Colby Covington has dismissed concerns over Tyron Woodley’s recent rejection of a potential matchup between the two former UFC rivals in Real American Freestyle (RAF). Woodley, who recently joined the wrestling promotion where Covington currently holds the cruiserweight championship, declined interest in facing his former opponent on the mat.
Responding to Woodley’s dismissal, Covington characterized the rejection as unsurprising given their previous UFC encounter, where he claims to have decisively defeated Woodley. The current RAF champion expressed confidence in his past victory and questioned Woodley’s credibility, suggesting the former welterweight title holder prefers to avoid another confrontation.
Despite his criticism, Covington acknowledged that Woodley possesses legitimate wrestling credentials as a former All-American wrestler and indicated willingness to face him if the opportunity arose. However, Covington emphasized he has numerous other compelling options available, including potential matchups with Justin Gaethje, Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Sean Brady. The RAF champion is currently focused on defending his inaugural title against Belal Muhammad on September 19 at RAF 13 in Miami.
Covington stressed that while he remains open to entertaining a Woodley bout due to their shared history and the former UFC champion’s wrestling pedigree, the matchup is far from essential to his plans. With multiple high-profile competitors seeking title opportunities, the promotion has considerable flexibility in determining future championship contenders.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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