Tyron Woodley and Nate Diaz might be on board to fight each other but that doesn’t mean the UFC is going to make the matchup a reality.
Earlier this week, Woodley revealed that he expected Diaz to be his next opponent when he returns to action later this year after recovering from shoulder surgery. Diaz later responded by saying he also expected to face the reigning UFC welterweight champion in his next fight in the UFC.
Of course, Woodley has wanted the fight with Diaz since late last year when rumors surfaced that the matchup was in consideration to headline UFC 219 this past December.
On Wednesday, UFC president Dana White not only shot down the idea that the promotion ever realistically offered that fight to Woodley or Diaz but he also took a shot at the company’s welterweight champion for continuing to push for a bout they have no plans to make.
Instead, White insists that the UFC is still expecting Woodley to face top ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos when he’s healthy enough to return and put his welterweight title on the line.
Here's our full interview with @DanaWhite as he announces the #UFC222 card, addresses the Woodley-Diaz rumors and @FloydMayweather's chances of coming to the UFC! https://t.co/kr7TWez9NL
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) February 8, 2018
“He’s full of s–t. That fight was never made. [Tyron Woodley] couldn’t be more wrong. He couldn’t be more full of s–t. It’s absolutely not true. It’s so not true that our lawyer actually his manager up and said he needs to stop saying these kinds of things cause it’s absolutely not true,” White said via “UFC Tonight”.
“I wouldn’t bet a nickel on it let alone his house. It’s not true. It’s completely not true and we’re looking at [Rafael] Dos Anjos. Dos Anjos is the fight that we’re looking at for Woodley. That’s the fair fight. He just won a great fight against Robbie Lawler, he looked good and what I love about that fight is I think Dos Anjos will bring it. He will come after Tyron Woodley and it will be a great fight. That’s the fight that’s going to happen.”
It didn’t take Woodley long to respond as he fired back on Twitter after hearing White’s accusations towards him.
Cause Dana has never told a lie in his life??. Maybe we should ask @NateDiaz209 if they offered me him. https://t.co/jdPpiPjjQl
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) February 8, 2018
Still White was adamant that he had no plans to book Woodley against Diaz at any time later this year.
Considering Diaz isn’t a natural welterweight and his only wins in the division have come against Conor McGregor, who isn’t a true 170-pound fighter, and Marcus Davis back in 2010, it would be awfully hard to justify him jumping the line over ranked contenders such as Dos Anjos or No. 3 ranked Colby Covington.
White says that the UFC has actually offered Diaz several fights but he’s still not sold that the Stockton, Calif. native will return after teasing that he planned on competing again in either May or June.
“We’ve offered Nate Diaz five or six fights over the last several months and he’s turned them all down,” White said. “I’ve said many times that I don’t see Nate Diaz fighting. Will he fight this year? Maybe he’ll come out and say he wants to fight eventually but no, he’s turned down every fight we’ve offered him.
“I saw the L.A. Times say the other day that Nate Diaz jumps out to try and save [UFC 222] and I told the L.A. Times before they wrote that, that wasn’t true. It’s not true. Yet people love to print stuff and say stuff that isn’t true.”
