Tyron Woodley stands by Din Thomas, reveals plans to return to MMA and make one ‘last run’ in his career
Former UFC fighter Tyron Woodley has defended his coach, Din Thomas, following public criticism regarding Thomas's decision to retire from cornering fighters mid-event. Woodley also expressed his intention to return to MMA for one final career run.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intense personal loyalties and public controversies that often characterize the professional MMA community.
Tyron Woodley is fiercely loyal to the people who have always stood by his side and that includes longtime friend and coach Din Thomas.
In the aftermath of an ill-advised decision to announce that he was retiring from cornering fighters just after he watched Gillian Robertson lose a lopsided decision in the UFC 330 co-main event, Thomas issued an apology for his “despicable” timing but that didn’t stop UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland from calling him a “shit coach” on social media. That prompted a response from Woodley via private message, which Strickland happily posted online as the back-and-forth over Thomas’ actions continued to spiral out of control.
While he never addressed Strickland directly, Woodley admitted that his desire to defend Thomas probably got the better of him but he’ll never apologize going to bat for somebody who has always had his back.
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