Boxing fans are concerned about Tyron Woodley after recent footage of him sparring looked to show some fundamental flaws in his technique.
The former UFC champion is doing his final preparations ahead of his August 30 bout against undefeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
The online video – which shows Woodley sparring with pro Anthony ‘White Chocolate’ Martinez - has led to heavy backlash from the boxing community.
Fans may have already spotted a chink in Woodley’s armour way before fight night – and it could be something Paul will exploit.
In the video, Woodley is seen dodging combination punches from his sparring partner, but there has been plenty of criticism regarding his technique.
Further defensive deficiencies were also pointed out by boxing-focused YouTube channel RoundHouse Radio and their host Riley Osborne, who said: “Instead of having a closed boxing guard, he (Woodley) has an open either MMA or Muay Thai guard.
“Now I think that’s really important to note, as that’s going to be an ideal guide for boxing when you’re a guy like Tyron Woodley.
“Tyron Woodley doesn’t have great footwork, he doesn’t have great head movement,” the video adds.
“We’ve seen it especially in the couple of his fights in MMA – he’s very stationary.
“The way he plants himself into the ground, he doesn’t use footwork to get out of the way. So, for him, against a guy like Jake Paul whose going to be able to have a lot of volume, he needs to have good guard that can sort of bounce straight shots off without him having to be manually deflecting them.”
Woodley is a former UFC welterweight champion and many believe this is the reason he has adopted an ineffective boxing stance.
“Why is his guard open, why is he doing this?” questioned Osborne.
“Well, there’s a lot of reasons for it right, specifically Muay Thai and MMA fighters will have an open guard and they’ll focus on parrying.”
Paul and Woodley will square up in the ring on August 30 in Cleveland, Ohio.