Tyron Woodley is the latest fighter to offer his services to fill in as the headlining act of the UFC’s next pay-per-view event.
The former UFC welterweight champion took to Twitter on Saturday evening to announce that he’s spoken to his management about being a candidate to headline UFC 249 in April 18.
“Just wanted you guys to know, I’m in for #UFC249,” Woodley wrote. “I gave my management team executive permission to make it happen. Im training like a machine & ready to walk through someone! @UFC what’s the word? Colby in or not? Are you guys going to pull the trigger on this its 2wks away?”
The UFC 249 pay-per-view card is is need of a main event, as UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is unable to leave Russia due to travel ban measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Nurmagomedov was scheduled to defend his belt against Tony Ferguson. The UFC hasn’t been able to find a replacement opponent of “El Cucuy.”
Woodley (19-4-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) was scheduled to fight Leon Edwards at UFC London on March 21, but the event was canceled due to coronavirus restrictions. Like Nurmagomedov, Edwards is also unable to leave his home country of England. That’s why Woodley has expresses interest in fighting Colby Covington for the April 18 event.
UFC 249 was supposed to take place in Brooklyn, N.Y., but due to bans on public gatherings and non-essential businesses the UFC was forced to move the event out of the state. A new location for the card has yet to be determined, and the event is two weeks away. Many states have similar restrictions like New York on sporting events and non-essential businesses.
The UFC have looked into taking the event into Indian reservations or maybe to a foreign country, where there would be no public orders prohibiting them from hosting fights.
Below is Woodley’s tweet asking for the main event slot of UFC 249.
Tyron Woodley offers to fill in for UFC 249 main event: 'Colby in or not?'
