Stephen Thompson would like to fight Robbie Lawler after his bout with Anthony Pettis at UFC Nashville.
Stephen Thompson has a very tough opponent ahead of him in Anthony Pettis at UFC Fight Night 148, but ‘Wonderboy’ is already thinking about his next fight.
The UFC will head to Thompson’s hometown of South Carolina on June 22, and the MMA veteran would love nothing more than to headline the event opposite former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday’s headlining bout with Pettis, Thompson said it would be an honor to fight ‘Ruthless’ in South Carolina.
“Lawler is definitely the fight I’ve been wanting for a while,” Thompson said, per MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “I’ve been a big fan of him and he’s been such a monster in the welterweight division. I thought he looked great in his last fight with Ben (Askren). He looked really strong and just really focused. I think that year off gave him some time to heal up and get his mind right. I think that would be awesome.
“I know there’s a card happening in Greenville, S.C., my hometown, three months from now. Hopefully come out of this fight unscathed and we’ll make that fight happen.”
Thompson is wise not to overlook Pettis, however, who is planning to ‘shock the world’ with his striking at UFC on ESPN+ 6. Pettis is a former WEC and UFC lightweight champion, and will be returning to welterweight for the first time in eight years against Thompson.
Thompson expects a tough fight against ‘Showtime’ and, although a win probably won’t do much for his standing in the division, it will probably cast him ‘back in the limelight’.
“I think a big win over Pettis is going to put me back in the limelight,” Thompson said. “It’s been almost 10 months since I fought and out of sight out of mind. People stop talking about you, forget about you and I just want to let everyone know that I’m still here. But a win over Lawler – he’s a former welterweight champion. He’s one of the best strikers in the division and has been in the game for a while.
“It may not move me up (in the rankings), but it still shows everybody I’m here if I can do what I’m going to do Saturday and fight Lawler in my hometown and prove that, ‘Stephen is still here, let’s give him that shot again.’”
UFC Fight Night 148 takes place this Saturday, March 23 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.