Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has revealed particulars about profitable struggle gives he prolonged to legendary fighters Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, each of which had been declined regardless of substantial monetary incentives.
The GSP Proposal
According to Woodley, he offered Georges St-Pierre $5 million to compete in a struggle promoted via his group within the Center East. The previous champion defined, whereas talking to Action Network, his motivation for pursuing the bout: “I provided GSP $5 million to struggle me within the Center East. I had a company, and we was gonna promote a struggle, for me and GSP and he simply flat out mentioned, ‘Tyron, I’m not in that area any extra, I’m not preventing anymore. I recognize the supply’”.
St-Pierre, who formally retired from combined martial arts in February 2019, has remained constant in his place concerning a return to energetic competitors. The Canadian legend, broadly thought to be the best welterweight of all time, defended his title 9 consecutive occasions and captured championships in two weight divisions earlier than stepping away.
Woodley viewed a potential victory over St-Pierre as a career-defining moment that would overshadow his recent setbacks. “If I beat Georges St-Pierre, nobody would care about [my losses to] Gilbert Burns, Vincente Luque, Colby Covington, or Kamaru Usman. None of these losses matter. I’m the perfect welterweight of all time, so I used to be taking a look at it from that standpoint”.
The Nick Diaz Situation
Following St-Pierre’s rejection, Woodley extended a similar offer to Nick Diaz for a similar quantity. “After which I circled and provided Nick Diaz provided him the identical sum of money off, $5 million to struggle within the Center East. He appreciated the message I despatched him. He hearted it, however he by no means replied again”.
Diaz, who has faced significant personal challenges in recent years, was scheduled to return to action against Vicente Luque at UFC 310 in December 2024 but withdrew from the bout. Recent updates from his camp indicate he is recovering well after completing a rehabilitation program.
Middle East Fight Promotion Plans
Woodley’s offers were part of his broader venture into fight promotion through “The Realest International Promotion” (TRIP), which he launched with Middle Eastern backing. The former champion has indicated that he secured substantial funding for his promotional efforts, claiming he offered figures reaching “eight figures” for certain matchups.
The Middle East has emerged as a significant destination for combat sports events, with the UFC regularly hosting events in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Other promotions like Brave Combat Federation have also established operations throughout the region.
While St-Pierre has firmly maintained his retirement from competitive fighting, he has left the door open for potential grappling matches or charity events with minimal injury risk. He was scheduled to face Nick Diaz in a grappling exhibition but the event was cancelled due to injuries.
Since departing the UFC, Woodley has pursued a career in professional boxing. He made his boxing debut against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on August 29, 2021, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, dropping a cut up resolution over eight rounds however incomes over 500,000 pay-per-view buys. Woodley later accepted a rematch, which culminated in a knockout loss, and has additionally expressed curiosity in different high-profile exhibition bouts.
