Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is now a free agent.
MMA Fighting confirmed that Woodley was no longer with the promotion after speculation that he had been removed from the rankings. Woodley’s profile on the official UFC website lists him as a “former fighter.”
Woodley’s manager, Malki Kawa, clarified on social media that the reason for Woodley’s departure was due to the fact that Woodley had completed his contract with the UFC.
No they didn’t. His contract was up. https://t.co/mkdQ7Pa8CT
— malki kawa (@malkikawa) April 24, 2021
Woodley came over to the UFC from Strikeforce in 2013 and went on to defeat names like Carlos Condit, Darren Till, and Demian Maia. He claimed the welterweight title from Robbie Lawler in 2016 and defended it multiple times over three years before losing it to current champ Kamaru Usman in 2019. He went on to lose his three subsequent fights, most recently being submitted by Vicente Luque at UFC 260.
It’s unclear where Woodley will go next to continue his career, but he has expressed interest in a fight with Jake Paul after Paul’s recent Triller Fight Club win against fellow UFC veteran Ben Askren.
