Former UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson will try to reclaim his spot among the welterweight best tomorrow night (Sat., Mar. 23, 2019) at UFC on ESPN+ 6 live on ESPN+ from inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, when he takes on former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in the main event.
While “Showtime” is making his welterweight debut and currently holds no ranking at 170 pounds, he remains one of the most respected strikers in the sport. A victory over an accomplished name like Pettis will only help Thompson reestablish himself as a top contender in 2019.
Should “Wonderboy” get past Pettis this weekend in Nashville he’ll be looking to lock down a bout with another former UFC champion later this year.
“[Robbie] Lawler is definitely the fight I’ve been wanting for a while,” Thompson told reporters earlier this week during UFC on ESPN+ 6’s media day (h/t MMAjunkie). “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.”
Remember, Thompson vs. Robbie Lawler was rumored to take place earlier this year before Ben Askren arrived on the scene and stole a matchup with “Ruthless” at UFC 235. Lawler ended up losing to “Funky” via controversial submission which has brought about talks of an immediate rematch.
Thompson, who has been eager to land a fan-friendly fight with Lawler, remembers how close things were to being finalized.
“To us it was (happening),” Thompson said. “The word we were getting is it was happening. It wasn’t until the fight – I was up in New York with Chris Weidman during his fight (at UFC 230) is when I actually found out he was fighting Askren. Up until then it looked like we would fight him. I don’t know if that was UFC or his coaches, I don’t know what the whole plan was there, but for a little while there it looked like it was a for sure thing. But things change.”
Regardless of what Thompson wants to do in 2019, he must first get past Pettis this weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 6 and prove that he still has what it takes to ascend the 170-pound pack.
“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.’”