Tyron Woodley to Defend Welterweight Belt vs. Darren Till in UFC 228 Main Event

So much for unifying the welterweight belt.

UFC President Dana White confirmed to ESPN.com on Tuesday that a previously rumored welterweight title bout between Tyron Woodley and Darren Till will serve as the headliner for UFC 228 on Sept. 8.

Woodley was expected to make his next defense against Colby Covington, who claimed interim 170-pound gold with a victory against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225. However, Covington could not compete on Sept. 8 after undergoing surgery to correct a nasal issue and will be stripped of the interim title once UFC 228 begins, according to ESPN.

Woodley will be making his first appearance since July 29, 2017, when he took a five-round verdict over Demian Maia at UFC 214 for his second consecutive championship defense. The 36-year-old is 5-0-1 in his last six Octagon appearances, including a first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 to become welterweight king.

Till, meanwhile, is unbeaten in 18 professional outings, with a draw against Nicolas Dalby in October 2015 the only blemish on his ledger. The Liverpool native is coming off a five-round decision triumph over ex-title challenger Stephen Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 130 headliner on May 27. However, Till missed weight by three pounds for that fight.

UFC 228 takes place at American Airlines Center in Dallas and will also feature a women’s flyweight title tilt between Nicco Montano and Valentina Shevchenko.