Former 'World's Strongest Man' Eddie Hall distances himself from Tyron Woodley as he names ideal opponent for next MMA fight

10/18/2024 09:55 AM

Eddie Hall isn't particularly interested in fighting Tyron Woodley.

In June, the former 'World's Strongest Man' is currently looking for an opponent for his next fight after scoring a savage KO in his MMA debut when he squared off against TikTok stars Jamil and Jamel Neffat in a bizarre 2vs1 bout.

Ex-UFC welterweight champion Woodley recently claimed that he turned down a short-notice fight with Hall, who weighs close to 200lbs more than him.

'The Beast' says Woodley isn't on his radar right now, even though he admits that someone from his team may have approached the MMA icon about a potential fight with him.

• READ MORE:Eddie Hall calls for massive 600lb battle of the 'World's Strongest Men' after winning 2v1 MMA debut

Eddie Hall eyes fight with five-time 'World's Strongest Man'

Hall recently joined UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping on his podcast.

'The Count' was curious to learn about Hall's new MMA career and asked him about the rumors regarding a much-discussed fight with Woodley.

"Err, his name has never come under my nose," Hall said when Bisping asked if it was true that a fight with Woodley was on the table.

"I'm not saying there isn't any truth to it because I've been talking to several outfits trying to get another fight under my felt.

“It's probably true that somebody reached out to Tyron Woodley saying, 'Would you fight Eddie Hall?'”

The 36-year-old also distanced himself from an MMA rematch with Hafþór Björnsson, who beat him by decision when the two men clashed in the boxing ring two years ago.

Mariusz Pudzianowski is who he really wants to face next time out.

Pudzianowski is a five-time 'World's Strongest Man' winner and 27-fight MMA veteran – but the 47-year-old hasn't fought since suffering a shocking knockout defeat to former Deontay Wilder opponent, Artur Szpilka, in June 2023.

"There's a lot of talk of me versus Pudzianowski," Hall added.

"Five-time 'World's Strongest Man', he's been doing MMA for 15 or 16 years.

"I've got to be brutally honest, he's a hard b******. Of course, he's had his a*** handed to him like any fighter has, but the ones he's won, he's put some good world champions on their a*** and done really well.

"Yeah, I wanna get stuck into that. I'm trying my best to get a contract put in place to fight Mariusz, hopefully, early next year. I'm currently in heavy training for that."

Eddie Hall talks training with UFC champion Tom Aspinall

Hall is blessed when it comes to MMA training partners as he lives close to interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who has recently put together a team of the very best big men in MMA.

Phil De Fries, Mick Parkin, and Ante Delija are just some of the high-profile heavyweights that gather on Hall's doorstep to spar before they fight.

The former strongman has already shared rounds with Aspinall, Alexander Volkov, and a bunch of other high-profile fighters, and it is something he plans to continue doing ahead of his potential showdown with Pudzianowski.

"When camp starts, I think that's where I'll go to a lot for my sparring because he's got some big lads up there and Tom is great," Hall told Bisping.

"I can ring Tom up and say, 'Can we jump in the ring next week and do a bit of sparring?' And he's brilliant. Luckily, he doesn't take my head off my shoulders, he's a good sparring partner."

As Hall looks for his next opponent, Aspinall is impatiently waiting to find out who he will face.

Jon Jones will defend his heavyweight strap against former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16.

The winner is expected to face Aspinall in a unification bout, but both Jones and Miocic are thought to be contemplating retirement after their fight at Madison Square Garden in New York.

So, the Englishman could get elevated to full UFC heavyweight champion or he may end up having to get through Jones or Miocic to earn the honor in 2025.

• READ MORE:Eddie Hall calls for massive 600lb battle of the 'World's Strongest Men' after winning 2v1 MMA debut