Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has revealed details about lucrative fight offers he extended to legendary fighters Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, both of which were declined despite substantial financial incentives.
The GSP Proposal
According to Woodley, he offered Georges St-Pierre $5 million to compete in a fight promoted through his organization in the Middle East. The former champion explained, while speaking to Action Network, his motivation for pursuing the bout: “I offered GSP $5 million to fight me in the Middle East. I had an organization, and we was gonna promote a fight, for me and GSP and he just flat out said, ‘Tyron, I’m not in that space any more, I’m not fighting anymore. I appreciate the offer’”.
St-Pierre, who officially retired from mixed martial arts in February 2019, has remained consistent in his position regarding a return to active competition. The Canadian legend, widely regarded as the greatest welterweight of all time, defended his title nine consecutive times and captured championships in two weight divisions before 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 those losses matter. I’m the best welterweight of all time, so I was looking at it from that standpoint”.
The Nick Diaz Situation
Following St-Pierre’s rejection, Woodley extended a similar offer to Nick Diaz for the same amount. “And then I turned around and offered Nick Diaz offered him the same amount of money off, $5 million to fight in the Middle East. He liked the message I sent him. He hearted it, but he never replied back”.
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, losing a split decision over eight rounds but earning over 500,000 pay-per-view buys. Woodley later accepted a rematch, which culminated in a knockout loss, and has also expressed interest in other high-profile exhibition bouts.
