Exclusive: Stephen Thompson names one fight left on his bucket list - "Really exciting fight for the fans"

Stephen Thompson revealed the last fight on his bucket list.

‘Wonderboy’ made his UFC debut in February 2012. Since then, he’s established a resume featuring victories against world-class opposition, including wins against Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Robert Whittaker, and Jorge Masvidal.

During an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw of SportsKeeda MMA, Thompson was asked what’s left on his combat sports bucket list. The number seven-ranked UFC welterweight responded by saying:

“To be able to fight the champ one last time, and Leon Edwards if he still has it, that makes for a really exciting fight. There’s a lot of guys that are ranked above me at the moment that are mostly grapplers. We’ve seen Leon do that. We’ve seen him do that in Kamaru Usman and win, come out on top. For him to fight another striker, I think that would be a really exciting fight for the fans.” [5:00-5:33]

‘Wonderboy’ has fought for UFC gold twice, both times against Tyron Woodley. Their first bout in November 2016 ended with a majority draw, and Woodley emerged victorious in the rematch by majority decision. If Thompson wants to earn another welterweight title shot, he must string together several wins, starting with his upcoming fight this Saturday.

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Stephen Thompson expects Michel Pereira to limit his wild acrobatic moves

Before focusing on securing a title shot, Stephen Thompson is locked in for his UFC 291 main card bout against Michel Pereira. The unpredictable Brazilian is known for performing unorthodox moves in the Octagon, which Thompson believes could be limited in their upcoming matchup.

During the same exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw of SportsKeeda MMA, ‘Wonderboy’ had this to say about Pereira’s wild fighting style:

“It’s gonna be a barn burner [against Michel Pereira] for sure with his acrobatics. Now I do believe that he is gonna be a little bit more intelligent when it comes to the flipping and stuff and the cage because it can be exhausting, he’s been known to tire out and we’re at a higher altitude, so I think he’s gonna play it a little bit smarter this time. I do expect him to try something out of nowhere, so I’ll be ready for it.” [0:47-1:12]

Stephen Thompson is coming off an impressive fourth-round TKO against Kevin Holland in December 2022. Meanwhile, Michel Pereira has won five consecutive bouts, making the number fifteen-ranked UFC welterweight. The winner of their UFC 291 main card matchup will take another significant step toward earning a title shot.

Watch the LIVE coverage of UFC 291 - Poirier vs Gaethje 2 on Sony Sports Ten 2 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels at 7:30 am IST on 30th July 2023