocking off all these guys from these world class really reputable gyms. I mean that's pretty much it. That's something I really hang my hat on is not having the resources that all these other guys have.
'I'm not in one of these big gyms that has 10-20 other UFC fighters day-in and day-out. I'm the only UFC fighter in my gym and I take pride in going around and knocking off all these other guys in big gyms. Those guys who as soon as they get to the UFC and they leave their team and run to go link up with a bunch of other UFC fighters, I think that kind of is my own opinion, but that says something about the confidence in themselves that they have. They need to be in a room with a bunch of other guys who are in the UFC to feel like they are doing the right thing or whatever.'
Woodson is confident he's headed to the top, but also recognizes the threat that is Ige, a perennially-ranked fighter who very well might have his back against the wall coming off consecutive losses.
'All his losses are to top contenders,' Woodson said. 'He's coming off two losses in a row, but those were against Diego, who is fighting for the title, and Lerone Murphy, who is 15-0. Him losing two in a row is not really that bad coming against those guys. But him losing two in a row, I feel like he knows his back is against the wall. I'm expecting the best Ige to date. I know he's training hard and really got a chip on his shoulder, not trying to drop three in a row. As fas as his style, he's known to be super durable. But one thing about being super durable is that you've had to show that you're durable, if that makes sense. The only way you show you're durable is taking a lot of shots. When I watch his fights, what I notice is that he's getting hit a lot. He's getting hit a lot by guys who I don't feel are the caliber of striker that I am.
'He don't have the reach that I have. I feel like that's going to be a big factor in this one. He's 5-foot-7. I've fought guys who are 5-foot-7 before. I feel like he's the best 5-foot-7 guy I've fought but I feel like I'm really going to be able to take advantage of the striking advantage on the feet. I feel like he's going to try to be pressuring me and try to press me up against the cage and drag me to the floor. But I think that's what every guy's game plan is against me. That's the style I've been going up against my whole career and guys I prepare for. He's the toughest guy I've fought to date but I feel I'm more than ready.'
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 314.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UFC on ESPN 69's Cody Garbrandt says Sean O'Malley 'looked like sh*t' in title fight loss
UFC on ESPN 69's Cody Garbrandt says Sean O'Malley 'looked like sh*t' in title fight loss

USA Today

time38 minutes ago

  • USA Today

UFC on ESPN 69's Cody Garbrandt says Sean O'Malley 'looked like sh*t' in title fight loss

UFC on ESPN 69's Cody Garbrandt says Sean O'Malley 'looked like sh*t' in title fight loss ATLANTA – Cody Garbrandt is fully focused on getting back on track with a UFC on ESPN 69 win over Raoni Barcelos on Saturday, but if he gets it done, a big fight could await. Former UFC bantamweight champ Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) competes for the first time since UFC 300 in April 2024 when he takes on Barcelos (19-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) at State Farm Arena (ESPN, ESPN+). It's an important bout for him, especially after recently signing a new multi-fight contract with the promotion. If Garbrandt can pull off something spectacular this weekend, as he has many times before, then it's hard not to consider a potential showdown with Sean O'Malley, who he once had a heated press conference exchange with and has since fired many verbal and social media shots toward. With O'Malley on a two-fight losing streak after consecutive title losses to champ Merab Dvalishvili, most recently at UFC 316 this month, it could be a potentially good time for the pair to settle their differences. "He should've kept smoking because he looked like sh*t," Garbrandt told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's media day. "Whatever you have to do. Sometimes you lose and you try to reinvent yourself and find yourself. At the end of the day, you know who you are, you know what you've got to do. I know I'm one of the best fighters in the world. When you lose you've got everyone in your ear saying you've got to do this and you've got to do that. Just remember what got you there and who you are the end of the day. I think that's a huge fight and pay-per-view sale, Sean and I. But I'm focused on this fight this Saturday and then we'll let everything else fall in line." After dealing with some health issues including vertigo, Garbrandt, 33, said this is "the best I've felt in a while" due to mental and emotionally clarity. He hopes that translated into the octagon, because while his reign as champion is now many years ago and there's been many ups and downs since then, Garbrandt admits he doesn't have satisfaction with his career. "I'm a former world champion – yeah, that's great," Garbrandt said. "It's something that was amazing to accomplish, but it didn't fulfilled me. For me to be here, going through what I've gone through (with) the injuries, setbacks, losses – whatever you want to call it. To wake up every day and chase this dream, to push yourself to a limit and set goals inside of the fight career, it's something that wakes me up every day. It motivates me, it scares me and fills me with all different kinds of emotions to get in there and fight another man that's willing to do whatever to get the win."

