UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is set to undergo hand surgery on Oct. 10 and is expected to be out of commission for eight to 12 weeks.
Woodley told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani Friday that he dislocated his right thumb in the first round of his dominant title defence against Darren Till at UFC 228 earlier this month and it led to him tearing three ligaments.
“They are doing a shoestring surgery to provide more stability for my hand and minimize the potential arthritis,” Woodley explained to Helwani.
Woodley’s next title defence is expected to be against No. 1-ranked welterweight contender Colby Covington. There had been talk that a Woodley-Covington scrap could end up headlining UFC 230, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York, but that is no longer a possibility.
UFC 230 is shaping up to be a stacked fight card—Conor McGregor rival Nate Diaz faces fellow lightweight star Dustin Poirier, plus a rematch between former middleweight champions Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman is featured—but no main event has been announced.
Woodley, 36, has been champ in the 170-pound weight class since knocking out Robbie Lawler in 2016 and has defended his title thrice against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, Demian Maia and Till.
[relatedlinks]