Tampa – UFC featherweight Sean Woodson’s been getting promised rank fighters fight after fight, but he may have made his best case when he knocked Francisco Padilla out at UFC Tampa on Saturday night.
“After I beat (Charles) Jourdain I was told that I was likely going to fight a ranked guy. Then I got matched up with (Alex) Caceres. When I signed the contract for Caceres he was ranked at the time,” Woodson told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.
“Couple weeks before we fought he got bounced out of the rankings. I beat him and then after that I was for sure told I was going to get a top 15 guy. I was told I was going to fight (Edson) Barboza in December. I was waiting on the confirmation for that. It never happened.”
Woodson (13-1-1) may have been a bit frustrated with how things played out at that point.
Until he got Padilla’s name offered to him.
“They came to me with Fernando. I just knew though like him being the finisher he is, I feel like the company still had a lot of hype behind him. I just know I’m due for a ranked guy now,” he said.
If he wasn’t clear about what he wants in 2025, he made sure to clarify for everyone in the room.
“A ranked opponent. I will go anywhere in the world. At first I was big on ‘I don’t want to fly overseas’ and all that. I will go anywhere, I will fight anybody, rank me,” he said.
“Dana’s big on ‘earn what you kill’. I heard him say that a lot. I feel like I’ve set myself up for a big fight. I’ve earned it and I deserve it.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Sean Woodson above.
