A potentially high-flying welterweight striking match between top contender Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis was recently made official for March’s UFC Nashville.
It was an unlikely match-up that didn’t really make much – or any – sense for the talented UFC welterweight division. Thompson is a top 5-ranked contender who would most likely be looking to secure a bout that would get him back near title contention. Pettis, on the other hand, is a longtime lightweight (and even featherweight) who has gone a pedestrian 3-3 over his last six fights.
Yet the sheer potential for action made the fight a reality for the UFC. And from a pure fan’s perspective, it’s not hard to see why. Both fighters have unique skillsets rooted in traditional martial arts and have been able to bring that to the Octagon. For Pettis, it’s also a chance to potentially ditch a weight cut that may be getting more difficult as he gets older. “Showtime” appeared on today’s edition of “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” to discuss why he is moving up a division.
He claimed it was for the ‘Wonderboy’ fight due to what Thompson has accomplished in the sport:
“That fight specifically is something I want. I love the way he fights. He’s made traditional martial arts successful in the cage.”
A New Focus
Pettis also touched on his training and how it relates to his weight cut at lightweight. He claimed his training was hindered by the focus on cardio, and he already feels great heading into his welterweight debut:
“At 155lbs a lot of my training was hindered because I had to do so much cardio… I feel excellent going into this camp.”
For his part, ‘Wonderboy,’ who was also on the show, opened up on his surprise at Pettis calling him out. He felt Pettis was taking quite a leap by calling out a top 5 welterweight, yet the prospect of the bout excited him:
“You’re not just calling anybody out, you’re calling one of the top 5 ranked guys in the division. It surprised me, it really did, but at the same time I got really excited.”
There’s little doubt this fight has the potential for fireworks due to both fighters’ extensive striking backgrounds. However, Thompson has shown quite the tentative gameplan in many of his recent fights.
Those include his two with Tyron Woodley, the UFC welterweight champion who fights out of Pettis’ Roufusport camp in Milwaukee. Thompson has been criticized for waiting far too long for the perfect shot to appear, and it’s cost him.
He’s discussed finding a new, more aggressive style as a result. We’ll see if he’s able to implement that against a flashy stand-up artist like Pettis in Nashville.
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