Edwards 'trying to force' Woodley to fight at UFC London

Leon Edwards hopes Tyron Woodley will agree to fight him next year at UFC London, but it's not looking promising.

"From what I'm hearing, (Woodley) said he won't come to London," Edwards told MMA Fighting's "Eurobash" podcast. "He'll fight, but not in London. ... 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. ... We're trying to force him to come to London.”

Woodley said during a recent live stream on social media that he has no interest in fighting overseas. The former UFC welterweight champion did not confirm whether he'd been formally offered Edwards as an opponent.

"They want me to fight in London. F--- that," Woodley said. "I'm not going all the way to London to fight. I'm a five-time world champion; I want to fight f------ here (in the U.S.)."

Edwards said the UFC is also interested in hosting the Woodley fight at UFC London on March 21 and is simply waiting on "The Chosen One."

"I think that's the fight that makes the most sense," Edwards said. "Everyone else has been matched up 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."

Edwards is a rising contender in the 170-pound division. He's riding an eight-fight winning streak and most recently defeated Rafael dos Anjos in July.

Woodley has not fought since he dropped the welterweight belt to Kamaru Usman in March.