Mailbag: What in the world is Sean O'Malley's next move after back-to-back UFC title losses?
Mailbag: What in the world is Sean O'Malley's next move after back-to-back UFC title losses?

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Mailbag: What in the world is Sean O'Malley's next move after back-to-back UFC title losses?

After another dominant performance at UFC 316, what are the most interesting potential fights for bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili? What's next for Sean O'Malley? Plus, does Julianna Peña really believe she ought to get the winner of the Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes fight? Really?? All that and more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesmma or @ @MMAJunkieGeorge: I hand you 100k as a gift. But you must bet a side between the following … Merab vs. Volk, who would you pick? Advertisement If they're fighting at 145 pounds, I have to pick Alexander Volkanovski. As good as Merab Dvalishvili is, and as dialed in as he's seemed these last few fights, I just don't think his style would be nearly as effective up a weight class. Volkanovski isn't even one of the bigger guys at featherweight, but I think the size and strength would make it harder for Merab to do Merab things. He's a dominant force in his weight class. That's where he should stay until the UFC makes it financially worthwhile to leave (which, let's be honest, probably isn't going to happen). @justlikelasagna: Isn't it time to start thinking about UFC after Dana White. They haven't pushed names they've always pushed him. Except everything but UFC seems to be grabbing Dana's attention recently. What's the next step post Dana? I've never seen anyone look so disinterested running a billion-dollar company. One of the UFC's great strengths is its organization. Most fight promotions are a damn mess, but the UFC is a well-oiled machine that can churn out weekly events on auto-pilot from now until the rapture. The flip side of this is that it seems to have gotten pretty boring for UFC CEO Dana White, who had to have the current state of his heavyweight division explained to him on Saturday by the media members who have actually been paying attention. Advertisement That said, I don't think anything short of death would get him out of that job. He's too synonymous with the brand, and clearly the day-to-day demands of the job are not exactly an inhuman labor. Eventually, yes, there will probably be a UFC without White. But this content machine could already plug along without him (and largely does, in purely practical terms) so I'm not sure how much it would really change anything. @wolfe_was_here: Tito Ortiz's ¿wizardry? of the English language was recently on display again. What are a couple of your favourite excerpts from The Tao of Tito? You know what amazes me about Tito Ortiz's magical way with words? It's the consistency. For decades this man has been showing up and talking about how he fights to put food on the roof and a table over his family's head — and he's never once showed the slightest bit of self-awareness about any of it. At a certain point we must abandon the notion that Ortiz is bad at talking and is instead a genius at some other form of communication that the rest of us can't even fully conceive of. It's like those aliens in 'Arrival' who have not only a different language, but a completely different mode of expression and comprehension of both time and space. He's operating on a totally different mode and has been for decades. How else could he have managed this? @EyeofMihawk: Can we finally do away with unearned title rematches now? O'Malley got smashed. Juliana Peña still thinks she can call dibs. Yair Rodriguez turned down Diego Lopes. None of them deserve a title shot. This has to stop. Advertisement OK, I will admit that when I saw Julianna Peña trying to call 'dibs' on the winner of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes, I had to check and make sure I wasn't being trolled by a fake account. I get it, fighters have to be at least a little bit delusional. And over the years Peña has given us reason to think she's well past a little bit. I think that's definitely helped her at times. She's won some fights she had no business winning simply because she was the last person to realize how overmatched she was. But this time? After that showing? I struggle to understand what's going on in her head. She was never really in that fight with Harrison, and the loss brought an end to one of the least distinguished title reigns in UFC history. A close second is her first title reign, which also ended as soon as she had to defend the belt. I don't really blame her for trying to put her name in the mix, just like I don't blame Sean O'Malley for accepting that rematch or Yair Rodriguez for aiming up at gold rather than a fellow contender. The title is where the money is, so why not ask for a shot? The worst they can say is no. Or, in Peña's case, maybe hell no. @JSanchezOnSI: Hey Ben! Just discovered you and loving your work my man. I'd like to know where you think O'Malley goes from here? Fight a few lower ranked guys? Move down a weight? He's stuck in no man's land a bit like Holloway after Volk. Advertisement I don't think he could make 125 pounds without a tapeworm, so if he's going to change weight classes, I think it makes a lot more sense to go up. With his frame, he could probably hold his own at featherweight. At the very least he'd have a bunch of new potential matchups and a fresh start in a new weight class. Staying at bantamweight seems like it offers limited possibilities as long as Dvalishvili is the champ. And it looks like he might stay that way for a long time. @sentientlife4o1: What's up with Patchy Mix? Was he fraud checked or was it first fight in the UFC jitters? Now that a number of Bellator champions have done relatively poorly in the UFC, is it fair to say the entire organization has been fraud checked? No, I don't think that's fair to say. Patchy Mix looked very bad, but he also looked bad in the way that suggested it could have been mostly nerves. Lots of fighters have struggled in their UFC debuts and then gone on to have great careers. The list of people who lost their first fight in the UFC includes Merab Dvalishvili, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Fabricio Werdum, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, just to name a few. Mix fought a very tough opponent and took about two rounds to wake up, by which point it was too late to get back in the fight. That can happen. It doesn't mean he was never any good to begin with. As for other Bellator champs, they've mostly come over to the UFC only after having entire careers elsewhere. That comes at a cost. @SLefkaditis: If Merab beats Cory, is there any other fight than Pantoja? Advertisement Sure, there are other fights. I get the sense the UFC would like to get Umar Nurmagomedov back in there with him for another shot. I'm not saying I love the idea, but I don't think it would take much to talk the UFC into it. Honestly, I think Dvalishvili would be a very, very tough fight for Alexandre Pantoja. But if the flyweight champ wanted to take the risk and move up in weight, I'd sure watch it. He does seem like a man in need of a challenge. @forty7pitches: Do you think the UFC will ever get to Connor levels again? I'm not sure it really cares to. I think the UFC learned a few things from the Conor McGregor era, one of which is that there are easier ways to make consistent, predictable profits that don't rely on catching lightning in a bottle. Stars are tricky in this sport. They tend to be a lot less compliant than the rank-and-file fighters on meager 50/50 contracts that fill out the content calendar. Do I think we could see another star emerge who's as big or bigger than McGregor? Sure. This is an individual sport and there's always someone out there with the potential to capture the attention and imagination of the audience. I just don't think that's a priority for the UFC or its parent company right now.

