Former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson spoke to the media ahead of his bout with Belal Muhammad, to make his case for a fight with the champ Kamaru Usman. Speaking to the media, Thompson said, “They can’t keep feeding the same guys to Kamaru Usman. A good win over Belal, maybe another fight. We’ll be looking at another title shot. I’m not giving up yet.”
Thompson has been dominating the ranks of the welterweight division for a long time now. His Karate based style is unique, specialized, and difficult to prepare for in all of MMA.
‘Wonderboy’ is a Veteran in the game, therefore, he is often asked how long he wants to continue fighting. He responds saying, “I feel like I’m 25. I feel great. I feel like I’m not even in my prime yet. Still learning every day, still getting better, and of course, you got guys like Glover Teixeira who inspires me. He just won the title at 42. It’s like I can keep doing this forever.”
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Can "Wonderboy" earn a title shot? 🏆#UFCVegas45 | More: https://t.co/PSKbYeMjMR pic.twitter.com/63WWTuy5s6
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) December 18, 2021
Thompson has fought for the welterweight strap two times before in his career. Both his title fights were against the champion, Tyron Woodley. ‘Wonderboy’ is one of the most elite strikers in the game and many thought he had the tools to dethrone the ‘Chosen one’. However, things did not pan out in that way, as Thompson would draw with Woodley in a close back and forth first meeting in 2016.
When the two ran it back, many expected a similar back-and-forth entertaining war like the first one. Unfortunately, what fans got was a much different fight from both competitors. Woodley played a strategic game of fighting off his back foot, staying safe and waiting to catch Thompson coming in. The fight went five rounds and Woodley kept his belt.
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Stephen Thompson vs Belal Muhammad preview
The upcoming co-main event bout between Belal Muhammad and Stephen Thompson will be a fascinating showdown. Like most classic striker versus grappler matchups, this will be a battle to see who can deploy their strategy first. Muhammad is a tough, gritty fighter, who can take a shot. He is very explosive and can wrestle well. Thompson, on the other hand, is a purist striker with excellent takedown defense and movement.
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Both fighters are chasing their dreams of winning the title and must emerge victorious to take a step forward towards that. Who will end up winning and come one step closer to achieving their dream of becoming a champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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