Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has revealed an unexpected offer he received for a potential match against 2017 World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall. The surprising proposal came amidst Woodley’s exploration of various opportunities in combat sports following his departure from the UFC.
Woodley, who has been seeking a return to competition, shared details of the unusual offer during an appearance on the Overdogs Podcast. According to the former champion, he was approached to face Hall in Ireland with only three weeks’ notice. The matchup would have pitted Woodley against the 365-pound strongman, who recently gained attention for his performance in an unconventional athletic contest against two mixed martial artists simultaneously.
“I’m not down for these 3 week notice [contests] to build somebody else’s name up,” Woodley stated, expressing his reluctance to accept such short-notice challenges. The proposed bout with Hall was just one of several offers Woodley has received since his last professional appearance in December 2021.
The 41-year-old athlete also disclosed that he had been in negotiations for high-profile matches against boxing legends Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in recent years, though these discussions did not materialize into actual contests. Additionally, Woodley mentioned a potential bout with KSI that was initially planned for January of last year but ultimately fell through.
As Woodley continues to evaluate his options, he has expressed interest in facing familiar names from the MMA world. He specifically mentioned the possibility of boxing matches against Nate or Nick Diaz, both well-known figures in the sport. Woodley recalled that a bout with Nate Diaz had been discussed during his time as UFC champion, around 2017 when he defended his title against Demian Maia.
“Nate and I have already kind of been talked about [competing] on several times behind the scenes. I thought Nate and I boxing would make a lot of sense. Or to be honest, I really kinda wanna [face] Nick,” Woodley said, referring to Nate’s older brother.
As the combat sports landscape continues to evolve, with crossover events becoming increasingly common, it remains to be seen what Woodley’s next move will be.
