Stephen Thompson believes he would be a bad matchup for welterweight king Kamaru Usman if they were to fight inside the octagon.
#4-ranked contender Thompson looks to face fellow top-five contender Gilbert Burns at UFC 264 on July 10th in what could be a possible title eliminator fight. This is a crucial match for “Wonderboy.” If victorious, there is a possibility that he will face the champion Usman next for the belt.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Thompson made it clear that he wants to fight Usman if he was to get past Burns in July. “Wonderboy” sees himself as a bad matchup for the champion despite the clear improvements Usman has shown in his past two fights.
“I think I would be a bad matchup for him,” Thompson said. “Yes, he’s a phenomenal wrestler and he’s got cardio for days, and now he’s knocking out one of the best strikers in the division, Jorge Masvidal. So, his striking is improved. And that’s what makes this fight so fun for me, is knowing that I’m fighting just the best version of Kamaru Usman. Obviously, I gotta get past Gilbert Burns. Not looking past him at all. But yeah, I know that’s there, I know that’s at the top of the list. But I got one guy that I’m focused on right now, and that’s in three weeks, Gilbert Burns, baby.”
Thompson was last seen in action against the surging Geoff Neal back in December where “Wonderboy” put on a striking clinic to win comfortably via unanimous decision. Prior to that, Thompson also thwarted the challenge of Vicente Luque back in November 2019 with a dominant display of clean striking.
Do you believe Stephen Thompson should get a title shot if he was to beat Burns and is he a bad stylistic matchup for Usman?
