Tag: Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson: I’d love to fight Ian Machado Garry, but ‘I don’t think he would give me a chance’

Stephen Thompson likes the idea of fighting Ian Machado Garry, but he doubts it’ll happen.

Former UFC welterweight title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] likes the idea of fighting [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag], but he doubts it’ll happen.

Stylistically, Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is an appealing matchup for Thompson (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC), but he acknowledges that he’s not on “The Future’s” radar. Thompson, 41, is no longer chasing UFC gold but is confident he can still compete with top contenders. When asked his thoughts on potential matchups with Garry and Michael Page, “Wonderboy” explained why Garry is more appealing.

“I think it would be great, especially Ian Garry,” Thompson said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “But at this point in time, I kind of see where he’s at. Like, he’s just looking for the gold. I don’t think he would even want to give me a chance. I’m ranked No. 9. He’s close to the title. I think he’s looking for that next. And MVP, I think it would be – I think the fans would love that fight. That’s the thing. I think it would just be that.

“Just moving around and staring at each other the whole time. We’re both counter strikers, you know. We got that karate background, we want guys to come forward so they run into our techniques, so we can work our angles, so we can blitz. But when you have another counter striker on the other side of the octagon with you, it could possibly be one of the most boring fights ever, and I think people would boo it. I think people would boo that fight. I really do, man.”

Garry remained unbeaten when he scored a close decision win over Page at UFC 303. Meanwhile, Thompson will look to rebound when he meets rising contender Joaquin Buckley (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) Oct. 5 at UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) from Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

“What made the Ian Garry fight so special and exciting was Ian Garry just came forward,” Thompson said. “He wanted to come forward. He wanted to get close, which can play into ‘MVP’s’ hands, but obviously Ian Garry got the best of him that night.

“I would love to have that fight with Ian Garry for sure, but I think he’s just going to go for the title. But I don’t mind fighting these young bucks like Joaquin Buckley and Kevin Holland and all these guys. It’s fun to still test myself against these guys coming up.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland, Joaquin Buckley vs. Stephen Thompson added to UFC 307

The UFC is making a habit of bringing big matchups to the mountains when it touches down in Utah.

The UFC is making a habit of bringing big matchups to the mountains when it touches down in Utah.

That will be the case again in October at UFC 307. The promotion Friday announced a pair of title fights for the top of the bill in Salt Lake City, some top-shelf previously reported matchups, and a pair of fan-friendly new bookings.

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will take on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) at middleweight. And at welterweight, [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) meets two-time title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC). Just like the UFC 300 and UFC 303 cards light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira headlined earlier this year, UFC 307 is shaping up to be another all-star game of sorts for the promotion.

UFC 307, headlined by Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree and women’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña, takes place Oct. 5 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Dolidze got back in the win column in late June when he outworked Anthony Smith at UFC 303. The Las Vegas-based fighter had been working off back-to-back losses, but now he’ll chase his first winning streak since 2022.

Holland, one of the UFC’s busiest fighters, was supposed to take on Chris Curtis until the matchup was lost to an injury. He’ll get Dolidze, instead, and will be chasing another winning streak of his own. After decision losses to Jack Della Maddalena and Michael Page, Holland rebounded at UFC 302 with a bonus-winning armbar submission of Michal Oleksiejczuk.

Buckley has been on a tear with four straight wins on the heels of back-to-back losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis in 2022. In 2023, he took out Andre Fialho with a head kick and outworked Alex Morono. And already this year, he pounded out Vicente Luque in March and took a decision from Nursulton Ruziboev in May, giving him a shot at a 3-0 year if he runs his streak to five.

“Wonderboy” Thompson, considered one of the best strikers in the UFC, has dropped three of his past four. At UFC 296 in December 2023, he was submitted by Shavkat Rakhmonov. It was the first time he was submitted, and just the second time he was finished.

With the additions, the UFC 307 lineup includes:

  • Champ Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland
  • Kevin Buckley vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Stephen Thompson: Ian Machado Garry not ‘on the same level’ of striking as Michael Page

Stephen Thompson doesn’t think Ian Machado Garry can stand with Michael Page for the entirety of their UFC 303 fight.

[autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] can stand with [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] for the entirety of their UFC 303 fight.

Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) meets Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 303 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main card opener at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Many wanted to see Page fight Thompson next after he defeated Kevin Holland in his promotional debut at UFC 299, but MVP dismissed it as a potentially boring matchup due to their similar striking styles.

