Woodley to undergo shoulder surgery with Nate Diaz bout off the table

With the payday he's been pining for now out of arm's reach, Tyron Woodley might as well tie up a lingering loose end.

After UFC president Dana White shot down rumors of a year-end date between Woodley and Nate Diaz for UFC 219 during a Tuesday media lunch, the reigning welterweight champion told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani he'll now undergo shoulder surgery this month, sidelining him for the first third of 2018.

Woodley had been attached to a fight with Diaz on the bill while the brass struggled to book a main event. The champ claimed he'd agreed to the fight, only for the promotion to reportedly change its stance, and for Diaz to set his asking price at $15 million. A women's featherweight title bout between reigning champ Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm has since been booked to headline UFC 219.

On Tuesday, White told the press the matchup had been cooked up by a company lawyer who "went off the reservation." Helwani has since reported said lawyer was, in fact, integral executive Hunter Campbell and that the fight was indeed offered to both fighters.

Woodley - who's publicly aired his grievances with the brass on more than one occasion - had some choice words Wednesday in response to White's claim that the tilt had never been in the works.

"Delusional Dana constantly demotes me as a fighter when the job is to promote his fighters, especially champions," Woodley said. "Why would I get in camp, and why would Nate give a 15 million dollar purse request if there was no fight? It’s obvious they haven’t found their blockbuster headliner yet. This was a reality, and they know it. The inability to come to financial terms with Nate killed it."

Woodley last defended his title against Demian Maia in July at UFC 214, where he suffered the injury he aims to repair before the year is out.