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“He Lit a Fire Under Me” – Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Reveals Who Got Him Going Again
The number 5 ranked UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson will be back in action soon. ‘Wonderboy’ will take on Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night 199 in December 2021. He was last seen inside the octagon at UFC 264 when he fought Gilbert Burns. He ended up losing the fight via a unanimous decision.
Thompson could not counter Burns’s takedowns in the fight and was disappointed with his performance. However, he recently revealed that he’s got a fire lit under him since the loss, and also the reason for it. He said, “100 percent. It did light a fire in me, man. Not only that, my dad lit a fire under my behind too after that fight. He jumped on me. It was so funny, man. Of course, it was scary watching him jump.”
“As soon as we got back to the hotel, he laid into me. Why did you let him take you down? Why did you let him hold you down? You didn’t work the game plan. I’m like; I’m sorry, pops. He lit a fire under me and that in return makes me pick it up. It makes me fired up. Last thing I want to do is disappoint my pops. He’s been there with me and sacrificed so many years and time,” he added.
Stephen Thompson vs. Belal Muhammad
‘Wonderboy‘ will face the number 9 ranked Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night 199, who is looking into the top 5 of the division. Thompson is coming off a loss at the hands of Gilbert Burns and would like to get back to winning ways. He is 3-3 in his last six fights and would want a winning streak.
Beating Muhammad, who is undefeated in his last six fights, will boost his chances of getting a title shot again. ‘Bully B’ is coming off an impressive win over very game Demian Maia. He showed impressive takedown defense against an elite grappler like Maia. He stuffed 20 of the 21 attempts from the Brazilian, and he seemed to have improved a lot as a fighter.
Both fighters would desperately want a win and get closer to a title shot. Usman has beaten most of the top guys in the welterweight division but hasn’t faced either of these guys. A fighter of the style of ‘Wonderboy’ can be tricky for the UFC welterweight champion.
Thompson, in the interview with Submission Radio, said, “I do see this as prep for the title and they’re running out of guys to throw at Usman. He’s beat everybody so far. He’s beat Leon Edwards, he’s fought Vicente Luque, everybody except me. So, working my way up man, they’re gonna have to get him somebody fresh sometime. And it’s gonna be me.”
If Thompson can get a couple of wins under his belt, a title shot is a possibility in the future.
What do you make of the matchup? Do you think Thompson can get a title shot? Let us know in the comments!
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