White: Thompson will fight Woodley for welterweight title

Tyron Woodley shouldn't hold his breath for a fight with Georges St-Pierre or Nick Diaz.

Following a first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 that won him the welterweight championship, Woodley was vocal about wanting a fight with a big name regardless of their recent activity in the Octagon. He specifically mentioned GSP and Diaz, while passing over No. 1 contender Stephen Thompson.

Dana White said that, while Diaz and his brother Nate have been campaigning for Nick to get a title shot following his recent return from an 18-month suspension for marijuana use, the promotion is leaning towards Thompson for Woodley's first defense, according to Matt Parrino of UFC.com.

"Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is going to fight for the 170-pound title and then we'll see what happens with Nick and Nate," White said.

Nick Diaz has been a consistent draw for the UFC since returning to the company in 2011, battling the likes of St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Carlos Condit. However, he hasn't had his hand raised since a dominant decision win over BJ Penn in October 2011.

The fight with St-Pierre looks like a more realistic possibility with the two allegedly already having spoken about a matchup whenever the former welterweight kingpin is eligible to compete again after a near three-year retirement.

No official bout agreements have been signed, so all three opponents remain in play for Woodley, but it's Thompson that has White's blessing for now.