Tyron Woodley Says Beating Demian Maia Isn’t A Huge Step To Being The Greatest

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Tyron Woodley spoke about his upcoming UFC 214 fight with Demian Maia, which happens this Saturday from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Here are highlights:

On if beating Maia is part of his journey to become the best: “It’s one step, but it’s not a huge step to be honest. Obviously there’s a guy named Georges St-Pierre that’s out there talking about still fighting. There’s other welterweights like Nick Diaz, who is, in my opinion, a lineal top 10, top 5 welterweight. There’s other fights and other things that could make me the greatest welterweight.”

On how he wants to win: “The way that I go out there and fight guys, I could open up a little bit more and let guys have it. I possess all the tools and all the skills and explosiveness and conditioning. Sometimes it’s the way I fight opponents that could get me in that position. I think this will be a step forward. It won’t be a huge, long jump, but it will be a step forward. And I’m in it for the long haul. I’m not trying to win two or three fights and get out of this. I’m trying to grow as a champion and grow into a superstar.”