Tyron Woodley Shoots Down Rumors, Reveals Who He’ll Be Fighting Next

There’s no doubt that UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is ready to get back inside the world-famous Octagon to make his next title defense.

However, there has been confusion regarding who he will be fighting next. There were rumors that surfaced online on Wednesday that Woodley was going to meet teammate Jorge Masvidal later this year instead of fighting top-ranked contender Demian Maia.

Woodley shot down those rumors during Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight on FOX Sports 1. Woodley vowed that Maia is next in line for a title shot. In fact, Woodley stated that he wants the fight at UFC 214, and now, he’s just waiting on Maia’s response.

“If you want a showdown with me, you have to meet me July 29, that’s the date,” Woodley said (transcript courtesy of FOX Sports. “The challenger can’t pick the date. You want my belt. So, therefore, I accept the challenge July 29. If you want to get it on, let’s do it, sign the paperwork. You don’t need a vacation. You just had a three-round grappling match. You didn’t get hardly hit. Let’s get it on.”

Maia last competed at UFC 211 in May, which saw him defeat Masvidal by split decision after three rounds. Keep in mind that nothing is official but it’s clear that Woodley is definitely pushing for the fight at the event, and he’s hopeful that Maia will sign on the dotted line.

“He wanted to fight in 2018 from the looks of it, but I can’t wait that long,” Woodley said. “July 29 is a great date for me with the belt, so if you want it, let’s get it.”

UFC 214 is set to take place on July 29th and will be headlined by light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defending his title against former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Although a co-main event for UFC 214 has yet to be announced, Woodley defending his title against Maia would certainly fit the bill.