Former UFC champion admits years later that song was an attack on Dana White: 'It made me look like an idiot'

Dana White is president of the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

Former UFC welterweight champion (up to 77kg.), Tyron woodley used his victory against Darren Till at UFC 228 in September 2018 to release a rap track titled 'I'll Beat Yo Ass' — 'I'm going to beat your a*s', in literal translation, a song interpreted as a direct response to public criticism from Dana White, president of the organization.

In an interview with the podcast 'Verse Us', the fighter confirmed the target of the lyrics. The track, which mixed self-confidence and insubordination, came after years of tension between the two, marked by controversial statements and questions about the athlete's marketing.

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“That’s why I wrote that song. If you listen to the lyrics, it was for Dana White. I couldn’t say I wanted to hit him, but I wanted to because he made me look like an idiot,” Woodley revealed.

At the event held in Dallas, United States, Tyron dominated Till with a performance considered 'historic' by the specialized media: 74 blows connected against just one from his opponent before the end of the second round. After the triumph, the fighter announced the launch of 'I'll Beat Yo Ass', a track produced in partnership with rapper Wiz Khalifa.

Tyron Woodley, Dana White and Music Context

Dana White (left) was upset with Woodley (right). Photo: Reproduction / YouTube

Woodley detailed the context behind the song and revealed a specific episode that motivated it. During a live broadcast, Dana White publicly criticized the then champion, suggesting that he avoided tough fights. At the time, former fighters and analysts Michael Bisping (former middleweight champion) and Kenny Florian (veteran and commentator) accompanied the UFC president in the studio.

“Everyone (Bisping and Florian) was laughing, and I was like, ‘Ha ha ha, I’m going to beat the shit out of you two’ — not Florian, he’s my partner — but Dana White, who made me look like an idiot. When I went on air, I couldn’t defend myself. Someone said they cut my microphone. They told me in my ear, ‘You can’t talk back. You can’t say anything,’” he added.

Despite the frustration, the champion chose to channel his anger into creativity. He initially planned to perform the song live during his entrance to the Octagon, but replaced 'I'll Beat Yo Ass' with John Legend's 'Glory' as a tribute to protests against racial injustice — inspired by the case of Colin Kaepernick, a former NFL player.

What does the song say?

The track 'I'll Beat Yo Ass' (listen here) combines the typical aggressiveness of rap with metaphors linked to the world of fighting. Excerpts such as 'Tryna play me like a joke, I'll turn your face into a meme' ('They try to treat me like a joke, I'm going to turn your face into a meme') and 'You talk slick, but I'm the one who's really knockin' heads'” ('You talk idle, but it is I who knock down heads') are related to the statement of Tyron woodley about Dana White in his career in the UFC.

The lyrics also mention 'unsigned checks' — a possible criticism of UFC contracts — and reinforce his self-confidence: 'Four-time champ, still they act like they don't know my name' ('Four-time champion, they still act like they don't know my name').