"I would have fought him" - Michael Bisping on how close a fight between him and Tyron Woodley at middleweight was to happening
Michael Bisping has opened up about how close he was to facing Tyron Woodley inside the octagon a few years ago. Bisping revealed that Woodley, the then-UFC welterweight (170-pound) champion, was willing to move up and fight him for the UFC middleweight (185-pound) title.
'The Count' held the UFC middleweight belt from June 2016 to November 2017, whereas Tyron Woodley held the UFC welterweight belt from July 2016 to March 2019.
During a live stream on his official YouTube channel, Michael Bisping responded to a fan query as to why the matchup between him and Tyron Woodley didn’t come to fruition. Bisping stated:
“If I cut down to 170 [pounds], I would’ve been a [double] champ. But I wasn’t going to do that. Woodley was going to come up to 185. He said he wanted to do it. I said, ‘Yeah. Sure. What, by all accounts.’ It just never happened, you know what I mean? Just because Tyron Woodley said that or suggested it doesn’t mean the UFC want to do that. But I would have fought him. If he wanted to come up to 185, of course, I would.”
Watch Michael Bisping address the Tyron Woodley matchup that failed to materialize in the video below:
Tyron Woodley could be on a collision course with fellow UFC alum Dan Hardy
Following his departure from the UFC, Tyron Woodley made his professional boxing debut and has suffered a pair of losses to YouTube megastar Jake Paul. Nevertheless, Woodley has vowed to continue competing in the combat sports realm, particularly in the world of boxing.
On that note, fellow former UFC welterweight and former UFC analyst Dan Hardy has been lobbying for a fight against Woodley ever since his first fight against Jake Paul.
So you’re not going to sign the contract then, @TWooodley?
You’ve proved my point for me. You actually are the Frozen One. ❄️
Couldn’t beat a YouTube kid so definitely won’t fight someone who’s been out for a decade. 🤣 https://t.co/hm3moKLHRU
Tyron Woodley, on his part, is said to have turned down the opportunity to face Dan Hardy in a boxing match. Upon being asked why he hasn’t fought ‘The Outlaw’ yet, Woodley explained the following to Submission Radio:
"Nobody even knows who he [Hardy] is.” Woodley added, “He's not the best analyst. He wasn't the best fighter. Nobody really wears or cares about a colored mohawk anymore. And he is trying to piggyback off of me and clout chasing as a grown man. So it's kind of embarrassing."
Listen to Woodley discuss a potential Dan Hary fight below:
T-Wood is coming off a vicious sixth-round KO loss against Jake Paul, whom he faced in December 2021. Regardless, considering the aforementioned variables at play, it’s entirely possible that Tyron Woodley could potentially face Dan Hardy in their long-awaited grudge match this year. Fans can expect details regarding Woodley’s next fight and comeback date to unravel in the days to come.