Athletes
Sean Woodson Is Back To Being Himself
UFC Featherweight Sean Woodson Is More Motivated Than Ever Heading Into UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Font.
It seems like three opponents ago that we checked in with Sean Woodson, and upon further review, that’s accurate.
First, the featherweight prospect was expected to make his return to the Octagon for the first time since his August 2022 draw with Luis Saldana against Steve Garcia this Saturday.
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Then Garcia was out. So was replacement foe Jesse Butler, and another replacement, Mairon Santos. Finally, UFC newcomer Dennis Buzukja stepped up on fight week, and this weekend in Nashville, Woodson has a fight.
At last.
“I've been trying to get a fight booked since February,” said Woodson when Butler was still his opponent on July 25. “But I've just been having trouble getting booked.”
Would you want to fight a 6-foot-2 ½ featherweight known as “The Sniper”?
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“Hey, that's a good question,” he laughs. “I'm down to fight anybody, though. And I thought everybody in the UFC was built like that.”
Well, some are pickier than others. As for the 31-year-old St. Louis native, he said yes to every name thrown at him over a crazy couple weeks, and now he’s just happy to throw hands with someone – anyone.
“I miss being in that Octagon, doing what I love, going out there and having fun,” said Woodson. “I've had a chip on my shoulder this whole year since that Saldana fight because I just know that wasn't me. He rocked me early and I was on autopilot for the rest of that fight, so I can't wait to go in there with a clear mind and just go in there and have fun again and reintroduce myself. That's really what I've missed this whole time is just being in there and being my true self. And I'm going to reintroduce myself this time.”
Highlight: Sean Woodson Notches First UFC Finish | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Rodriguez
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Highlight: Sean Woodson Notches First UFC Finish | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Rodriguez
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Against Saldana, an illegal knee rattled Woodson and changed the complexion of the fight, leading to a split draw at the end of three rounds. It’s a result with an asterisk next to it, just like Woodson’s only UFC loss to Julian Erosa in 2020 was a clear case of a veteran teaching some veteran tricks to a fighter on the rise. So ask the 9-1-1 Woodson what his record is, and you’ll get an interesting response.
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“When people ask me what my record is, I tell them 11-0,” he laughs. “Yeah, I know what Tapology says, but we've talked about that Julian fight before. At first, I was scheduled to fight Kyle Nelson, then it was Daniel Pineda. Then two days before, it was Julian. And I'm big on preparation, so that was a bunch of stuff throwing me off my game plan. But, at the end of the day, they're all excuses. I still should have pulled it off and I damn near did, but that was a learning lesson. And still, even though I got caught in that fight, I don't feel for one second that he was the better fighter or that I truly got beat. I still have yet to step in the Octagon and leave out of there questioning my skill or questioning my confidence or feeling like that I was bested by the better man.”
It was a similar situation with Saldana, but as Mark Coleman once said, they’re not excuses, they’re reasons.
“That fight, I was dealing with some heavy family s**t at that time and I wasn’t fighting like myself,” he admits. “I wasn't the normal, calm, cool, calculated person I usually am. I was rushing the process and just trying to hurry up and get it over with. That Saldana fight is the first fight in my career that I went into the fight focused on the money. Any other time, it's always been for the love of the sport, just to have fun. That was the first time it's ever been for the money.”
Add in the illegal knee, and it was a bad night all around for Woodson. But with those lessons learned and nearly a year to think about everything, he’s back with a clear head, the right attitude, and a desire to grab some Jack’s BBQ in Nashville after he puts himself back in the win column.
That sounds like a solid plan to Mr. Woodson.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Font took place live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on August 5, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
