Tyron Woodley is still looking to compete in MMA.
The former UFC welterweight champion hasn’t fought since March 2021 when he concluded his run in the promotion off the heels of four straight losses. After a first-round d’arce choke loss to Vicente Luque, Woodley, 41, took his talents to the boxing ring for a pair of matches with Jake Paul that same year.
Unfortunately for Woodley, he lost on both occasions, first by split decision and then a brutal sixth-round one-punch knockout. “The Chosen One” hasn’t fought in any capacity in the two years that have followed but he still has an interest in doing so against some fellow former notable names once atop the UFC welterweight division. Outside of the cage or ring, Woodley plans to stay closely involved as he’s started his own promotion The Realest International Promotion (TRIP), which is where he offered two fighters to compete against him.
“I’m looking to fight guys that are legendary to me,” Woodley told TMZ. “That I feel like may not have gotten the respect and the money that they should have gotten when they were at the top of the top. Like Georges St-Pierre, I offered him a dumb bag. He said, ‘No, I’m not in that world anymore.’ I offered Nick Diaz a dumb bag. When I say ‘dumb,’ I mean pushing to eight figures, a lot of money. They both said no.
“Sorry, Nick didn’t say no. Nick liked the comment, so I don’t know what that means. But people that I respect, people that I thought were GOATs, and now that the money is coming to the sport, I want to go to those people first to get them paid with me because it’s a partnership. Whether I like Jake or not, I was a business partner with him for two fights. This is a business, you got a partner, it’s not choreographed.”
Canada’s St-Pierre, 42, has been adamant he’ll never return to MMA despite his continuous recent involvement, specifically around the grappling world, which he was expected to return to this month until injury held him out of UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5. “Rush” last fought in November 2017 when he captured UFC middleweight gold with a third-round rear-naked choke of Michael Bisping at UFC 217. He’s since been released from his UFC contract after discussions for a potential boxing match against Oscar De La Hoya fizzled out in 2021.
Diaz, on the other hand, has fought in MMA more recently than both Woodley and St-Pierre but to no better success. In his rematch with Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021, Diaz suffered a third-round TKO loss and is believed to still be under contract with the promotion and does hope to fight again. To fight Woodley, he’d first have to escape those contractual binds.
While Woodley is getting into the promotion business, he clarified that it won’t be purely MMA he’ll bring to the forefront with TRIP.
“It’s called The Realest International Promotion, TRIP,” Woodley said. “We’re promoting all things art, so we’re not just doing mixed martial arts. Obviously, I would be a fool not to do that just because that’s my background and my base. We’re doing music, concerts, festivals, cryptocurrency, e-sporting events, boxing, and then we just doing a lot of crossover.”
TOP STORIES
Awards. MMA Fighting’s 2023 Fight of the Year: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 1
Future. Exec cited CTE, Dana White replacement in WME evaluation of UFC business
Rivals. Chuck Liddell reveals the time he threatened to go to Tito Ortiz’s house and ‘beat you in your f****** living room’
Politics. Colby Covington aims to run for Congress or Governor of Florida after UFC career
VIDEO STEW
MMA Fighting’s 2023 Year-End MMA Awards Spectacular.
UFC Honors Sub of the Year nominees.
Horiguchi’s title prep.
2023 PFL Upsets.
Full fight.
A Sugary Afterparty.
Fancy arm triangle defense.
MORNING MUSIC
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Naptime.
I can do more than kicking, be careful https://t.co/yyCSbd7mVm
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) December 27, 2023
Paulo?
I gonna oil u up
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 28, 2023
MIA.
Ranked Fighters that did not compete in 2023.
— Andy Hickey MMA (@AndyHickeyMMA) December 27, 2023
Stipe Miocic
Brian Ortega
Alexandar Rakic
Michael Chandler
Paulo Costa
Alex Perez
Calvin Kattar
Matt Schnell
Jack Hermansson
Dominick Cruz
Renato Moicano
Dominick Reyes
Carla Esparza
Julianna Pena
Kaitlyn Chookagian
Many Chiasson
Dominator.
Former DEEP featherweight champion Satoshi 'Dominator' Yamasu makes a comeback on #RIZIN45 after 13 months against reigning Featherweight King of Pancrase, Suguru Nii!
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 28, 2023
Watch #RIZIN on @FITEtv ! https://t.co/eEpfmslPEX pic.twitter.com/M4rWHNDUmr
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Reinier de Ridder (16-1) vs. Anatoly Malhykin (13-0); ONE 166, March 1
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, I can’t say I’m upset about GSP and Diaz declining Woodley.
Thanks for reading!
EXIT POLL
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