Stephen Thompson recently disclosed the one fib from Shavkat Rakhmonov that truly irked him after their matchup.
"Wonderboy" is gearing up to square off against Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight clash on the preliminary card of UFC 307, scheduled for October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Thompson is set to make his comeback to the Octagon after a 10-month hiatus, having not competed since his second-round submission defeat to the unbeaten Rakhmonov at UFC 296 in December 2023.
In the lead-up to their clash, both fighters had agreed to engage exclusively in striking. However, Rakhmonov chose to grapple and ultimately secured a swift victory.
While Thompson respects the 29-year-old Kazakh fighter's skills, he feels disheartened by his opponent's attempt to rationalize his change in approach, claiming he suffered a serious ankle injury before their bout despite having promised to prove he was the superior striker.
Thompson Critiques Rakhmonov & Team For Justifying Change In Strategy After Their Bout
During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Thompson reflected on his defeat to Rakhmonov, voicing his dissatisfaction with "Nomad's" coach, Henri Hooft, for attempting to explain the decision to pursue takedowns during the fight.
"Wonderboy" noted that he recalls Hooft making similar remarks following his bout against Gilbert Burns at UFC 264.
It was funny because afterward the same coach as Gilbert Burns, and after the Gilbert Burns fight, the coach came up and was like, 'I’m sorry the fight was boring, but that’s the only way to beat you,'" Thompson said. "He said the same thing after the Shavkat fight.
Thompson acknowledged that grappling is an integral aspect of the sport and emphasized that he should have been better prepared for it. However, he expressed disappointment that Rakhmonov didn’t honor his commitment to keep their bout strictly to striking.
So I knew that’s what they were planning on. He was not planning to strike with me. He wanted to hem me up, get me to the floor, and submit me, which he did very well. That’s part of the game. I’ve got to be ready for that. But especially after the fight, they’re saying that. You can say that during the fight to get me thinking one thing, but after the fight, you’re saying, 'I was going to strike with the guy, but I hurt my ankle.' Nah, dude. It got me a little bit. Very few things frustrate me — that got me a little bit. Just admit it.
"Wonderboy" once enjoyed an impressive seven-fight win streak. However, since his title rematch loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 209 in March 2017, the 41-year-old South Carolina native has struggled to reclaim his former glory. In his last 10 bouts, he has tallied a disappointing record of 4-6.
- Read More: Stephen Thompson Reacts To Being On UFC 307 Prelims After Fighting On Main Cards For A Decade Straight