While Tyron Woodley won’t be getting the Jake Paul rematch he was hoping for, it seems that “The Chosen One” is still in high demand outside of the UFC.
Ariel Helwani reported through his Substack that Woodley and former UFC fighter turned commentator Dan Hardy are in the process of working out a boxing match for spring of 2022. It will be Hardy’s first professional combat sports match since a diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome derailed his fighting career in 2012.
It’s a fight Hardy has been talking about a lot lately, recently complaining that Woodley was ducking him.
“My contract is signed,” he said in an interview with Submission Radio. “And I know that he’s got a contract sitting in front of him, and the deadline is approaching, and he doesn’t want to sign it. And I don’t know why. I don’t know what the deal is because terms have been agreed, money’s been agreed, date’s been agreed, rules and conditions, weight class, everything’s been agreed! But he hasn’t yet signed the contract. So you tell me. Tyron Woodley, why have you not signed it, Frozen One?”
Perhaps it was because Woodley was holding out on the possibility of a Jake Paul rematch. Woodley and Paul fought to a split decision back in August of 2021 with Paul having his hand raised. A rematch seemed contingent on Woodley getting an ‘I love Jake Paul’ tattoo, but while Woodley got the tattoo it seems like Paul has moved on.
“Now he’s saying you have to sign the contract and then I’ll get the tattoo,” Paul said soon after their fight. “The tattoo was a bet before this fight. It was the loser had to get the tattoo. So now he’s trying to change it to make it for the rematch. It doesn’t make sense [to fight him again]. If he would have gotten the tattoo now and that clip goes viral and everyone’s like ‘Jake do it,’ I’d be like, ‘I kind of have to do this.’ But he f—ked up.”
During a press conference for the upcoming Paul vs. Tommy Fury fight, Jake buried the possibility of a rematch for good.
“By the time he got the tattoo we had already moved on to fighting Tommy Fury and making that fight negotiation happen,” he said. “I don’t really think the people want to see Tyron vs. Jake Paul again. He had his chance.”
As for Tyron, he’s still talking more about Jake than Dan.
Watched this for the 1st time! Every single word here happened. He got gassed & ran. He didnt want to run it back. He wasnt a man of his word. Got hit w/ #Culture @jakepaul & Tyron Woodley MVP Face 2 Face Interview with Ariel Helwani |… https://t.co/x9TW4Qu7oD via @YouTube
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) November 16, 2021
What do you think, Maniacs? Is this a fight you’re interested in seeing, and who do you think comes out on top if Hardy and Woodley step into the boxing ring?