The welterweight division has always had a rich history of competition and tremendous champions. Tyron Woodley has proven to be the next great to hold the welterweight title, but the speculation was who he would fight.
The former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington and current champion Tyron Woodley have both shown interest in fighting each other. However, Kamaru Usman has been lighting up the division and making a legitimate case to be next in line for the title. According to Ariel Helwani from ESPN, “Tyron Woodley vs. Kamaru Usman is a done deal for UFC 235 on 3/2, sources say.” Helwani then reported, “If all goes according to plan the fight will serve as co-main for Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith. However, unlike Woodley-Usman, Jones-Smith isn’t signed yet. Jones has to get his license on 1/29 first.” Helwani continued, “In the end, while Colby Covington was ready to go for 235, UFC chose to go with Usman because his stock rose mightily in their eyes after the RDA win + his subsequent willingness to fight anyone on short notice in January despite being injured. Covington held out and it cost him.”
After an extremely impressive performance with a submission win over Darren Till, Woodley has proven to be a true champion with four successful title defenses. The welterweight division is no stranger to great champions such as Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes. For Woodley’s legacy, defending his title against high level opponents such as Usman, will be what it takes to help Woodley write his own legacy in the UFC history books.
Kamaru Usman has quite the resume as well holding a 14-1 record with wins over Rafael dos Anjos and Demian Maia. In MMA, styles make fights, and Usman and Woodley is a very intriguing matchup. For MMA fans, if this fight card comes to fruition, we are all in for a treat!
