UFC welterweight veteran Stephen Thompson has established himself as one of the vital entertaining strikers not solely in his division, however competing on combined martial arts’ greatest stage as an entire.
This weekend, followers will likely be handled to extra of Thompson’s standup expertise as he goes toe-to-toe with the distinctive offense of the #15-ranked Michel Pereira. The pair are set to share the cage on the UFC 291 most important card this coming Saturday.
However past the July 29 occasion, there’s an opportunity that putting fanatics will not have to attend solely for “Wonderboy” to seem within the Octagon in an effort to witness his karate-based combating fashion.
Lately, discuss has emerged surrounding the opportunity of longtime Bellator star Michael “Venom” Web page crossing the border to hitch Thompson.
Earlier this month, the British fighter revealed that he is entered a interval of free company, and after showing on the UFC web site and attending the London-held UFC Combat Night time, discourse about MVP’s future stays a scorching matter.
Ought to Web page ply his commerce within the Octagon subsequent, some have referred to as for “Wonderboy” to be the one to welcome the Londoner to the group. Whereas he lately dismissed that owing to the pair’s friendship, Thompson does have some doable barnburners for “Venom” in thoughts…
Thompson Shuts Down Followers’ Calls For Web page Matchup, Suggests Completely different Opponents
Throughout his look at UFC 291 media day on Wednesday, Thompson reacted to speak of Web page becoming a member of his division down the road, and acknowledged the extensively held view that he’d placed on a thriller on the toes with the 36-year-old.
“I simply turned mates with this man, actually like a couple of months in the past. We frolicked for like, an entire weekend. It is like, ‘Dude, why do they need me to combat you now?’ It is comprehensible, karate vs. karate, proper?” Thompson mentioned. “It will be a enjoyable match. However he is a great dude, man. I do not wanna say I’d wanna combat him at this level as a result of we have grown that relationship now.”
Though he poured chilly water on the suggestion that he ought to share the cage with MVP, Thompson did pitch some matchups that might little doubt soften that blow for UFC followers.
“If he will get within the UFC, hats off to the man man, that is superior,” Thompson acknowledged. “You’ve some guys. You understand, Ian Garry can be an amazing one. I believe that might be a great matchup. I do know he is going through off in opposition to Geoff Neal, which I believe can be a great check as nicely.
“There are another strikers as nicely. Shavkat (Rakhmonov) I believe can be a great one too,” Thompson continued. “‘Venom’ Web page brings not simply the karate to the welterweight division, however his size. He is a really tall and really prolonged man. For a man like him to have that karate base could be very harmful.”
As “Wonderboy” alluded to, Garry and Neal at present have a date within the cage lined up, with the pair of ranked welterweights slated to collide on the UFC 292 pay-per-view card in Boston subsequent month.
Rakhmonov can be at present booked, with the undefeated rising Kazakh fighter scheduled to welcome Kelvin Gastelum again to 170 kilos on the UFC’s Mexican Independence Day occasion on September 16.
Whichever means outcomes fall, maybe a type of 4 males would be the one standing throughout from Web page within the Octagon ought to the UFC pursue the Brit’s companies within the coming weeks.
Michael Web page featured on the #UFCLondon broadcast. 👀 pic.twitter.com/77Ro6WOrU6
— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) July 22, 2023
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