Ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley pushes for Jake Paul rematch: ‘I have to get that win’

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Ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley pushes for Jake Paul rematch: ‘I have to get that win’

CLEVELAND – Tyron Woodley wants to run things back with Jake Paul.

The former UFC champion is determined to get a rematch with the YouTube star now turned professional boxer after losing to him in a split decision at Sunday’s Showtime pay-per-view event in Cleveland. The bout was contested at cruiserweight and with eight, three-minute rounds.

The Paul vs. Woodley boxing event took place at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The card streamed live on pay-per-view at 7 p.m. ET on Showtime Sports.

Woodley is confident he’ll meet Paul once again in the ring.

“It’s done, we’re doing the rematch,” Woodley told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “I have to get that win. It was too close. This is a movie, ain’t nobody going to push the needle like me and him did. We sold the sh*t out of this pay-per-view. I think everyone was excited about it. … He was tough. He was fatigued in the fight and he found a way to keep pushing through. I can never knock him for that, but we have to run it back.”

The bout with Paul marked Woodley’s first professional boxing bout. The 39-year-old thought he did enough to win his debut.

“I thought I won, I was surprised it was a split decision,” Woodley said. “I thought it was close. I thought he had won some rounds. Early on the rounds were close. If I can go back I’d kick myself because I could’ve made it a little more convincing, but I was just trying to feel it out and take my time. I knew he was going to throw a lot jabs and I knew he was going to faint and pressure. I wasn’t surprised when they said split decision, but I thought it was going to be me.”

Ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley pushes for Jake Paul rematch: ‘I have to get that win’