Rising UFC welterweight Leon Edwards has called out Tyron Woodley, the former welterweight champ, when the UFC returns to London this March.
As previously reported, however, Tyron Woodley is not interested in fighting overseas.
“I’m ready to fight soon, man,” Woodley said during a live chat with fans on social media. “They want me to fight in London. F*ck that, I’m not going all the way to London to fight. I’m the five-time world champion, I’m gonna fight f*cking here. January 18th, January 25th, February 8th, I wanna fight in the States. I don’t wanna go out of the country and fight. When I go out of the country I wanna be on vacation.”
Speaking to the Eurobash podcast, Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards responded to Woodley’s lack of interest to a showdown in London.
“I’m hoping he takes it, but from what I’m hearing he won’t come to London,” Edwards said. “He says he’ll fight, but not in London. That makes no sense. We’re in negotiations now and hopefully I’ll know this week. I’m meeting with the UFC, so I’ll have more information about that and what’s going on. What I’m hearing is he doesn’t want to come to London, so we’re trying to force him to come to London.”
Edwards went on to remind MMA Fighting’s Eurobash that he’s currently undefeated in the UK — a factor he believes goes into Woodley’s reservations to accepting the call out.
“I’ve never lost a fight in the U.K., from amateur to pro,” he said. “He’s probably looking at that thinking, ‘I don’t want to go over there and get beat,’ because where does he go [from there]? Like I said, he’s making excuses from the jump.”
Edwards believes that this fight is the one to make — and one that will finally give him the respect he’s obviously owed.
“I’m ready to go. I think that’s the fight that makes the most sense,” he said. “Everyone else has been matched or has just fought so I think me and Woodley, the former world champion, would be the next step to make. We’re pushing for it… hopefully it should get done.”
“What will they say when I go and beat a former world champion?” Edwards added. “What will they say then because every time I get a win they make a new excuse. Let’s see what they say after I go out there and beat someone like Tyron Woodley. I’m ready to go, I deserved that title shot two or three fights ago. I’m just gonna keep doing my thing, keep winning. I’ll be taking a very close look at the welterweight title fight this week and I’ll go from there.”
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