Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson is the current No.1 contender in the welterweight division, and so while serving as an analyst for the UFC 201 post-fight show on Saturday night he couldn’t resist calling out new champion Tyron Woodley on-air.
“We talked several months back, I believe it was at one of the shows, one of the fights, and I could tell it in your eyes that, there’s something different about you, man,” Thompson told Woodley during an interview segment. “I mean, even being out for that long, I could tell you were going to go out there and give it your all. So congratulations.
“That said. That was a first round finish and I know you said you’re uninjured. What are the chances that we get it on in November, my friend?”
Thompson was animated in his delivery, smiling and rubbing his hands in anticipation as he asked the question, but the stone-faced Woodley didn’t give him the answer he wanted to hear.
“Well, this is what I think,” Woodley replied. “You said you wanted to fight Robbie Lawler, and you’ll get the opportunity to fight Robbie Lawler now.”
‘T-Wood’ immediately changed gears and revealed who he really wanted to fight.
“Nick Diaz comes off suspension in two days. He’s a money fight. I’ve been in this game, I’ve been an OG for a while. I want to make the big dough. So, if he wants to fight [in] August with his brother Nate Diaz. I think me and him can showdown at the [UFC 202] event. I’m uninjured, August, UFC 202, let’s make the money. I think he’s deserved it, I think he’s put enough butts in the seat. He deserves to make that payday, so let’s get it.”
Diaz is indeed now back from suspension, but there’s all kinds of reasons why Woodley’s suggestion doesn’t hold water.
For one thing, the Diaz have recently indicated that they don’t wnt to fight on the same card as each other. Also, it has to be noted that Diaz actually hasn’t won a fight in five years, since defeating BJ Penn back at UFC 137 in 2011.
In the years since, Diaz has only fought three times, suffering losses to Carlos Condit and Georges St. Pierre at welterweight, and Anderson Silva at middleweight, though the latter was amended to a no-contest ruling due to Silva testing positive for PED’s.
Of course, stranger things have happened. After all, Michael Bisping looks set to defend his new middleweight title against the No.13 ranked Dan Henderson at UFC 204 later this year, but it’s the rich backstory and rivalry between those two that made the rematch between them to good to ignore for the UFC.
Thompson, who’s on a seven fight winning streak, is the kind of fighter that the UFC would be happy to see get a title shot – as evidenced by the fact that he was in the analyst role on Saturday night.
With that in mind, despite Woodley’s reluctance, Thompson still remains his most likely opponent next time out, and ‘Wonderboy’ is adamant that it’s his time to get that title shot.
“I’m not going to say he’s scared, because I know he’s not scared,” Thompson said. “He wants that money fight, but I think I’m going to be making more money when I put this foot upside his head. I’m just telling you. It’s going to happen. This is my division, baby. That’s it.”
