3 reasons why the UFC need to make Woodley vs Covington happen in 2019

#2: The styles of both men make for an interesting fight

Covington's offense relies heavily on his takedown - but could he outwrestle Woodley?

Perhaps no other style of fighting inside the Octagon garners as much criticism as a wrestling-heavy attack. Fighters capable of taking an opponent down and holding them there simply have to be insanely active from the top in order to avoid the notorious ‘lay and pray’ label, and quite often, even great wrestlers find themselves being heavily booed by the fans.

Colby Covington has been one such fighter throughout his UFC tenure. ‘Chaos’ has put together a tremendous record of 9-1 in the UFC, but it’s notable that his last finish came over Max Griffin way back in August 2016. Since he stepped up to the highest level, beating Dong Hyun Kim, Demian Maia and Rafael Dos Anjos, his takedown has very much been at the forefront of his offensive tactics.

But will that really work against Woodley, one of the strongest wrestlers in MMA today? Sure, Covington was a Division I All-American wrestler, but then so was Woodley. More to the point, ‘The Chosen One’ has a takedown defense rate of 95%, and he’s only been on his back in one UFC fight – against Rory MacDonald, who cleverly used his striking to set up his takedowns.

So if Covington can’t get Woodley down, then what happens from there? We likely see a striking match and while Woodley has absolutely deadly power in his hands, he’s less active and aggressive than Covington, who has shown the ability to push a ridiculous pace and outstrike even Dos Anjos, a far better kickboxer.

Of course, that’s not even exploring the possibility that Woodley could ground Covington – and if that happens, then who knows where the fight goes. There are literally so many questions that this fight throws up – which is why it’s such a good one to make.