During his appearance on TMZ’s The Hollywood Beatdown, Woodley questioned the courage of Diaz with regards to his willingness to square off against the champ at UFC 219.
“I’m fired up about people who tell you ‘don’t be scared homie,’ and then they scared homie,” said Woodley about Diaz’s desire to get into the Octagon with him. According to the champ, the fight would be a done deal if Diaz would just sign on the dotted line. “All you gotta say is, ‘Yes,'” implored Woodley to Diaz. “Put the ink to the paper and we done.”
The welterweight champ wants the fight world to know that he’s all in, and the only holdup at this point is his potential opponent. “It’s not a possible fight, it’s a 50% completed fight. You’ve got one half of the party that’s been offered, that accepted, and then you’ve got the other side [Diaz] that’s got a whole bunch of excuses. That’s kinda what I’m fired up about.”
Diaz, who beat Conor McGregor at UFC 196, hasn’t fought since he lost the rematch with the Irishman last year, but he still has the high-profile name and credibility to draw lots of attention for a title fight. Time is running out, however, if he intends to get in the cage with the champ by year’s end.
Whether it’s Diaz or another worthy opponent, one thing is certain: Woodley will defend his belt at UFC 219 on December 30 in Las Vegas, NV.
