Tyron Woodley’s reign as UFC welterweight champion placed him at the top of the sport. Losing the belt brought a very different challenge.
During a September 2026 interview with Ariel Helwani, Woodley opened up about the period after his title loss to Kamaru Usman and described how difficult the transition became mentally and emotionally.
The championship loss changed more than his record
Woodley entered the Usman fight after a championship run that included successful defenses against Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia and Darren Till. When that run ended, Woodley said the reaction around him made the loss feel larger than a single result.
He has explained that he felt as if critics who had been waiting for him to fail suddenly had their moment. The pressure of losing the championship, combined with changes in his career and personal life, contributed to a period he now describes as a low point.
Demetrious Johnson tried to help him through it
Woodley has credited longtime friend and fellow former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson with trying to help him during that period. Looking back years later, Woodley has been able to discuss the experience with more distance and connect it to lessons he says he carried into the next phase of his life.
Why the story is relevant to Woodley’s current comeback
The timing of the reflection matters. Woodley is now competing again through RAF and has publicly discussed returning to MMA. Rather than presenting his current run as if the setbacks never happened, he has been incorporating those experiences into the story of why he still wants to compete.
His comeback win over Joaquin Buckley at RAF 12 was one example. Woodley went down early, recovered and finished the match strong. For an athlete whose recent interviews have focused heavily on resilience and learning from losses, the result carried obvious personal significance.
Woodley’s championship years remain a major part of his legacy, but his recent comments show that he now views the difficult period after the belt as part of that story too.
Sources: The Ariel Helwani Show / Uncrowned, September 16, 2026; Sherdog reporting, September 17, 2026.