UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley said he's considering a move up to middleweight later in 2019 to compete for a second belt.
"People in the middleweight (division), they need to watch out too. I might slide up on one of y'all by the end of the year," Woodley said on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show. "Wipe out the division clean at welterweight and go up there and either beat (Kelvin) Gastelum up again or take out Robert Whittaker. They are both welterweights anyways. They just don't know how to cut weight."
Woodley currently cannot exceed 170 pounds one day prior to a bout. If he goes up, he can weigh 185 pounds. He has a fight set against top welterweight title contender Kamaru Usman (14-1) for March 2 at UFC 235 in Las Vegas.
The Ferguson, Missouri, native has not lost since June 2014.
Whittaker is the UFC's middleweight champion after rattling off nine consecutive wins. He most recently defeated Yoel Romero by split decision in June. Woodley defeated Gastelum by split decision in 2015 at UFC 183 at catchweight (180 pounds). Whittaker and Gastelum square off for the belt on Feb. 9 in Melbourne, Australia.
Before any move up in weight happens, Woodley needs to get past Usman in March. He's confident it won't be a problem.
"Kamaru Usman? He's not ready for me yet," Woodley told ESPN. "He's not mature enough in the sport yet to be able to withstand what I'm going to bring at him.
"What's Kamaru going to do, take me down? He's going to out-strike me? He's going to punch harder than me? He's going to out-strategize me with fight IQ? He's a version of myself five years ago."