Healed from a rib injury that forced him out of a scheduled matchup with Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60, Stephen Thompson is now set for what could be an even tougher test against Jake Ellenberger.
The 170-pound matchup was reported by ESPN writer Brett Okamoto on Thursday:
Ellenberger hasn’t had a ton of success recently, but he did end a three-bout losing streak with a submission win over former title challenger Josh Koscheck in February. At 30 years old, Ellenberger should still be in his prime and may catch a second wind after ending the worst stretch in his career.
Since losing to Matt Brown in his second UFC outing, Thompson has been on a roll. Wonderboy has recorded four straight wins, with two of those victories coming via knockout.
His bout with Thatch may have been a more intriguing stylistic matchup between two dangerous strikers. However, a contest against the more highly ranked Ellenberger will really test whether Thompson is ready to compete against the elite welterweights.
With the addition of Ellenberger and Thompson, UFC 189 is becoming one of the more stacked cards in 2015. The event features two championship bouts, including a highly anticipated 145-pound title matchup between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. The second belt on the line will be Robbie Lawler’s, as he will attempt to defend against Rory MacDonald.
To be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, UFC 189 will go down on July 11. Bout order has not been determined, but Ellenberger and Thompson could end up on the lower end of the main card or wind up as one of the more notable prelims.
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