The timing for UFC 225’s interim welterweight title fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington was always a little puzzling.
Chicago on June 9.
The UFC’s reigning welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, has publicly stated that he is targeting a return from shoulder surgery in either July or August, not long after UFC 225. Prior to his injury layoff, Woodley was the most active champion on the promotion’s roster, competing in four title fights over the course of a year, with his most recent outing being a successful title defense over Demian Maia in July 2017.
So why, then, is an interim title being introduced immediately before Woodley’s expected return?
Dos Anjos said it was simply a matter of timing — and Woodley’s decision to delay shoulder surgery until December.
“Here’s the thing: I was ready to fight Woodley,” dos Anjos said Monday on The MMA Hour. “After I beat (Robbie) Lawler (last December), I thought that Woodley would be the next guy.
Rafael dos Anjos believes Tyron Woodley delayed shoulder surgery in hopes of getting ‘a bigger fight’
