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Stephen Thompson Wants To Win The Belt & Fight Conor McGregor

Top welterweight Stephen Thompson is heading into by far the most pivotal fight of his UFC career when he meets former title contender Rory MacDonald in the main event of June 18’s UFC Fight Night 89 from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It’s a perceived title eliminator that couldn’t be much else with the No. 1 MacDonald

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It’s a perceived title eliminator that couldn’t be much else with the No. 1 MacDonald facing the No. 2-ranked “Wonderboy,” who shocked the MMA world earlier this year when he knocked out former champion Johny Hendricks in one round to score his sixth straight win in a row.

Win streak or not, “Wonderboy” has his hands full against the gritty “Red King,” but in a recent interview with Submission Radio, he could already be looking ahead three fights to when he expects to have the belt. At that point, he wants to take on Irish featherweight champion Conor McGregor:

“When I become the welterweight champion, I would love to step in the octagon with Conor McGregor. He’s a phenomenal martial artist, right? And I honor him for doing what he’s doing with the sport. But like you said, it would be a big payday. It really would. And it would be a great payday for anybody who steps in the octagon with Conor McGregor. And you would be stupid if you thought otherwise. And I think all the fighters would know that. You know, if somebody would say, “Hey, you wanna fight Conor McGregor?”. Heck yeah. They’d all be jumping at it (laughs).”

However, even though he wants the great payday that McGregor provides, Thompson went on to say that “The Notorious” fighting at welterweight, which he did in his loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, isn’t a great idea for his personal well-being based on the current champ:

“You’ve got Robbie Lawler who’s a monster. Probably walks around at 200, maybe over 200 pounds. And just somebody like that, that much bigger than you, it’s crazy. I wouldn’t see him – it wouldn’t be smart if I was his coach, for him to go up to 170. Yeah, the people probably will want to see it, but you know, you’re thinking about your fighter, you’re thinking about your sparring partner, the guy you’ve been training for years. And that’s a good way to really get somebody hurt.”

Whether or not it’s a good idea for McGregor to fight welterweights, there is no question that fans everywhere would love to see him square off against a striker of “Wonderboy’s” caliber. That is, if he’s not fighting Floyd Mayweather in a boxing ring instead.

Will it ever happen?

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Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley Confirmed For UFC 201 In Atlanta

After weeks of speculation, the rumored Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley welterweight championship tilt for July 30’s UFC 201 pay-per-view event has been confirmed. The UFC just confirmed that the 170-pound bout will headline the event from Atlanta’s Philips Arena online and tweeted this announcement: #UFC201 | @PhilipsArena. @Ruthless_RL vs @TWooodley. Let’s do this, ATL

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After weeks of speculation, the rumored Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley welterweight championship tilt for July 30’s UFC 201 pay-per-view event has been confirmed.

The UFC just confirmed that the 170-pound bout will headline the event from Atlanta’s Philips Arena online and tweeted this announcement:

#UFC201 | @PhilipsArena. @Ruthless_RL vs @TWooodley.
Let’s do this, ATL ???? ???? ?? https://t.co/gK6hZN4wzK pic.twitter.com/EED8vTbmoY

— UFC (@ufc) May 17, 2016

Many feel that it’s a somewhat questionable booking, as Woodley has been out of action since he beat Kelvin Gastelum via controversial decision at UFC 183 in January 2015. He was supposed to face former champ Tyron Johny Hendricks in a title eliminator bout at October’s UFC 192, but was then promised a title shot when “Bigg Rigg” failed to make weight and backed out of the fight with a medical issue.

The booking is one of the rare instances where the UFC has promised a title shot and came through, and the No.3-ranked Woodley has only won two straight fights since No. 1 Rory MacDonald absolutely dominated him at UFC 174 in 2014. He does own a controversial win over recent title contender Carlos Condit where “The Natural Born Killer” tore his ACL off of a second-round takedown from “The Chosen One.”

MacDonald and No. 2 Stephen Thompson, who recently knocked out Hendricks in February, will face off for what should be the next shot at the winner of Lawler vs. Woodley in the main event of June 18’s UFC Fight Night 89 in the promotion’s debut in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

He’ll have his hands full with the surging champ Lawler, who has defended his belt twice since winning it from Hendricks in late 2014, defeating MacDonald in a bloody all-time great war at last summer’s UFC 189 before winning a highly controversial split decision of his own over Condit at this January’s UFC 195.

UFC 201 will mark the promotion’s first return to Atlanta since Jon Jones thoroughly defeated former friend and archrival Rashad Evans in their grudge match at 2012′ UFC 145.

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Stephen Thompson “Definitely” Planning Champion Call-Out After Beating Rory MacDonald

Stephen Thompson is coming off the biggest win of his career, having finished former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.

Now, Thompson will meet fellow top contender Rory MacDonald in a title-eliminator later this year at UFC Fight Night 89.

With Tyron Woodley expected to challenge champion Robbie Lawler, Thompson has plans to make sure he is guaranteed the next shot after that, as he told Submission Radio.

“Definitely. I mean, after I just beat the No. 2 guy, former welterweight champion (Hendricks). When I beat the No. 1 guy (MacDonald, they have to give it to me,” he said. “I’m definitely going to go out there and put my foot down and say, listen guys, I deserve the title shot. Give it to me.”

Thompson added that he if he was passed over, it would be “really disappointing.”

“I mean, if they don’t give me the title shot, something’s wrong. That’s just not right,” he continued. “I believe I’ll definitely be making some noise – you know (laughs), or try to at least. I’m not really… you know; people don’t really take me serious because I am a nice guy. But man, something’s gotta be wrong if they don’t give it to me after this.”

