When Stephen Thompson defeated former UFC welterweight title holder Johny Hendricks via first-round TKO at last month’s UFC Fight Night 82 event, he was hoping that the UFC would grant him with a title shot against current champ Robbie Lawler.
Instead, the UFC opted to match “Wonder Boy” up against former title challenger and ‘close friend’ Rory MacDonald in a fight which will serve as the main event for the UFC’s debut in Ottawa, Canada on June 18.
Thompson talked to MMA Fighting about his newly announced bout and stated that he really has no clue what the UFC was thinking in making that fight (with Rory), his words:
“I don’t know why,” Thompson claimed about the UFC decision to pair him with MacDonald. “I don’t know what the UFC was thinking, they matched us up. Everybody’s saying, ‘Hey, you trained at Tristar.’ Actually, the last time I trained at Tristar was several years ago when Georges [St-Pierre] was still fighting. I think it was before I was even fighting in MMA was the last time I was there.
advertisement – continue reading below“We always keep in touch,” he continued. “Georges and Firas [Zahabi], they’re good friends of mine and so is Rory MacDonald. A) I was wanting the Robbie Lawler fight, b) I don’t want to fight a friend, but I know it’s business.”
Do you think the UFC should have granted Thompson with a title shot following his impressive first-round TKO victory over for champ Johny Hendricks, or was the Rory MacDonald bout the fight to make? Sound off PENN Nation!