Sean Woodson (13-1-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) stated he’s on “cloud 9” following his TKO win over Fernando Padilla at UFC Tampa Bay on Dec. 14.
“I’m nonetheless using the excessive,” Woodson instructed MMASucka just a few days after the combat. “Nonetheless loving life and attempting to stay within the second. However on the identical time, I’m excited and looking out ahead to what’s subsequent. I do know I’ve received one thing massive on the horizon.”
Woodson grew to become the primary man to complete Padilla in skilled MMA. On condition that reality, with Woodson’s earlier UFC accomplishments, he stated a top-15 featherweight has “received to be” subsequent for him.
Woodson has wins over Charles Jourdain and Alex Caceres, each of whom have extra in depth UFC expertise than Padilla. Caceres was ranked when Woodson was provided the combat, however Caceres misplaced his rating between then and the combat.
“I beat him, and I assumed, ‘OK, he was No. 15, and I simply beat him, so now I’ve received a extremely good probability of being within the rankings,’” Woodson stated. “Then that didn’t occur. Then I used to be just about promised a top-15 man subsequent after that. I used to be instructed I might combat [Edson] Barboza, who’s No. 15. However that didn’t pan out. I technically fought backward taking over Padilla. After I completed him and being the one and solely man to ever end that dude, and to be on the streak that I’m on proper now, I really feel prefer it’s a no brainer that I get a top-15 man subsequent.”
Woodson stated he want to combat Giga Chikadze (No. 12), Calvin Kattar (No. 10), Lerone Murphy (No. 11) or Dan Ige (No. 14) subsequent.
To doubtlessly arrange his rankings shot, Woodson TKO’d Padilla with two seconds left on the clock of the primary spherical of their bout.
Woodson stated he was combating “mad” and with a “chip on my shoulder” getting into the combat, which led to him sitting down on his punches extra.
“I used to be mad from the second I received provided this combat. I felt like I used to be combating backward after I was presupposed to be combating top-15 guys,” he stated. “From the leap, I received mad, and I made a acutely aware resolution to carry onto that all through the whole camp and simply bottle it up and bottle it up. I needed to set my thoughts that I used to be going to apply it to combat evening. Not solely my opponent, however all people watching in attendance, the UFC matchmakers, all people, I wished all of them to really feel my frustration.”
The outcomes of Woodson combating mad paid off in spades.
“My coaches have been like, ‘Shit, I hope they make you mad extra usually,’” Woodson stated with fun. “Reality be instructed, I’m all the time on the lookout for stuff like that. I’ve this timeless motivation in me that’s fixed to develop into world champion. Us fighters, I really feel like we’re all in settlement after I say this, however we’re consistently on the lookout for extra motivation, extra gas so as to add to the fireplace. Every combat, I’m on the lookout for some extra motivation. I’m watching all of the interviews. I’m watching my opponent’s social [media] and I’m on the lookout for him to say the incorrect issues. Something I can to get some additional motivation to get a chip on my shoulder to assist me put in that additional grind and that additional work all through camp so I’m greater than ready come combat evening.”
Woodson posted to his social media that he plans to develop into a UFC champion by 2026.
He went 3-0 in 2024, and his purpose is to go 3-0 as soon as once more in 2025.
“Besides, all three of the wins can be over ranked opponents,” he stated. “In 2025, if I can string collectively three stable wins in opposition to ranked guys, that come 2026, I’ll be one or two fights away from a title shot.”
If all goes properly, Woodson envisions he might be combating for a featherweight title by mid-to-late 2026.
Regardless of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria saying he needs to maneuver as much as light-weight subsequent, Woodson stated he feels Topuria should still be the 145-pound kingpin by the point his title shot arrives.
“I ain’t shopping for it, man. I don’t imagine it,” Woodson stated. “I don’t assume for a second that Topuria goes as much as 155. That complete saying, he walks round at 185 or 190 is simply so onerous to imagine. You ask your self the query, ‘Why would he be saying that?’ I don’t know. I do know combating. I’m 6 ft 2 inches. I do know the load I stand up to. I barely contact 180. This dude being rattling close to 5-foot-nothing. I don’t see him getting that massive. Then once more, he may have legacy in thoughts. He simply needs to get a title shot in opposition to Islam [Makhachev] and go up and problem for one more belt, which all energy to him. In my view and my intestine feeling, come 2026, Ilia will nonetheless be that man.”
Within the meantime, whereas Woodson nonetheless has a year-and-a-half’s price of labor to do at featherweight, the featherweight division nonetheless has to chug alongside.
“Subsequent for Topuria at 145 needs to be operating it again with [Alexander Volkanovski]. Give him one other crack due to his resume and the work Volk has achieved. Movsar [Evloev] and Diego [Lopes], run that again. The circumstances behind that combat have been humorous. I imagine Diego took it on final minute’s discover, and even at that, he gave him a run for his cash, and it was a fairly aggressive combat. Seeing Movsar and Diego run it again in opposition to one another, having the ability to absolutely put together for one another, I really feel like will clearly map out who’s the primary contender. After which they’d combat the winner of Volk and Topuria.”
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