Woodley and Covington Set to Clash at Fight Night
The highly-anticipated clash between Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington will headline UFC Fight Night 178 on Saturday, September 19.
The matchup is as good as it gets for a non-pay-per-view event. Covington, who has a professional record of 15-2, is currently ranked second in the UFC welterweight rankings while Woodley, who’s currently sitting at a 19-5-1 record, is not far behind him at number five.
The two have had countless heated exchanges over the past few years, many of which were sparked by Covington. The 32-year-old has never been afraid to speak his mind, and he has had his sights set on Woodley ever since he held the cruiserweight strap three years ago.
“Woodley is not a draw, he needs help selling a fight,” Covington said on ESPN’s Five Rounds podcast in early-2018. “If he fights me, there are going to be a massive amount of fans who want to see him knock me out. He can be a hero that way, and that’s what he wants to be. He’s trying to be a hero, but really he’s just a fake and a fraud.”
The two men were allegedly supposed to face off at the August 22 UFC Fight Night before Woodley pulled out of the event. Covington broke the news of the potential matchup after voicing his displeasure with Woodley in an Instagram post.
While the fighters are undoubtedly two of the top competitors in the industry, it is clear that they are fighting for different things in this bout. Covington has his sights set on becoming the number one contender for Kamaru Usman’s Welterweight Championship. Woodley, on the other hand, could be fighting to continue his UFC career.
Woodley is coming off back-to-back tough losses for the first time in his career, albeit against current champion Karmaru Usman and rising star Gilbert Burns. The 38-year-old could be one giant leap closer to retirement with another loss, as no one his age has ever regained momentum after three losses in a row.
Something that is factoring in Woodley's favor is the fact that he has been training with Jorge Masvidal in preparation for the bout. On top of being one of the best fighters in the industry in his own right, Masvidal also used to be Covingtons roommate before the two had a falling out.
Masvidal knows Covingtons tendencies more than anyone else in the UFC, so he will undoubtedly be a huge asset to Woodley.
Stars are finally seeming to align as two of the best in the business go head to head on September 19. Tune into ESPN at and see who comes out on top.
Make sure to leave your predictions for who you think will come out on top in the comment section below!