Miranda Maverick relishes big UFC on ESPN 69 showdown with 'friend' Rose Namajunas
Miranda Maverick relishes big UFC on ESPN 69 showdown with 'friend' Rose Namajunas

USA Today

time3 hours ago

  • USA Today

Miranda Maverick relishes big UFC on ESPN 69 showdown with 'friend' Rose Namajunas

Miranda Maverick relishes big UFC on ESPN 69 showdown with 'friend' Rose Namajunas Show Caption Hide Caption Miranda Maverick UFC Atlanta Media Day Miranda Maverick speaks to the media ahead of her fight vs. Rose Namajunas at UFC Atlanta. ATLANTA – For someone who's about to engage in a fist fight with one of her friends, Miranda Maverick is pretty chill about it. Maverick meets Rose Namajunas in the women's flyweight co-main event Saturday at UFC on ESPN 69 from State Farm Arena. And when they step into the cage, there will be no secrets. Maverick, who's No. 11 in the official UFC rankings at 125 pounds, has a golden opportunity to add the biggest win of her career against a former UFC champion in No. 7 Namajunas – whom she just so happens to consider a friend. Maverick (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) have spent plenty of time together as training partners in Colorado. Maverick welcomes the added friendly element of familiarity heading into the fight. "It feels amazing. It's almost no pressure, you know, because Rose and I have trained together, we know exactly what each other's gonna try to do," Maverick told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Wednesday at UFC on ESPN 69 media day. "So it's been a hard camp. We've been pushing through this camp like no other, ready for all the pressure that we know Rose is gonna throw our way. It's just gonna be a game of fight IQ and tenacity and mental toughness, I think, at the end of the day." Maverick, 27, is on a four-fight winning streak heading into UFC on ESPN 69. While a win certainly would be huge, she wouldn't quite declare herself worthy of a title shot. But make no mistake: Winning is the goal. If hurting a friend is what it takes, she has no reservations. "I'm excited," Maverick said. "(Namajunas has) been an inspiration for the longest time, a friend I would call her, and now a rival. We'll go back to being friends after this fight."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store