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Tyron Woodley Says Gilbert Burns Is a 'Sacrificial Lamb' at UFC Fight Night

Adam Wells@adamwells1985Featured ColumnistMay 27, 2020

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 13:  UFC welterweight Tyron Woodley stands on stage during a Q&A session prior to the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at Rogers Arena on September 13, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Jeff Bottari/Getty Images

Tyron Woodley doesn't seem to think he's going to have any problems getting past Gilbert Burns in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night event.

Appearing on ESPN's First Take Wednesday, Woodley called Burns a "sacrificial lamb" on his path back to challenging for the UFC welterweight championship (starting at 5:20 mark).

"I'm going to hurt this guy," Woodley said. "I mean, at the end of the day people just forget and he's unfortunately going to be a sacrificial lamb to give a reminder to the world what I'm capable of."

Saturday will mark Woodley's first fight since losing the welterweight title to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 in March 2019. He was expected to return to the Octagon last summer, but a hand injury forced him to withdraw from a bout against Robbie Lawler.

Woodley was scheduled to fight Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night on March 21, but Edwards was forced to pull out due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. The event was subsequently canceled.

Burns is coming into the event riding a five-fight winning streak. He scored a first-round TKO against Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night on March 14. 

Woodley held the welterweight championship for nearly three years after defeating Lawler at UFC 201 in July 2016 to win the title.