Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans would love to see Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Jorge Masvidal battle it out inside the Octagon, and the two top-ranked 170 pounders share those sympathies.
Thompson is currently the No. 2-ranked welterweight in the world and is coming off of a majority decision loss to Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title at UFC 209. Masvidal currently sits at the No. 4-ranked spot and comes off of a loss of his own, as he was narrowly defeated by Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia at UFC 211 via split decision.
The pair were recently a part of a Q&A session prior to the UFC’s Fight Night event in Singapore. They were asked about the possibility of fighting one another in the near future, to which “Wonderboy” revealed that is the fight he’d like to take next (quotes via MMA Junkie):
“(It’s not official) yet, but we want it,” Thompson said. “We definitely want it, to get together and get out there in the octagon and face off. Obviously, you saw him in his last fight, which I thought he won against Demian Maia. (Masvidal is) a very good striker, and I think it’s going to be fireworks.”
“Gamebred” also sounded excited about stepping into the cage against a striker the caliber of Thompson, someone Masvidal will have to train especially hard for if their paths cross down the road:
“He does things that nobody really in the division does,” Masvidal said. “The karate that he brings and the high level that he brings, it’s only him that does that. I would have to get in special sparring partners, I’d have to get guys that could mimic that, and I’d have to prepare for it.
“It’s going to happen, man. Hopefully.”
Just after the Q&A UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov took to Twitter to state that he’d love to see Masvidal take on former 155-pound champ Rafael dos Anjos next, as “RDA” had a successful welterweight debut against Tarec Saffiedine that same weekend, but Masvidal instead took a shot at “The Eagle” and stuck to his guns about wanting to take on Thompson:
I want see RDA vs Masvidal.
This fight will be a great match up @ufc #welterweight— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) June 17, 2017
I want to see you make weight and @WonderboyMMA is next so tell your buddy he can wait until he is ranked top 5 #easymoney #faketweet #ali https://t.co/JZExToHn7R
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) June 17, 2017
As for the UFC welterweight title picture, it has been confirmed that champion Tyron Woodley will be defending his title against Demian Maia next, at a time and date to be determined. If Thompson and Masvidal is the fight that the UFC decides to make next, it would certainly be a viable No. 1-contenders match-up to determine who will meet the winner of Woodley and Maia.
With the recent return of former welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre, however, it makes the 170-pound title picture all the more interesting.
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