'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tyron Woodley is set to face Colby Covington and revealed that the UFC is targeting a Fight Night main event for September or October. Tyron Woodley is coming off two straight losses for the first time in his career, having lost the Welterweight Championship to Kamaru Usman early in 2019 and then losing a dominant one-sided fight again, this time to the Brazilian Gilbert Burns in May 2020.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Tyron Woodley explained why his upcoming fight against Colby Covington is the biggest of his career:
“This is a big fight for me,” Woodley said. “This is probably the biggest fight of my career to be honest. Because the situation, it’s bragging rights. He’s talked all this s**t, but in my mind, he really knows what time it is but now because he has talked that much sh*t, he’s got to try to live up to it. He’s got to try to beat me. He’s been calling me out for three or four years damn near. So now it’s to the point where it’s personal and the other fights didn’t really mean as much.
Tyron Woodley said that he felt no animosity towards his last two opponents who defeated him. He also detailed his confrontation with some of the "killers" of the Welterweight division:
“I feel like [Kamaru] Usman and Gilbert are kind of goofy and I really didn’t feel no animosity towards them. But I feel that with Colby. Some of the other guys I felt the urgency because of how good they were, Carlos Condit and Robbie Lawler, those guys are the OG’s. “The Natural Born Killer,” “Ruthless,” “Gorilla” [Darren Till], all these monstrous fighters that I got to bring it to them cause they sure as f**k going to bring it to me. I think Colby’s going to bring me that, the first time I get the opponent at the press conference, we probably just going to break the internet to be honest.”
What are the stakes in the Tyron Woodley-Colby Covington fight?
Make no mistake about it - Tyron Woodley is still a top Welterweight contender. The fight will be against the man who challenged for the UFC Welterweight gold before Jorge Masvidal this past month at UFC 251.
It's a fight with serious title implications and the winner could be one victory away from a title shot. The odds won't be in Tyron Woodley's favor this time. While he has a wrestling background, he got outwrestled by Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington specializes with his wrestling as well.
