Who should Stephen Thompson fight next (Opinion)

Stephen Thompson will go down as one of the most fiercest and technical strikers in the history of mixed martial arts. Thompson's achievements inside the octagon can be measured from his impeccable performances against Tyron Woodley for the UFC Welterweight Championship. With notable victories over Robert Whittaker, Rory McDonalds, Johny Hendricks, and Jorge Masvidal, Thompson has cemented his position as one of the greatest fighters in the Welterweight division.

Stephen Thompson is currently ranked #6 in the UFC Welterweight division. After a hard-fought battle with top contender Darren Till, Thompson fell prey to a brutal superman punch from Anthony Pettis in his next fight. He is coming off an incredible victory over rising contender Vicente Luque, who has won 8 of his last 9 fights inside the octagon. Thompson is currently without an opponent, having last competed in November of 2019.

Who is next for Stephen Thompson?

UFC 217: Thompson v Masvidal

It has been almost ten months since Stephen Thompson last competed inside the octagon. The welterweight division has been very active since the last year. Kamaru Usman has defended his title belt twice ever since picking up a unanimous decision win over Tyron Woodley, with Leon Edwards looking at a potential fight against Jorge Masvidal. Colby Covington is scheduled to face Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC Fight Night come September, while Gilbert Burns is looking at a potential title shot against Kamaru Usman going forward in 2021.

With no fighters available in the top-5, it leaves very few options for Stephen Thompson. However, there are some interesting match-ups for Thompson at the Welterweight division.

UFC Fight Night Geoff Neal vs Stephen Thompson

Geoff Neal has looked incredible in his past few fights. He is currently enjoying a six-fight win-streak with big wins over Mike Perry, Niko Price, and Belal Muhammed. Neal is an interesting prospect, and deserves the opportunity to fight a top ranked opponent to further cement his position in the division. The challenge is similar to Vicente Luque, who earned the opportunity to fight Thompson after back to back victories. Geoff Neal was expected to face Neil Magny in August, however, he withdrew from the bout citing health issues. Neal is currently without an opponent and has not fought since his emphatic TKO win over Mike Perry at UFC 245 back in December of 2019.

Geoff Neal is a toug competitor in the welterweight division, with wins over most of the top contenders in the division. He is currently ranked #11 in the UFC Welterweight rankings, and could look to cement his position in the division with a win over former title contender Stephen Thompson. Neal is an exceptional striker and boasts an equally brilliant ground game. He has finished five of his last seven opponents, and remains undefeated inside the UFC octagon.

While it's an incredible opportunity for Geoff Neal to prove his mettle inside the octagon against one of the greatest fighters of all time, it is an equally important fight for Thompson, who has just one victory in his last three fights. It will be interesting to see the 29-year-old Geoff Neal take on a much experienced and one of the finest strikers in UFC, Stephen Thompson.