Former undisputed UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley has made the claim that former middleweight title challenger, Nick Diaz rejected an offer with a payday approaching a staggering eight figures to fight him – for his newly-former promotion,The Realest International Promotion (TRIP).
Woodley, a former undisputed welterweight champion under the banner of the UFC, departed the promotion back in 2021, having suffered his fourth consecutive loss in the form of a D’Arce choke submission defeat to Vicente Luque at UFC 260.
The defeat followed prior conseutive losses to rivals, Colby Covington, and Gilbert Burns, with the St. Louis native dropping his undisputed welterweight crown to prior pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman in a one-sided decision loss at UFC 235 in 2019.
Since then, Woodley has switched his focus to professional boxing, first dropping a close, decision loss to Ohio puncher, Jake Paul – before an impromptu rematch in December 2021 saw Woodley suffered a devastating sixth round one-punch KO loss to the social media star.
Tyron Woodley talks failed Nick Diaz clash
And attempting to launch his career into the spotlight once again, Woodley has founded his own organization, titled ‘TRIP’ – and claims to have seen offers resulting in “dumb bags” and paydays to both Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz rejected.
“I’m looking to fight guys that are legendary to me,” Tyron Woodley told TMZ. “That I feel like may not have gotten the respect and 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,” Tyron Woodley continued. “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 (Paul) or not, I was a business partner with him for two fights. This is a business, you got a partner, it’s not choreographed.”
Would you like to see Tyron Woodley fight Nick Diaz still?