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At 38, and with 16 Ultimate Fighting Championship appearances under his belt, fourth-ranked welterweight Stephen Thompson remains an ageless talent in the division.
After losing three of four from 2017 to 2019, he seemed unlikely to gain a third shot at the division’s championship. However, since then he’s rebounded with two straight victories over ranked competition. Now, with a battle against second-ranked Gilbert Burns ahead of him at UFC 264, the man known as “Wonderboy” told MMAFighting he believes he’s one “good win” away from that elusive chance at UFC gold.
Stephen Thompson sees a title shot in his future with a big win at UFC 264
“Fighting the number two guy right now, finally fighting someone ranked above me, I’m just excited to step back out there and do battle once again,” Thompson said to MMAFighting. “With a good win over Burns, I’ll be able to fight for the title again.”
Thompson has remained in striking distance of a title opportunity despite not having a long win streak because he has been willing to take some risks as a top-five welterweight. It is something that confuses him about division contemporaries like Colby Covington and Leon Edwards. Competitors he feels have waited for title shots to come to them, instead of forcing matchmakers hands by staying active competing in fights with high risk and low reward.
“Here I am, ranked number five at the time, taking fights just to stay active. But a lot of the guys at the top were just waiting on the title fight. They’re waiting on something. Who’s going to be next for the title fight. Like Colby and Leon, they weren’t taking anything. I didn’t understand that, to be honest with you,” Thompson said.
“Especially after the Maia fight was supposed to happen, and [Edwards] ended up taking Belal Muhammad, I’m like why not fight me? I’m ranked higher. We’re right there. It just didn’t make sense. I’m sitting here in the back [of the top five] facing off against the eleventh and twelfth ranked guys in the UFC. Trying to stay busy against these up and comers.”
The last welterweight contender standing?
Assuming Thompson can achieve his mission of an impressive win over Burns on July 10, inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, he believes he offers something other fighters at the top of the weight class can’t in a title fight with current division king Kamaru Usman: A fresh foe and difficult matchup.
“I’m the guy that hasn’t faced him yet,” Thompson said. “It feels like everyone in the top-10 has already fought him at some point in time. Leon Edwards has fought him in the past. Gilbert Burns has fought him. Colby Covington has fought him. He just knocked out Jorge Masvidal. Like who else is this guy going to fight? And then I think it was not too long ago he was talking about fighting Michael Chiesa and it’s like why wouldn’t it have been me?
“I think I’m a terrible matchup for him. I feel like that I’m the last man standing right now. A good win over Gilbert Burns, he’s going to have to face me.”
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