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[Sakara=Excitement]

UFC 145

Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (6-0) is a dynamic welterweight striker that you have to keep your eyes on.

While competing in kickboxing, Thompson earned several titles and won 30 fights by knockout. Last we saw him, Thompson shocked UFC fans with a frightening head kick knockout victory over Daniel Stittgen at UFC 143. The knockout came in his Octagon debut and while the 28-year-old is just getting warmed up, he knows that his patience is key in his next fight.

The decorated kickboxing champion meets his toughest challenge in the cage to date when he takes on veteran Matt Brown at UFC 145 in Atlanta on Saturday night.

“It would be phenomenal if I had a spectacular knockout like I did at UFC 143,” Thompson told MMAWeekly Radio.

“It’s just one of those things where you can’t say, ‘this is one of those things I’m going to do,’ because if you do that, you’re going to be searching for it, you’re going to be pushing it. Every time I’ve forced a knockout it’s never happened and I wore myself out trying. So it’s one of those things where you just got to say to yourself, ‘I’m just going to go out there and do my thing,’ and if it happens it happens. Matt Brown has never been put out, and he’s never been knocked out, but I think it would be cool if I could do that. But I’m just going to go out there and have fun and do my thing.”

With having over 60 professional kickboxing bouts under his belt and his UFC debut out of the way, there are no nerves going into this fight for Thompson. He believes that he can sit back, take his time, and let his technique flourish in the Octagon.

Heading into the fight with Brown, he has paid little attention to what Brown has said and has a sixth sense telling him how Brown will look to establish his ground game.

“I’m just going to sit back and work on my game plan. I know what he is wanting to do. He said he wants to stand with me and strike with me, but something deep inside tells me that he’s going to want to take it to the ground. Either way, I’m going to be ready for it. I’m just going to sit back and see what happens. I’m not going to go out there and force anything like I was saying, but I’m just going to play my game.”

[Cat--Smasher]

If Matt Brown is SMART he will not stand with Stephen Thompson.

[dbader08]

Originally Posted by Cat--Smasher

If Matt Brown is SMART he will not stand with Stephen Thompson.

I think it would be smart to mix in the grappling aspect of mma, but I think Brown can stand with him, too. The dude Thompson knocked out in his debut fight was just standing right in front of him basically the entire time. I think Brown has the chin and the gas tank to be pretty aggressive in this fight. Thompson is still new to mma compared to kickboxing, a dude like Brown coming right after him could fluster him. Plus, he is used to 3 minute rounds.

...but yeah, if he could just keep taking Thompson down over and over, that would probably be a good strategy as well...but that's not what I wanna see, damnit.

[Sakara=Excitement]

GSP said Thompson is the greatest striker he's ever seen in his life.

[optimusjoel]

Originally Posted by dbader08

I think it would be smart to mix in the grappling aspect of mma, but I think Brown can stand with him, too. The dude Thompson knocked out in his debut fight was just standing right in front of him basically the entire time. I think Brown has the chin and the gas tank to be pretty aggressive in this fight. Thompson is still new to mma compared to kickboxing, a dude like Brown coming right after him could fluster him. Plus, he is used to 3 minute rounds.

...but yeah, if he could just keep taking Thompson down over and over, that would probably be a good strategy as well...but that's not what I wanna see, damnit.

I don't see Matt being able to get it to the ground. I've seen training videos of Thompson stopping gsp from taking him down. He says himself, that his wrestling is the second strongest part of his game. I really think he's the real deal.

[dbader08]

Originally Posted by Sakara=Excitement

GSP said Thompson is the greatest striker he's ever seen in his life.

GSP has apparently never seen Buakow or Giorgio Petrosyan fight.

There is just a big difference in 3 3 minute rounds and 3 5 minute rounds, especially when you can grapple. I've been watching some of his kickboxing fights, and the guys he has beaten are not that impressive...nowhere near the level of top k-1 fighters.

[optimusjoel]

Originally Posted by dbader08

GSP has apparently never seen Buakow or Giorgio Petrosyan fight.

There is just a big difference in 3 3 minute rounds and 3 5 minute rounds, especially when you can grapple. I've been watching some of his kickboxing fights, and the guys he has beaten are not that impressive...nowhere near the level of top k-1 fighters.

Buakow has been training BJJ, that would be insane if he crossed over. But he is a very slow starter and he is susceptible to early KO's. But Petrosyan really is the best striker in the world. He makes every fighter look a couple levels below him.

[dbader08]

Originally Posted by optimusjoel

Buakow has been training BJJ, that would be insane if he crossed over. But he is a very slow starter and he is susceptible to early KO's. But Petrosyan really is the best striker in the world. He makes every fighter look a couple levels below him.

That is definitely true about Buakow. I think he looks amazing in some fights, where he looks a bit lethargic in others...but Petrosyan is definitely consistent and has extremely good defense and timing. He has extremely good concentration.

[The8thPlague]

I want to see Wonderboy in the Top 5 right now!

[Pasha K]

Even if he is still new to MMA and is used to 3 minutes rounds, he has a record of 60-0 or something like that in kickboxing, and has won like 20 championships. I don't think it would be a good idea to stand with him.