Athletes
Sean Woodson To Use All His MMA Weapons
Featherweight Elevates Other Areas Of His Game While Overcoming Injury
“Two in a row, two in a row.”
That was the mantra playing in Sean Woodson’s head throughout his bout against Collin Anglin last November.
Order UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2 | Prelims Air Live On ABC & ESPN!
It didn’t play for long, as “The Sniper” halted Anglin at 4:30 of the opening round, securing his second consecutive UFC win. Mission accomplished.
“That's huge and it means a lot to me,” he said. “I won my debut, I had that mishap in my second fight against Julian (Erosa), then turned around and won against Youssef (Zalal), and I didn't want to have that win-loss-win-loss. I want to put some together and really show where I stand as far as the top fighters in the world. So that's super huge to be on a win streak right now.”
You have to love how he calls his lone UFC defeat to veteran Julian Erosa in June 2020 “that mishap,” but you wouldn’t call his confidence cockiness. It’s just a visible, body language thing that Woodson has that lets the world knows that he’s here on business – whether that’s in the gym or in the Octagon.
MORE UFC 278: Reasons To Watch | How To Watch In Your Country
“I don't walk around thinking I'm better than anybody,” he laughs. “I think that comes from me dedicating my whole life to this and me not playing around when I say that. Some guys struggle with confidence and believing in themselves. They'll have all the talent and natural ability and skill in the world, but they just don't believe in themselves and they aren't too confident. Any coach I've ever had, they've always said that's nothing that they worry about with me. If I'm being honest, they gotta bring me down sometimes.”
Highlight: Sean Woodson Notches First UFC Finish | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Rodriguez
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Highlight: Sean Woodson Notches First UFC Finish | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Rodriguez
/
That confidence is necessary to succeed at this level, and it helped Woodson through the downside of his recent victory – a broken hand that forced him to the sidelines for the last nine months. The first time he broke it in the Zalal fight, it was recommended that he rest it for six months. Five months after the break, he fought Anglin. Lesson learned.
UFC 278 EMBEDDED: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4
“I rushed it and came back too soon,” Woodson said. “I put on a better performance but broke my hand again. I need to give it that full six months to heal so I don't keep having this issue, and here we are.”
It’s usually the curse of the striker, with boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Paulie Malignaggi notorious for having hand issues during their careers. Woodson, a former Golden Gloves champ, doesn’t foresee this being a constant problem for him.
FREE FIGHTS: Usman vs Masivdal 2 | Usman vs Edwards 1 | Costa vs Romero | Rockhold vs Weidman | Edwards vs Diaz | Usman vs Covington 2
“No, not after I sat my ass down and gave it time to heal,” he said. “I didn't rush it and I did everything right during the time off. I'm not trying to be known as the injury-prone guy.”
What he is trying to be known as is one of the top featherweights in the world, a task that continues this weekend against Luis Saldana. And don’t be surprised if his hand injuries have actually elevated his game before this pivotal bout in Salt Lake City.
View Woodson's Athlete Profile
“The beauty of MMA is that we've got a ton of other weapons, so something I've been leaning into is working my kicks, knees and elbows into my game more and I'm always trying to get my grappling better,” he said. “So that's something I'm going to exercise this fight - use all my weapons and not be so focused on just my hands.”
And maybe, if you listen closely, you’ll hear him saying, “Three in a row, three in a row.”
UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2 took place live from the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 20, 2022. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses- and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