The 33-year-old Thompson (12-1) has won six in a row, including four finishes vs. Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger, Robert Whittaker and Chris Clements since a 2012 decision loss to Matt Brown.

Stephen Thompson is coming off the biggest win of his career, having finished former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.

Now, Thompson will meet fellow top contender Rory MacDonald in a title-eliminator later this year at UFC Fight Night 89.

With Tyron Woodley expected to challenge champion Robbie Lawler, Thompson has plans to make sure he is guaranteed the next shot after that, as he told Submission Radio.

Thompson added that he if he was passed over, it would be “really disappointing.”

The 33-year-old Thompson (12-1) has won six in a row, including four finishes vs. Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger, Robert Whittaker and Chris Clements since a 2012 decision loss to Matt Brown.

Stephen Thompson: I Will Demand A Title Shot After I Beat Rory MacDonald

Stephen Thompson is set to fight Rory MacDonald in a welterweight bout at the June 18th UFC Fight Night event. During a recent interview, Thompson revealed that he was surprised that the UFC gave him this fight. “I was a little bit surprised,” Thompson told BloodyElbow.com’s The MMA Circus. “I was kind of bummed about

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“I was a little bit surprised,” Thompson told BloodyElbow.com’s The MMA Circus. “I was kind of bummed about it. Rory MacDonald had fought for it in July, and it’s almost like they’re kind of giving him a second crack at it, I guess. But he’s the No. 1 contender, he’s the only guy standing in my way, above me in the rankings. And if the UFC wants me to fight one more time, I’ll do it. What better guy to face off against? Not only is he a friend, but a phenomenal martial artist. So I’m training really hard to get up there and put on a show for everybody June 18th.”

Thompson believes that he should be fighting for the UFC welterweight title, which is currently being held by Robbie Lawler. Thompson vowed that he once he beats MacDonald at this event then he will demand a title shot.

“Oh no man, they have to give it to me,” he said. “I’m demanding it after this fight. I never want to look past anybody, I know it could be a possibility, it could be around the corner, that title shot. But like I said, I try not to look past anybody. I got one guy I’m focused on, and I just gotta make sure I get past him before I even start thinking about that. Sometimes you get guys, they don’t worry about the guys standing in front of them at that moment. Just gotta stay focused, baby. Good training partners, my family around me to keep me focused and positive, it definitely helps.”

“I wasn’t really upset that the fact they were putting me up against Rory, it was just the fact they weren’t giving me the title shot at the time. We do have a good relationship, me and the guys at Tri-Star. Love those guys. Firas Zahabi, Aiemann, Georges, Rory MacDonald. We’ve fought on the same cards, and whenever we do that, we see each other and like to sit and chat. We’ve been on a few media tours together.”

Thompson (12-1) is currently on a six-fight winning streak.

The event takes place Ontario, Canada and will air on FOX Sports 1.

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Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley Potentially Headed For UFC 201 Main Event

It appears that welterweight champion Robbie Lawler will be headed for a title tilt with top contender Tyron Woodley in the main event of July 30’s UFC 201 pay-per-view (PPV) as was previously rumored. Updating a prior statement from UFC President Dana White that said Lawler would ‘probably’ defend his title against Woodley at either

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Updating a prior statement from UFC President Dana White that said Lawler would ‘probably’ defend his title against Woodley at either UFC 201 or 202, who has been out of action since a closely-contested decision win over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 183 in January 2015, word came on Wednesday’s (May 4, 2016) edition of UFC Tonight that “Ruthless” will potentially headline 201.

Fan favorite slugger Lawler has won five straight bouts in the UFC, including back-to-back “Fight of the Year” candidates against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit at UFC 189 and UFC 195, respectively, improving his record to an impressive 8-1 since he returned to the promotion in early 2013. Before moving down to welterweight, Lawler had lost five out of eight bouts fighting some of the top middleweight talent on the planet in Strikeforce.

Woodley, meanwhile, was supposed to face former champion and Lawler rival Johny Hendricks in the co-main event of UFC 192, but “Bigg Rigg” was forced out of the bout the day of weigh-ins due to complications with his highly-publicized and drastic weight cut. “The Chosen One” has won four out of his last five UFC matches, with the one defeat in that span an extremely lopsided decision loss to MacDonald at UFC 174.

White promised Woodley a title shot for the strange circumstances, and it looks like he’ll deliver on that promise if “Ruthess” vs. “The Chosen One” does indeed became UFC 201’s headliner.

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Scott Coker Says Bellator Is Interested In Signing Rory MacDonald

It looks like Bellator MMA has their sights set on another top UFC star who is about to become a free agent.

UFC Welterweight contender Rory MacDonald has made it clear that he is going to purposely let his UFC contract expire after his next fight, …

It looks like Bellator MMA has their sights set on another top UFC star who is about to become a free agent.

UFC Welterweight contender Rory MacDonald has made it clear that he is going to purposely let his UFC contract expire after his next fight, which is the last on his existing contract. As MacDonald explained last month, he plans on testing the free agent market after his next fight in June.

According to Bellator MMA President Scott Coker, if MacDonald becomes available, Bellator is definitely interested. Coker told MMAJunkie.com the following:

“We’re not going to interfere in anybody’s contract, because they have a contract with them. But I will say this – if you’re a free agent, you should fight your fights out, because we’re here too. So now, there’s more than one buyer, which is good for the market, which is good for individuals, which is good for the league, which is good for the industry. Not every fighter’s gonna fit with us. But he’s a guy that we’d be interested in talking to, if the time is right.”

MacDonald makes his last contracted Octagon appearance at UFC Fight Night 89, where he fights rising contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the main event in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on June 19, 2016.