Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington were once teammates at ATT. Although not friends, Woodley, then UFC welterweight champion, trained occasionally with Covington, but over time joined the ranks of teammates not impressed with Covington’s WWE-inspire schtick. When Covington won the UFC interim belt a fight between the two appeared inevitable. However, it never happened, although bitter Twitter trash talk endured.
Most recently, Covington posted a signed contract to fight “The Chosen One”.
Woodley responded in an interview with Ariel Helwani for ESPN.
“My answer to whether I would fight Colby is eternally yes,” texted Woodley to Helwani. “At 96 years old in a nursing home it’s yes! He said no six times and now creates a date that works for him? F*** out of here.”
“I literally treated it like every other bluff and told them quit contacting me until this b**** signed a bout agreement. Never thought he would sign. September/October, I’ll get around to exterminating that roach. Let me call the UFC and see what’s crackin.”
“He declined fights [for two years]. He’s lucky I’m still entertaining it.”
At the UFC on ESPN+ 30 pre-fight media scrum, UFC president Dana White said Covington is definitely in.
It’s a fight we’re working on, said White, as transcribed by Alexander K. Lee for MMA Fighting. Listen, Woodley said he wanted to fight him. Woodley’s been talking about fighting Colby Covington since Colby fought Usman, so it is true that Colby signed the deal and he’s ready to go. We’re just waiting on Woodley.
I’m always trying to make the fights that should be made or people want to see. People can say whatever they want publicly, but behind the scenes it’s another story. I can’t speak honestly about what’s going on, I’m not involved with that, I’m in here, but we’re trying to make Woodley vs. Covington. Covington is definitely in.
The UFC is currently scheduling August events for Nevada. However, the state was designated a red zone in an unpublicized July 14 document prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which suggests further anti-COVID restrictions may be coming, potentially taking live fights off the table. White was asked if the league could accommodate Woodley’s suggested September or October date.
I don’t know, replied White. I couldn’t tell you right now.
