Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley offer to meet on April 18 to help save UFC 249

If UFC 249 is moving forward, the promotion has a lot of options.

On the heels of the news that UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov may be unable to compete on April 18 due to a travel ban issued in his home country of Russia because of the coronavirus pandemic, several fighters have offered to either replace him or replace the entire main event.

The latest comes from former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and former interim champion Colby Covington, who both put out messages asking to fight at UFC 249.

Covington had previously tried to land a fight with Woodley after Leon Edwards was forced out of the UFC London main event due to travel restrictions in his home country of England. The entire show was eventually scrapped but it appears Covington is still willing to take the fight on short notice if the UFC wants to put together a new welterweight fight on April 18.

“The offer still stands UFC,” Covington wrote on Twitter. “I’ll go full Teddy Roosevelt and beat the breaks off Tyron Woodley live from the White House lawn.

“Save sports and make it free on ESPN for the people. I’m in such a giving mood, I’ll even arrange a tour of the oval office for Tyrone since [President Barack] Obama never did.”

Woodley made the same offer on Twitter while also mentioning that he’d be willing to face Ferguson — if the lightweight wanted to move up to 170 pounds for the fight.

“Me vs. Qweefington April 18 unless Tony wanna roll back to his Ultimate Fighteer weight for the bag,” Woodley wrote. “Welterweight bout won’t take no chees out his lightweight macaroni.”

Covington and Woodley have engaged in a very public back and forth over the past few years after previously training together at American Top Team. The heated rivalry never led to a fight, however, but both welterweights are obviously trying to change that.

Right now, the UFC is scrambling to save the main event after offering Nurmagomedov’s spot against Ferguson to lightweight contender Justin Gaethje. At this moment, that fight remains in discussion but nothing has been confirmed yet.