Colby Covington blasts Tyron Woodley for not accepting August fight – but willing to wait to retire former champ

In a fight that’s been brewing for years now, Colby Covington is certainly willing to wait a couple more months for Tyron Woodley.

Covington was offered former UFC welterweight champion Woodley in the headliner of the UFC’s Aug. 22 event, but according to ESPN, Woodley says he won’t be ready until September or October.

Covington (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Woodley (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) have been going back-and-forth verbally since 2017, but a fight has never materialized. Both men have been accusing each other of turning the fight down, but Covington insists that the only time he ever declined an offer was when he had to undergo nasal surgery in 2018.

“Why is he not ready to go in August?” Covington asked MMA Junkie. “He just told his manager, that cokehead Malki Kawa at First Round Management, that he wanted to fight Colby last week. We were supposed to fight. He gave his verbal confirmation to the UFC. I gave my verbal confirmation. I signed the contract. Why is he not showing up now? He’s been talking all that sh-t saying I ducked him, this, that. He’s the only one that’s ever ducked me. I’ve never ducked him.

“The one time I couldn’t fight him because I had to get nose surgery, they wanted me to turn around on four weeks’ notice. Let’s talk about the time I scared him into elective shoulder surgery. He was ready to fight lightweights like that soy boy Nate Diaz. That guy’s got nothing, he’s a 50-50 fighter. If he can’t get an easy fight, of course he’s going make excuses, and that’s exactly what he’s doing again.”

When asked if he’s willing to move on from Woodley, Covington said he wasn’t going to let the fight fall through just because he had to wait a little bit longer.

He wants to be the one to retire Woodley.

“All that sh-t that Tyron’s talked, he’s not getting off easy,” Covington said. “He’s going to have to come and hold himself accountable for all the things he said, so whenever Tyron’s ready. I’ll be ready in August, but if he has to push it back to September, then we can do it in September, but he’s not getting out the easy way. I know he wants to show up and be the big brother and save his little brother ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal because ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal is already ducking and diving and looking for any way around not to fight me.

“Send out big brother Tyron ‘Tyquil’ Woodley, and I’ll retire him. Just like I said, I’ve been saying this for years, I’m going to be the one to retire Tyron Woodley, and here it is. When he signs up, when he shows up in that octagon and we settle it off, he will get retired, I promise you that.”

While Covington never minces his words when it comes to his opposition, he still sees Woodley as a logical next opponent, despite the fact that he’s lost two in a row.

“This fight’s been built up for years, and to not ever give this fight to the people, I know how many people want this fight,” Covington said. “To not give this fight to the people and just all the history that we have and the way you can sell this fight and market this fight? He’s still a former champion. He’s still a great fighter. Yeah, he’s lost two fights in a row, two decision losses, but he’s going to be hungry to fight me.

“He’s a Liberal, I’m a Republican. He hates Trump, I love Trump, so I would want him to come and speak for his actions that he said in the past, talking sh-t about all Republicans. I stand up for every Republican in America right now, and I’m standing up for them. I’m going to go retire this soy boy liberal.”

After stacking up an impressive resume as welterweight champion, Woodley is currently enduring the first two-fight losing skid of his career, dropping two straight one-sided decisions to current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and top contender Gilbert Burns.

But Covington is confident that Woodley will come out with a different kind of fire, considering their history.

“I do expect him to be a different version,” Covington said. “His last two fights, he had already had $5-$10 million in the bank. He’s made those big pay-per-views by piggybacking off of other stars because everyone knows Tyron Woodley is not a draw. No one gives a sh-t about him.”

“I think him piggybacking off Conor McGregor, him piggybacking off Jon ‘coke’ Jones, put some money in the bank so he lost his motivation, his hunger against the last two guys, especially those guys were trying to be friends with him and acknowledge him for his accomplishments, but now he’s got a guy who he genuinely hates in me.”

You can watch the full interview with Covington in the video below.