Tyron Woodley says Jake Paul boxing match first of many, vows to be problem for future foes

LOS ANGELES – Tyron Woodley is giving assurances his upcoming boxing match with Jake Paul isn’t a one-time thing.

Woodley may have recently parted ways with the UFC – and perhaps MMA – for now, but the former welterweight champion says you can expect him to be actively competing in the boxing ring.

“I’m in boxing now,” Woodley told reporters following Tuesday’s press conference. “I’m here, and you’re going to have this microphone by my face a lot because I ain’t going nowhere. I’m going to be fighting real boxers, and they’re going to have a problem to deal with – and it’s going to be me. At the end of the day, I’m in boxing right now. He’s my first opponent. This is your and everybody else’s first chance to watch me box.

“I’m in boxing – there’s no ifs. I’m at the ‘know’ level right now. I don’t think – there’s no ifs. Yes, I will win. I will knock him out. I am in boxing.”

Woodley takes on YouTube star Paul in an eight-round, 190-pound catchweight boxing match Aug. 29 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Although he’s putting his foot in the door by engaging with the social media boxing extravaganza, Woodley intends on facing established names in the sport after he’s done with Paul.

“I want to pay respect to the sport,” Woodley said. “I would like to fight an OG, a veteran, somebody that’s been in the sport for a long time. (Oscar) De La Hoya’s name got thrown around a little bit. To enter into somebody’s sport, I think you’ve got to do it in a respectful way. I think we’re fighting a seasoned veteran first, and then maybe fighting a current stud. I think that’s the way you get the respect.

“I’ll fight (Paul) probably a couple of times, because he’s going to be walking around with a ‘I love Tyron Woodley’ tattoo on his body (from our bet). So you might as well try and get it back – try and get a chance to redeem yourself. So we’re probably going to fight a couple of times. He added the no competition – who does that when they’re confident? … I really believe that fighting him a few times, fighting an OG in the boxing game, and fighting a current guy, there’s no way you can’t respect me now. Put those four fights together.”