Thompson agreed with Page’s analogy. He gives him the advantage over Garry in the striking department.

“Both of these guys are at the highest level, especially when it comes to the striking game,” Thompson said on his YouTube channel. “Now, is it smart for Ian Garry to go out there and just strike with MVP? I don’t think so.

“Even though Ian Garry is a great striker, I don’t think he’s on the same level as Michael ‘Venom’ Page, especially when it comes to the distance management, the blitzing, the speed period. I think Michael ‘Venom’ Page is really, really fast, he’s very accurate, and very versatile. But I think Ian Garry is a very intelligent fighter.”

Thompson advises Garry to utilize his grappling if he wants to find success against Page.

“If I was him, I would be mixing it up,” Thompson said. “Not just striking, but obviously working my grappling, trying to lay and hang on this guy against the fence if I can, looking for my takedowns if it’s there, just to try and somehow fatigue this guy.”

Ultimately, Thompson picks Page to beat Garry. Although he thinks it’ll be hard, “Wonderboy” thinks Page can knock him out.

“I’m definitely leaning towards my man Michael ‘Venom’ Page,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be exciting. I do think if MVP touches Ian Garry on that chin, I think he’s going to be able to put him out.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

UFC’s Stephen Thompson agrees that Michael Page ‘could possibly be a very boring fight’

Stephen Thompson also believes a fight against Michael Page could turn out to be lackluster.

[autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] also believes a fight against [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] could turn out to be lackluster.

After Page defeated Kevin Holland in his octagon debut last month at UFC 299, many threw out Thompson’s name as his next opponent. Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) shut down that idea, suggesting that, with their striking styles, the fight could end up being boring – and Thompson (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) agrees.

“Even when he was in Bellator, everybody was like, ‘Man, you know MVP vs. ‘Wonderboy,'” Thompson told Inside Fighting. “Great performance, I think he did a really good job out there. Distance management, covering the gap, being tricky – especially with somebody like Kevin Holland. But, you know, everybody asks that, and I think actually Michael ‘Venom’ Page said it very well: A positive and a positive doesn’t always make a positive. We have such similar styles, it could possibly be a very boring fight for everybody.

“We’re both counter strikers, very similar styles, so it could possibly be me and him bouncing out there in the middle just waiting on somebody to do something and even though we have similar styles, that doesn’t always make it an exciting fight. So he’s a good friend of mine, good martial artist, karate guy. At this point, I don’t think it’s necessary, but he’s going to keep working his way up, and he might even jump past me to fight some of these guys because he’s on such a hype train right now.”

Thompson is coming off a submission loss to undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. While he’s open to facing another strong grappler next, if he’s matched up against a striker, he wants it to be a show for the fans.

“It gets so much hype around it and when it’s not exactly what everybody expects, it’s known as one of the first fights out there,” Thompson said. “I’m in the entertainment industry, and I want my fights to be entertaining. I want the fans to go, ‘That was epic.’ Kind of like the Kevin Holland fight that I had because he was game.

“This was a guy that (has a) completely different fighting style as Michael ‘Venom’ Page. He comes forward, he likes to duke it out, he’s got charisma, he likes to chat out there, things like that. Ian Garry would be another possible one that I would love to step out there in the cage, as well, and to test myself.”

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Michael Page: Me vs. Stephen Thompson ‘could potentially be a boring fight’

Michael Page says a fight with Stephen Thompson wouldn’t be as entertaining as people think.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] says a fight with [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] wouldn’t be as entertaining as many people think.

Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made good on his promotional debut when he frustrated Kevin Holland with his movement and blitzes en route to a unanimous decision win Saturday at UFC 299.

Many have salivated at the idea of Page and Thompson’s karate stances going up against each other, but “MVP” says their styles may just end up cancelling each other out.

“You know what’s interesting – and I always tell this: A positive and a positive doesn’t always make a positive,” Page told Sportsnet. “Because we are such similar-styled fighters, it could potentially be a boring fight because we’re going to be faking – we’re going to know so much.

“We’re going to be reading so much between each other, that only really elite athletes are going to look at it and be like, ‘Oh OK, I see what just happened’ – but nothing much is happening. So I don’t actually think it’s going to be a great fight, and I love that guy too much to want to kick him. I don’t know. We’re all prizefighters, so whatever happens, happens. But for right now, that’s not really a focus.”

Page isn’t concerned about who’s next. He doesn’t see himself having a hard time getting matched up moving forward.

