After being forced to pull out of his rematch with Robbie Lawler at UFC Minneapolis, due to a injury to his hand, Tyron Woodley has now specified that the exact cause of issues with his hand, is that he has chronic arthritis.

Speaking to TMZ Sports (as transcribed by MMA Fighting), the former UFC welterweight champion described the condition.

“I have chronic arthritis in my joint right here (pointing to his right thumb). There’s three joints that enable me to grab and grip. One has chronic arthritis and this one has severe arthritis. There’s a few different ways to heal and fix the problem permanently but it’s something you wouldn’t do if you were still active, because it limits your range of motion and grip. 

“The temporary fix is to rehab it, get it stronger, get the flexibility to start to grab and grip, then 10 days before the fight let’s try to do a cortisone shot. So, I have the UFC checking on cities and states that accept and allow you to have cortisone shots.”

Although most fighters go into most of their fights with aches and pains, Woodley said there was no way he was going to enter the Octagon with someone of Lawler’s calibre with only one hand.

“If I’m fighting against somebody who’s a brawler and slugger and trying to get me back for what I did to him— took his belt, took his billion dollar pay-per-view, took the platform that he had — and I can’t throw my money maker that knocked him out of the first round with confidence and I can’t grab, I can’t grip, if posting down really injures my hands, then I have to be real with myself. “This is the first time in 14 years of fighting that I’ve committed to fighting and I’ve not fought.”

The 37 year old doesn’t plan on being out of action for very long though and has targeted a date, for when he wants to return.

“I’m targeting the August 17 card [at UFC 241] in Anaheim. I just want my belt back.”

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