Filed under: Strikeforce, News
Just days after an injured opponent left him without a foe for July 30’s Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson event, Paul Daley has a new challenger in his sights.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, undefeated prospect Tyron Woodley has accepted an offer to step in and face Daley at the upcoming date.
MMAJunkie.com first reported the matchup on Saturday night. Though at the time it wasn’t clear if the bout would be for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title, sources tell MMA Fighting that it will be contracted as a three-round, non-title fight.
Still, it is the fight Woodley wanted. In May, he told MMA Fighting that he hoped to return in July, against Daley. That possibility seemed to come and go when Strikeforce matched Daley with fellow striker Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, but after Santos suffered a shoulder injury, the promotion granted Woodley his wish.
Woodley remains unbeaten in his pro career at 8-0, most recently earning a unanimous decision over Tarec Saffidiene in January. Meanwhile, Daley is 27-10-2 after suffering a TKO loss at the hands of Nick Diaz in April.
After Diaz vacated his belt to join the UFC and face Georges St-Pierre, it seemed possible that Daley and Woodley — two of Strikeforce’s highest-ranking welterweights — would square off for the belt, but that will not happen. For now, it remains unclear how Strikeforce plans to address the situation.
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson takes place in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.