Stephen Thompson was understandably upset when his UFC 291 opponent, Michel Pereira, weighed in three pounds overweight for their main card clash on Saturday night.
‘Wonderboy’ stepped on the scale and hit the mark, just as he has always done throughout his mixed martial arts career. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his opponent who tipped the scales at 174 pounds, three over the welterweight non-title fight limit of 171. During the ceremonials weigh-ins on Friday afternoon, Megan Olivi revealed to the live crowd that the bout had been officially scrapped.
Thompson took to social media shortly after, offering his reaction and an explanation for why he refused to move ahead with the fight.
“Unfortunately my fight with Michel Pereira will no longer be going forward,” Thompson wrote. “First off, I’m sorry to all the fans who were looking forward to my fight. I’m gutted for my coaches, my family and all the people who helped me throughout camp to be ready and prepared to go to battle.
“I made weight this morning as I have done every fight during my 11+ year UFC career. My opponent did not. This isn’t the first time I’ve had an opponent miss weight and given how that played out previously, myself and my team felt that it’s ultimately not smart for us to move forward with this fight. At my age and given what I’ve accomplished in this sport, I’m not here to be a gatekeeper, I’m here to fight for and win a UFC Welterweight Title.
When I step into the Octagon, no one is in there but me and my opponent. This isn’t a videogame and both of us are putting our health and our careers on the line. If I don’t finish my opponent, I risk losing a decision, even if it’s a split decision as what happened when I fought Darren Till and almost the same exact scenario played out back then.“
‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Hopes His Decision Discourages Fighters From Missing Weight
Thompson also spoke out against fighters who are repeatedly coming in heavy on the scale with little repercussion.
“Fighters who miss weight face far too few consequences and are often allowed to fight with a significant competitive advantage,” Thompson continued. “This appears to be happening more and more these days. Hopefully the decision to not move forward with the fight will discourage others from missing weight in the future. I also hope to encourage fighters that face this situation to follow suit and not allow this to happen to them.”
‘Wonderboy’ also noted that he has every intention of getting back into the Octagon as soon as possible.
“I’m healthy and I will look to get back in the Octagon ASAP BUT on a level playing field as I continue to pursue my quest of winning the UFC Welterweight title,” he continued.
Stephen Thompson has not been the most active fighter over the last several years, only competing once in 2018, 2020, and 2022. As it stands we will likely see ‘Wonderboy’ compete once before 2023 comes to a close. His last outing came in December when he scored a fourth-round TKO against Kevin Holland.