Tyron Woodley Refutes Rumours Of His Release From The UFC

Mandatory Credit: Mike Roach - Zuffa LLC

Former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron 'The Chosen One' Woodley has poured cold water on rumours tonight, speculating that he had been released from his UFC deal.

Woodley, the former undisputed 170-pound kingpin has lost three on the trot, and appeared to have come to the end of his stint with the promotion, with rumblings on Twitter of his impending release after light was shed on a screenshot of Woodley's Snapchat with the caption, "cut". 

Featuring twice in the Octagon this year, it was an annum to forget for the Roufusport trainee, who dropped consecutive one-sided losses in a unanimous decision defeat and a technical knockout blemish to upcoming title challenger, Gilbert 'Durinho' Burns and former interim champion, Colby 'Chaos' Covington, respectively. 

The St. Louis native, along with his manager, Malki Kawa from First Round Management denied any reports of his release from the UFC, detailing how the above-mentioned screenshot may have been doctored as it never came from Woodley himself. 

Tyron woodley did not get cut. Not sure what’s on his snap, but he did not post that.

— malki kawa (@malkikawa) December 23, 2020

Criticised for a somewhat pair of gun-shy performances since dropping his welterweight crown to incumbent best, Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman at UFC 235 in March of last year, Woodley failed to mount any real significant offence against both Burns and Covington, with the Brazilian earning a title shot off the back of his judging win, while Covington is tentatively linked with a matchup opposite Jorge 'Gamebred' Masvidal after his fifth-round rib injury triumph. 

A former welterweight champion under the promotion's banner, Woodley clinched the title back at UFC 201 in the summer of 2016, stopping then-champion, 'Ruthless' Robbie Lawler. 

Managing three successful title defences and a successful title retention against Stephen Thompson, the St. Louis native then rematched 'Wonderboy' -- scoring a majority decision win before victories over Demian Maia and Darren Till. 

In response to rumours of his release, Woodley shared a direct message exchange with mixed martial arts reporter, Chisanga Malata who had reported that the former may have been handed his UFC walking papers, claiming it "takes a real man to apologise".

Takes a real man to apologize pic.twitter.com/wtscGMo56a

— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) December 23, 2020