“(I want) nobody specific,” Page said. “I don’t care to call anybody’s name. I feel like I put a spotlight on myself, there will be people that are drawn to me. I want that challenge, so let’s go from there.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Colby Covington’s No. 1 choice for next fight is Stephen Thompson, also open to Ian Machado Garry or Gilbert Burns

Colby Covington sees multiple options for his next fight, but one opponent “makes the most sense” to him.

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] sees multiple options for his next fight, but he prioritizes one over all.

Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in December, falling short in his third attempt at undisputed gold.

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), who meets Geoff Neal at UFC 298 on Feb. 17, put Covington on his 2024 hit list. If the UFC offers Covington the fight, he’ll happily accept.

“Right after the busboy (Neal) fight, if he can get through the busboy and UFC deems that to be the biggest and best business the UFC can do in the welterweight division, then let’s do it,” Covington told Submission Radio. “UFC knows what Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington is about. CCI, Colby Covington Incorporated has never turned down one fight.

“I’ve fought the pound-for-pound greats, the champions. I’ve been a champion. I am the champion. I’m the best fighter and welterweight on earth right now. That’s just facts. You can have your opinion-based decision. But I know what’s facts. I’ve been in there. I felt it. So I know what I’m capable of, and I know I am the best on earth right now.”

Covington sees [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) as the most logical opponent for him next, but also likes the idea of [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC), who meets Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299 on March 9.

“Whatever the UFC deems necessary,” Covington said. “There’s a lot of options. We got Gilbert coming up, that fat lesbian, just like Conor said. He’s coming up in March. If he beats that other kid that he’s fighting, whatever the scrub’s name is, then that’s a possibility.

“I think ‘Wonderboy,’ guys, makes the most sense. The ultimate nice guy vs. the ultimate bad guy. He came on this show, Submission Radio, and had a lot of things to say. ‘Oh, Colby’s going to get knocked out. Oh, I’ll knock out Colby.’ Oh, all these things. He’s No. 6 in the world, I’m No. 5 in the world right now. That fight makes the most sense.”

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24 fights on our 2024 MMA wish list: Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones (still), Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3, more

Here’s MMA Junkie’s 24-fight wishlist for the new year.

2023 didn’t disappoint in terms of great MMA action, and 2024 looks just as promising, if not more.

With 2024 underway, there’s a new year of fresh possibilities for dream matchups across the MMA landscape, from the UFC to Bellator, PFL, RIZIN FF, ONE Championship and more.

For 2023, unfortunately, only four of the 23 dream fights MMA Junkie wished for came to fruition. We’re not deterred, however, and are back with another slate of 24 matchups we aspire to see in 2024.

Below, we present MMA Junkie’s wish list of 24 fights we’d like to see in 2024.

Stephen Thompson addresses UFC 296 loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov: ‘I’ll be back stronger and better than ever’

Stephen Thompson is staying positive following his submission loss at UFC 296.

It’s hard to keep [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] down – even in defeat.

The longtime UFC welterweight contender opened up about his loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov this past Saturday on the main card of UFC 296 in Las Vegas. Thompson (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) remains optimistic and in good spirits following his submission defeat to Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

“I appreciate all of your support after the fight this past Saturday,” Thompson said on his YouTube channel. “It obviously didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, and that’s why you should always follow the plan, guys. I didn’t follow the plan. That’s my fault.

“Anyway, I love you guys, and I’ll be back stronger and better than ever. I have some things to work on and get this foot healed up, and we’ll get after it again.”

The loss for the 40-year-old killed the momentum from his TKO win over Kevin Holland and put him at 1-3 in his past four trips to the cage.

As for the foot, “Wonderboy” said he may have broken it.

“That’s what happens when you don’t follow the game plan: You get submitted in the second round,” Thompson said. “I actually came out of the fight pretty much unscathed, other than the fact that I think I broke my foot in a body kick right to the elbow. Don’t kick your opponent to the elbow because that sucks.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

UFC 296 post-event facts: Colby Covington joins rare company with 0-3 title fight record

The best facts to come out of UFC 296, which saw Colby Covington and Tony Ferguson join exclusive and unfortunate clubs in defeat.

The UFC’s final event of the 2023 started with a bang, but ended somewhat slow as UFC 296 unfolded at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The two championship fights to close out the calendar year saw both belts stay put. [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defeated [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) by unanimous decision to defend welterweight gold in the headliner, while [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also got the nod on the scorecards over [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to retain flyweight gold.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 296.

UFC 296 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total closes at $8.1 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 296 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 296 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,707,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.