UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was incensed after Dana White’s criticism of his UFC 214 performance last weekend, but it appears cooler heads have prevailed. After threatening to “start leaking some s*** that people don’t want to be out in the wind” on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, White and Woodley have managed to bury the hatchet.
Woodley had demanded a public apology for White’s criticism, or else the secrets would fly. Well, it doesn’t appear as if he got the apology, but whatever embarrassing intel he has on the fight promotion will be kept to himself, at least for now. According to Dana White, who spoke with TMZ about the feud, “Woodley and I talked and he said he was just pissed and upset and didn’t mean it.”
Just water under the bridge then, right? TMZ also reached out to Woodley, who replied simply “we good” about the situation between him and Dana White.
Given the UFC holds employees to a Code of Conduct that might cover Woodley’s leaking of secrets, however, this “burying the hatchet” is likely more about Woodley staying out of hot water. Per said Code of Conduct, the promotion prohibits “conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity or reputation of the UFC.” While it isn’t known exactly what Woodley was referring to what he said he planned to “start leaking” something, it’s likely whatever he might have done, he would have run afoul of the UFC’s Code of Conduct, if not his contract itself.
You can read the UFC Code of Conduct, which the promotion has previously released in public, here (via Canadian MMA Law Blog/CombatSportsLaw.com).
Woodley won a one-sided unanimous decision against challenger Demian Maia at UFC 214 this past Saturday, stuffing each and every one of the dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace’s takedown attempts. However, the pair set a record for least strikes in a welterweight title fight, and drew the ire of the crowd for the lack of action on display. Woodley later blamed his performance on a shoulder injury suffered early in the fight.
