“I would rather fight Robbie Lawler, and I think Robbie Lawler is going to win it,” Stephen Thompson said of UFC 201’s main event between Lawler and Woodley.
Stephen Thompson will not be denied a UFC title shot. The 33-year-old picked apart Rory MacDonald for five rounds to take home a unanimous decision at UFC Ottawa on Saturday, earning his spot as the new #1 welterweight contender in the world.
The karate expert used speed, movement, and angles to counter MacDonald repeatedly, highlighting his proficiency in striking and improved takedown defense. Towards the end of the fight, ‘The Red King’ looked to be a mirror image of his former self in the Robbie Lawler fight; a face littered with cuts and bruises and a nose shattered from heavy counters.
Speaking to the media at UFC Fight Night 89’s post-fight press conference, Thompson made it clear that he wants to face current champ Lawler for the belt – not title challenger Tyron Woodley. And, ideally, he’d take on ‘Ruthless’ at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“I would rather fight Robbie Lawler, and I think Robbie Lawler is going to win it,” Thompson said, per Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting. “He’s stayed active. Tyron Woodley hasn’t. Maybe there is a little bit of cage rust in there. Tyron’s been known to slow down later on in the rounds, and Robbie Lawler, he gets stronger as the rounds go on. So, I see Robbie Lawler winning that fight and I would love to fight him, hopefully in New York City (at UFC 205).”
Lawler will fight American Top Team teammate Woodley at UFC 201, which will see the No. 3 ranked contender return to the Octagon after an 18-month layoff. Lawler, 34, last fought in a pulsating battle with Carlos Condit at UFC 195, which saw the former Strikeforce contender retain his title for the second time.
UFC 201, which will feature Lawler vs. Woodley in the main event, takes place at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on July 30.