Woodley announces he'll defend title against 'Wonderboy' at UFC 205

After months of speculation, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has his first challenger.

Woodley announced Friday he'll defend the belt against top-ranked contender Stephen Thompson at UFC 205, the promotion's inaugural event in New York City. "The Chosen One" broke the news on FOX Sports' weigh-in show ahead of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 94.

The Missouri native has repeatedly dismissed Thompson's merit as a challenger since the night he dethroned Robbie Lawler by first-round knockout at UFC 201 in July. In an effort to cash in on what's left of his athletic prime, the 34-year-old Woodley had instead publicly called for a matchup with noted draws Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre, who are returning from suspension and a self-imposed layoff, respectively.

Despite owning the longest active win streak in the division, a number of dominoes had to fall in Thompson's favor for him to be tapped for the title shot. After reciprocating Woodley's interest, St-Pierre reportedly revealed negotiations between the UFC and his team have reached a standstill, while Diaz is still ineligible to return to the Octagon until he pays the outstanding balance on the fine he was handed with his suspension for marijuana.

"Wonderboy" last fought in June, taking a lopsided decision over former contender and recent Bellator acquisition Rory MacDonald. The victory was his seventh in a row.

While Thompson's karate background will make for a textbook style clash with Woodley's wrestling base and knockout power, the South Carolina native has faced such a skill set in former 170-pound champion Johny Hendricks. "Wonderboy" and Hendricks met in February, a fight Thompson won by first-round knockout.

UFC 205 is scheduled for Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden.