Undefeated striking phenom Stephen Thompson won’t have a long wait on the sidelines to follow up his spectacular debut. The South Carolinian, who has now won 63 straight kickboxing and MMA fights, will take on Matt Brown at UFC 145.
The UFC confirmed the welterweight pairing on Saturday, following a report from Thompson’s hometown paper, Greenville Online.
Thompson showed no first-time octagon jitters at UFC 143, knocking out Dan Stittgen with a headkick at 4:13 of the first round. That made him a perfect 6-0 in his pro MMA career since moving over from the kickboxing world.
Brown will certainly represent his biggest test thus far.
The Ultimate Fighter veteran also fought at UFC 143, earning a second-round TKO of Chris Cope. Brown (13-11) has won two of his last three overall. Brown brings with him a great deal of experience, having fought 11 times in the UFC dating back to his debut in 2008.
UFC 145 takes place at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The main event matches UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones against No. 1 contender Rashad Evans in a long-awaited grudge match.