Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley needs a new opponent for this weekend’s ESPN+ fight card now that top contender Leon Edwards has been forced from the event, which is no longer being held in London, England.
You can blame coronavirus for that, as the global pandemic continues to upend the world of sports.
Gilbert Burns threw his name into the proverbial hat, fresh off his 170-pound finish over Demian Maia, but it appears “The Chosen One” wasn’t interested in competing against the Brazilian on less than a week’s notice, according to “Durinho.”
That’s probably why Colby Covington is still working his gimmick.
“Tyronnnnn … America wants March Madness Tyron,” Covington said on Instagram. “The people want this fight. I want this fight. Your last album was so bad, you need this fight. Let’s save America, bitch.”
Woodley has been widely panned for his part-time rap career.
There’s a pretty good chance that Covington (15-2) has no intention of competing or knows that he won’t get medically cleared to fight after injuries sustained in his Kamaru Usman loss last December, and may be using this opportunity to resurrect his relevance.
As for Woodley (19-4-1), he’s been riding the pine for nearly a year, coming off his own loss to Usman back in March 2019. Reports suggest “The Chosen One” is instead trying to wrangle a 170-pound showdown opposite longtime contender, Raphael dos Anjos.
UFC however, must first secure a city and venue.