Tyron Woodley says he is open to returning to MMA as he books wrestling matches for RAF and boxes again

Tyron Woodley is indicating that his combat-sports calendar is not finished, even if his MMA career has been on hold. The former UFC welterweight champion told Yahoo Sports he is still looking ahead to MMA in the near future, while also lining up other disciplines that can keep him active and in fighting shape.

Woodley has not competed in MMA since March 2021, when he suffered what was described as a fourth straight loss, falling to Vicente Luque. After that extended run of results in the welterweight division, Woodley has focused on getting reps and competing through other formats, including boxing.

In the time since his last MMA appearance, Yahoo Sports reported that Woodley has boxed three times. That transition has placed him on a different track from the UFC route he built his reputation on, but it also gives him something to measure progress against in another rule set while he considers where MMA fits next.

Wrestling is also now part of the plan. Yahoo Sports reported that Woodley has two wrestling matches booked for RAF, a detail that matters because RAF-style matchups offer a different kind of contest than both traditional pro-wrestling entertainment and MMA grappling inside a cage.

Woodley’s readiness to cross-training across sports is not unusual for elite fighters nearing the later stages of their careers, but the specific combination here is notable: boxing for striking volume and timing, wrestling for grappling control, and then MMA if the timing and matchup picture look right. In that sense, the wrestling bookings read as more than a novelty. They are a way to build the wrestling base needed for MMA outcomes.

Still, concrete MMA plans remain unclear based on the reporting here. The story frames Woodley’s MMA interest as a “near future” possibility, not a confirmed return date or a specific opponent. As with any veteran fight roadmap, the next question is whether these exhibitions and cross-discipline contests translate into an MMA matchup that fits his style and the divisions’ competitive logic.

For UFC followers, Woodley’s path also functions as a reminder of how quickly careers can change after a prolonged stretch of losses. The sport’s record books do not disappear, but opportunities do. After the March 2021 defeat to Luque and the break from MMA that followed, Woodley appears to be carving out a new platform for competition while keeping MMA on the table.

What to watch next is whether RAF’s wrestling events and Woodley’s continued boxing output lead to a clearer MMA timeline. If he returns to MMA, the key story will likely be how his striking and grappling work under the hybrid pressure of MMA rules, rather than whether he can still compete, which he has already demonstrated through activity in other formats.