Dana White verifies Colby Covington, says Tyron Woodley fight is in the works

ABU DHABI – According to UFC president Dana White, Colby Covington is telling the truth: He did sign a contract to fight former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

Following the UFC on ESPN+ 30 weigh-ins, White fielded questions from reporters. When asked about a recent Instagram post by Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) that displayed a signed UFC bout contract to fight Woodley (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) on Aug. 22, White verified the authenticity of Covington’s claims.

“It’s a fight we’re working on,” White said. “Woodley said he wanted to fight him. Woodley’s been talking about fighting Colby Covington since Colby fought (Kamaru) Usman. It is true that Colby signed the deal and he’s ready to go. We’re just waiting on Woodley.”

As he’s said so many times before, White once again reiterated that what is said in the public forum is not always the case behind the scenes when it comes to fighters accepting fights. White wouldn’t elaborate on the specific holdup on Woodley vs. Covington.

“I’m always trying to make the fights that should be made or people want to see,” White said. “People can say whatever they want to say publicly, but behind the scenes, it’s another story. I can’t speak honestly about what’s going on. I’ve been (in Abu Dhabi). But we’re trying to make Woodley vs. Covington, and Covington’s definitely in.”

UFC on ESPN+ 30 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event streams on ESPN+.