The welterweight division is one of the deepest and most dynamic divisions in the UFC, full of martial arts masters of all different stripes. And standing at the top of that division is champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley, a man who has proven the doubters wrong and taken what is his with unflappable tenacity and focused ferocity. It is those traits and more that have made him the perfect representative for the Samurai faction in the highly anticipated video game For Honor.
In the world For Honor (launching February 14th on PC, PS4 and Xbox One), the Samurai have been driven from their ancestral homes by a great cataclysm and now seek to rebuild their mighty empire for the glory of their new Emperor. They may be strangers to the lands of the Vikings and Knights but that will not stop them from conquering all before them.
Likewise, Tyron has been underestimated at every turn during his quest to become a champion, even after he took the belt off one of the most feared welterweights of all time in Ruthless Robbie Lawler. In his last six fights, fools have questioned Woodley’s ability to defeat his opponents. The odds have never been in his favor, but a Samurai looks within, not without, for the strength to vanquish their foes.
Like the legendary Shugoki demons, Tyron Woodley possesses unnatural strength and durability well beyond what you’d expect to see from a mortal man. Those that underestimate his power have often been brutally knocked out by his overhand right, rightfully recognized as one of the deadliest weapons in the UFC. The Shugoki wield an equally destructive weapon: the kanabo, a spiked two handed war club they use to smash through the thick armor of Knights and the skulls of Vikings.
The Shugoki’s ability to mete out death to all who face them is aided by their ability to sustain a seemingly endless amount of damage from enemies. Woodley has the same reputation … in his 20 career mixed martial arts fights, only one opponent has been able to stop him with strikes, and it took a monumental string of elbows to put Woodley down and keep him there. It was Tyron’s first career loss and since then his enemies have been unable to finish him again with strikes.
The Shugoki are renowned for carving a path through the battlefield with unstoppable momentum, something Tyron Woodley does in the Octagon using his world class wrestling. If he hasn’t managed to club you senseless on his forward attack, he’ll continue to push forward and put you on your back with a takedown.
But power and durability aren’t Woodley’s only key attributes. He combines these with the speed and precision of the Orochi assassin, the unpredictability of the Nobushi peasant warriors, and the defensive fight IQ of the Kensei warrior commanders. All in all, there’s no group of warriors that represent Tyron Woodley better than the Samurai, which is why it’s so fitting that he has pledged his allegiance to this ancient faction. You can fight alongside him for free in the For Honor Open Beta starting Thursday, February 9th.
