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Tyron Woodley is being considered as a huge underdog as he prepares to return to the octagon against Colby Covington after suffering a humiliating loss against Gilbert Burns. Betting odds opened at +235 for Tyron Woodley, the former welterweight champion, and is indicative of his decline in his past two fights.
Many are counting Tyron Woodley to be down and out but he does have a massive advantage. Colby Covington has not been training at the American Top Team for some time now.
That last statement might not seem that important to many fans but you have to consider the context here as well. Since turning professional, Covington has trained at ATT, Florida, and was a homegrown talent loved by the gym owner Dan Lambert.
Covington's heel turn shook up the hierarchy of fighters present there with the former getting involved in high-profile beefs against the likes of Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier. This eventually turned out to be the reason behind him leaving ATT for good.
At this point, you might be wondering how will this give Tyron Woodley an advantage inside the octagon come September 20. ATT is probably the best gym in the world and houses elite fighters like Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal, Douglas Lima, and Edson Barboza amongst many others.
Tyron Woodley himself trains at ATT from time to time as he has done for this camp. Such an entourage of elite fighters who push each other to their limits is a huge part of developing a fighter's skill. It also gives fighters a better chance to hone much-needed skills for an upcoming fight during sparring sessions.
The upcoming fight against Tyron Woodley will be Covington's first since leaving ATT. Colby is not a well-liked personality in the MMA fraternity which will make finding a new gym very difficult.
Finding new sparring partners of quality in this pandemic induced world will also be a headache to navigate. If he does find the needed sparring partners, he will still have to find himself some cornerman.
Such upheaval in a training camp leading to a fight is never a good sign for anyone involved. Covington will enter this fight as the live dog for good reasons.
His is a style that is seen as the kryptonite to Tyron Woodley's one-punch knockout preference. Kamaru Usman broke the secret and Gilbert Burns ran Tyron to the ground with that same game plan.
While Covington is rightfully the favorite for their long-awaited bout, the disruption in his professional life means that T-Wood should have more than a chance come September 20th.
