UFC 228 needed a main event, and as a result, Colby Covington has been leapfrogged by Darren Till to face Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani first reported the matchup, then his co-worker Brett Okamoto confirmed the matchup with UFC President Dana White.
Colby Covington won the interim welterweight title over Rafael dos Anjos not too long ago, but in 2018 that does not necessarily guarantee you a title shot. Tyron Woodley is ready to return to action at UFC 228, but Covington needed nasal surgery today to fix a small issue. As a result, he will not be ready by September, and Darren Till will receive a title shot. Covington will be ready to return by November.
Darren Till is coming off notable victories against Donald Cerrone and former top contender Stephen Thompson. While his victory over Wonderboy was controversial, it placed him as the man the UFC could count on if Covington was unable to fight Woodley. Till is undefeated in his career, with the only blemish being a draw against Nicolas Dalby. The Liverpool native’s brash personality has also made him a favorite of the promotion’s brash.
Woodley has been recovering from a shoulder injury, which warranted the initial interim title in the promotion’s eyes. The Missouri native has defended his title three times, twice against Stephen Thompson (with the first being a draw), and once against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia. The champion is 8-2-1 in the Octagon with five stoppages.
Similar to the Tony Ferguson situation several months ago, Covington will not be stripped of the title until fight night according to Okamoto.
Until today, UFC 228 was headlined by women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano and Valentina Shevchenko, with Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez on the card as well. The event takes place on September 8 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
