Hello my name is Tyron Woodley. I was born, raised, and currently reside in none other than St. Louis, MO. Fallen in at number 11 of a family of 13, my fight started long before the cage. Living in a family this large resources were limited. At an early age, I learned the value of team work, family support, love, and sacrifice. Those were the only things we had to keep us going. With my father absent, my mothers took on the responsibilities all by herself. This was a daily struggle just to survive. She had the worries of the world on her back, but took on the task with a smile on her face. It pained me to see her scrape from the bottom to make end meet. As a kid I promised my mom I would do something  great, and buy her a house.  I told her I never wanted her to work again.

Growing up in the tough streets of St. Louis I learned much about respect, honor, and loyalty. Unfortunately, my road to victory started off on the wrong street. I affiliated with the wrong group. Surrounded by gang banger and drug dealer, I was leading a life that would only end in destruction! After seeing my grades suffer and being suspended multiple times I ask myself, “How am I going to get to college at this rate?” In the 8th grade I got in a fight and was suspended for 90 days.  I missed the entire first semester of High School. Enough was enough…That was my last visit to the principal’s office.

I came back with a vengeance! Wrestling was my only refuge, and it was taken from me. I felt like there was nothing left. I was angry at the world. When classes started they want to put me on a team for kid with behavior disorders, but my moms wasn’t having it. So they put me on a team that was known for their academic excellence, hoping that I would fail. Also as part of me to be able to come back to school I was mandated to join the ARMY ROTC program. I was like man if it isn’t one thing it is another. I was profile, tagged; saw a problem child with very few strikes left. Thanks to God I made a complete 360.

 I was on the honor roll every term, I ended up getting All-Conference honors in Football, graduating one of Missouri’s Top Cadets in ROTC (breaking several records), and being a two time state finalist in wrestling finishing 48-0 on my way to a state title.

I was truly blessed!  Seeing that I could prevail regardless of my adversities, I started exploring possibilities in college athletic. I was recruited heavily by the University of Nebraska, Northern Iowa, and Missouri. After going on my recruiting visit to Nebraska I verbally committed. I told the other two schools that I was not interested in taking my visits. I was pumped I received a scholarship to a dominate school with a tradition of wrestling.

Another bump in the road came when I found out Nebraska’s head coach was forced to resign. So here I was again, in another predicament. My mother had a dream that I should go to Mizzou and make the difference. My first reply was “You Go to Mizzou.” My friends teased me about going to a junior college called Mizzou. At the time they were not ranked even in the top 50. I just didn’t make sense. The truth is things really never make since to the human eye. So I signed with Mizzou, and took a chance on helping build a team and being a part of something that others could only dream of. After signing, I was able to compete without pressure. I placed 7th in High School Nationals and 3rd in Junior Nationals.

That work ethic followed me to Mizzou. There I was the first Big XII Champion in school’s history, and became a two time All-American. I was a part of a program that was built from bottom to top. This is an experience that I would not give up for the world. When I graduated I was the first one from my family to get a college degree, landed an assistant coaching job in college athletics, and was a huge part of my son’s life. I was determined to stop the vicious cycle of my families past.

 In my first year of coaching, The Ultimate Fighter show was a very popular show. I saw a lot of guys that I had competed against, and also a former teammate. I was like man I think I could have some success in this. So I went down to a local gym and told the owner that I wanted to fight in his show in a month. He trained me a little, and put me on the card within three weeks. The fight lasted 20sec. It was a shot and a choke. That quick….done…over! From then on I was hooked. It was the first time I had ever experience “The Zone.” I have been blessed to be a member of American Top Team, and Train with Matt Lindland’s Team Quest, and Matt Hughes’ HitSquad. I have trained, cornered, or worked out with athletes in every major organization in the world.  I am also Yves Edwards’s personal wrestling instructor. God has given me great favor and I have train with some of the best Mixed Martial Artist in the world. I’ve been behind the scenes the last two years developing my ground, standup, and wrestling. I’m game for the test, and I plan on keeping my promise to my mom. Stay tuned, it’s my time to shine!