Tyron Woodley has shared his initial public thoughts regarding the heated Instagram direct message clash with Sean Strickland, which centers around coach Din Thomas. Speaking exclusively to Bowks Talking Bouts prior to his upcoming match against Joaquin Buckley at RAF 12 on August 22nd, Woodley addressed the situation. Thomas had recently faced backlash for making a poorly timed retirement announcement right after his athlete, Gillian Robertson, suffered a defeat against Mackenzie Dern in their championship bout at UFC 330. The decision to step away from cornering duties directly following the most significant match of Robertson’s career drew widespread criticism.
Among those critics was the outspoken UFC middleweight champion, who chimed in on the situation surrounding Thomas with some harsh words, stating:
“Din Thomas is an absolute clown. I’ve taken beatings in several divisions throughout my run and still managed to capture two championships. You’re an idiot. It’s honestly for the best that you step down. Your coaching is garbage. The only time you truly fail is when you throw in the towel… Din, you honestly sound like a complete failure.”
Woodley, who was previously trained by Thomas, reached out to Strickland directly on social media. The current middleweight king promptly posted a screenshot of this private interaction on his X account. In the leaked exchange, Woodley warned him:
“Mind how you speak about Din. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. We usually find it funny when you speak without a filter, but you constantly take things too far. I will always back him up no matter what. Do not cross that line with me.”
Strickland quickly fired back in the private messages, replying:
“Man, what are you actually going to do about it? You won’t do a single thing, lol. Din can kiss my rear. You’re both pathetic.”
When sharing the screenshot, Strickland took a jab at Woodley’s recent fight history on Tapology, adding the caption:
“The guy must be suffering from brain damage because he forgot his fight record is just a long list of consecutive losses.”
Sharing his side of the social media dispute, Woodley explained during his appearance on Bowks Talking Bouts:
“I try not to pay too much attention to these things. I sent him a direct message because Din Thomas is incredibly close to me—he is more like a brother than just a companion. He played a massive role in my success in the octagon and what we accomplished together. Even though I was the one performing inside the cage, it required a combined effort from our entire circle, and as my head trainer, he was a vital component. I have deep-seated loyalty to certain individuals, and I won’t stand by and let anyone speak disrespectfully about him.”
“I contacted [Strickland] in private, and he chose to make our chat public. However, he left out the part where we concluded the conversation with mutual respect, which made me pause and reflect. The concept of free speech is a positive thing, but it can also be highly problematic. You have to accept it across the board, even when you don’t agree. While I might not have expressed myself the way Din did at that moment, I can appreciate his perspective.”
“Especially since, compared to Gillian [Robertson], I was a handful. I was probably the fighter who caused him the most stress and gray hairs. Handling all the issues, injuries, and logistics during my training camps was intense. There were opponent changes, timing adjustments, and friction with the promotion’s executives. At the time, he was working on the Dana White: Lookin’ For a Fight series alongside Dana and Matt Serra, right when I was actively feuding with Dana.”
“I put him in many awkward positions, which was incredibly draining for him. I even reached out to apologize for bringing so much chaos into our camps instead of keeping the focus purely on our achievements. But he told me that it was all part of the journey. I felt a strong need to apologize because of how demanding it was for him to corner me, whereas Gillian is very low-maintenance.”
“She is quiet and doesn’t demand much, whereas I am fiercely protective of my circle. That is why I reached out and told him he needs to stop mentioning my coach’s name. I didn’t make any threats, but if we crossed paths in person, I would approach him and deliver the same message directly, though perhaps phrased a bit differently. Ultimately, we are both fighters.”
“What are we even arguing about—fighting? It’s laughable because we can’t actually fight. He isn’t in a position where he can do anything about it. He might be able to wrestle, but what would that achieve? In the end, we wrapped up our conversation respectfully, though he decided not to publish that part.”
“Still, I respect that despite his unedited nature, tone-deaf moments, and how much he enjoys playing the villain and trading insults, he did show respect at the end of our conversation, and I have to give him credit for that.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch=GiOvZSV6ILY
According to Woodley, Sean Strickland is “quick to embrace you… and claim he was only joking as soon as the fight ends”
Reflecting on how Strickland left out parts of their private conversation to shape the online narrative to his advantage, Woodley remarked to Bowks Talking Bouts:
“Absolutely. Like I mentioned, he has the right to express himself and target my trainer. He can say whatever he pleases and call him whatever names he wants. I had to remind myself that just as I defend my coach’s right to speak, Strickland has the same right, and I have the right to message him. By that same token, he has the right to publish my messages and continue his attack on my coach. My issue is more with the complexities of free speech itself rather than with him specifically.”
“So I chose to step away from it because it’s not an environment I want to occupy. There’s no genuine animosity here. He doesn’t know what real conflict is. This isn’t actual beef. Real beef doesn’t look like what these athletes do at media events and pre-fight pressers, because they are always quick to hug and say they were just putting on a show once the match is over. It’s not genuine hostility.”
This piece was originally published on BJPENN.COM
