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Wonderboy Has Reason To Hate Fighting GSP

Now that former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is back in the UFC, several fighters have already called him out as they see as a huge payday for them. UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is a perfect example of that as his career is winding down and wants to be paid for his long career

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Top ranked welterweight contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is not one of those fighters calling out the former champ in greed for a payday but rather due to his history with “GSP.” Before Thompson rose up the ranks in the welterweight division, he was a training and sparring partner for St-Pierre while being brought into his past camps to help him prepare for his upcoming fights. That history would make it difficult to accept a fight with St-Pierre for Thompson.

“I would hate [fighting him]. I would hate the day where I would have to step out there with a guy who inspired me first in kickboxing to [try] mixed martial arts. He was my inspiration,” Thompson told the Fight Society podcast (transcript via FOX Sports. “He’s a good friend of mine. That would be a hard one, to be honest with you just emotionally because he’s a good bud. But you never know. You never know what the UFC’s going to bring. Of course, I know we’re both businessmen and professionals. It’s kind of like with Rory [MacDonald], I’ve got a little better relationship with Georges than I did with Rory. I don’t know. We’ll just have to see. I would not want to just because of the relationship we have but it is business.”

“Yeah for me it is about fighting the best people in the world and proving that I am the best fighter, not only to the world but to myself,” Thompson said. “I’ve been doing this since I was three years old and this is who I am. This is my life and I want to be the best. I do it for the honor and the glory and it’s not about that big paycheck.”

After over three years away from fighting, St-Pierre will definitely have a lot of eyeballs on his first fight back and that includes Thompson. However, whether it ends up happening remains to be seen as Thompson is scheduled to fight Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 209. Even with his preparation for the upcoming title bout, Thompson will certainly be watching his comeback fight no matter who he faces.

“I am kind of excited that he’s back. I know he’s always been training, always evolving, everybody thinks that Georges St-Pierre in the past three or four years is maybe not training at all but this guy he’s a martial artist, a lifelong martial artist. He’s always training and evolving,” Thompson said.

“He is the best welterweight of all time and glad he’s back out there. I’m glad he can make things work with the UFC. Question is if he still has it. You can train all you want but it is a little different when you’re stepping out there. But he’s a very intelligent guy, got good people around him, so we’ll see.”

You can listen to the podcast here:

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‘This is the Greatest Lightweight Matchup in UFC History’ – Khabib Nurmagomedov

Thursday’s UFC 209 media call was most notable for the war of words between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov, prompting the latter to declare their upcoming fight as the greatest lightweight match up of all time Tony Ferguson certainly sees the bout as worthy of taking the top spot on next week’s bill: “You guys are going to see […]

Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov Destroy Each Other on Media Call

If there is anyone still left out there who needs a reason to get excited for the Ferguson and Nurmagomedov bout at UFC 209, this should do the trick Both men tore into each other with such ferocity that UFC public relations were forced to cut them off. The media call was completely hijacked by both […]

Reminder: UFC 209 Conference Call Tomorrow (Feb. 23) at 5 p.m. ET

A UFC 209 conference call is right around the corner. Tomorrow (Feb. 23) the official YouTube channel of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will have a live stream for a UFC 209 media conference call. The call will begin at 5 p.m. ET. Featured on the call will be reigning UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, […]

Stephen Thompson Preparing For Dramatic Weight Cut Before UFC 209

Top-ranked UFC welterweight contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is preparing for the biggest fight of his life when he meets Tyron Woodley in the main event of March 4’s UFC 209 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – and apparently he’ll be facing a sizable weight cut as well. After Thompson fought “The Chosen One” to

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After Thompson fought “The Chosen One” to a close majority draw in a scintillating back-and-forth fight at last November’s UFC 205, “Wonderboy” had criticized himself in the media for not bringing the fight like he normally does, something he’s intent on implementing in the second bout. To do so, Thompson recently told BJPENN.com’s Rapid Fire that he had bulked up significantly for the rematch, and said he is feeling stronger than ever despite facing a dramatic cut down to fight weight:

“Camp has actually gone really good. We are just winding down and last week was really hard training. We head to Vegas next week and then we will just be focused on the weight cut pretty much. So all of the preparation is in, we are done. So I am just focused on the fight right now.

“You know, last time I was walking around at about 182 (pounds). I’m up to 190 (pounds) and I’m trying to stay about right there. I am not trying to get over that (190-pounds). It is still a dramatic cut. But, I have done it before. I have done it in the past. So I know I can do it. I am feeling stronger and I am feeling faster than ever man.”

“Wonderboy” believes the extra muscle will give him the power to finish “The Chosen One” – something he knows he failed to capitalize on the opportunities he had in the first bout. But even with an impressive finish high on his priorities, Thompson said he’ll stay patient and let the knockout present itself rather than forcing the issue against a slugger like Woodley:

“Well I know that he is training hard and that of course I am training hard. We are both definitely going to go out there and give it a hundred percent. You know I never go out there looking for the knockout. I just let it happen. In the past I have actually gone out there and looked for the knockout and just found that I wear myself out trying.

“So now I am more patient. If the knockout happens then it happens. If not, I am ready to go five five-minute rounds of war. That is what I am preparing for. I am just looking to go out there and leave it all in the octagon. This is for the welterweight championship of the world. This is for the title I have dreamed about. So you know I am going out there to give it all I’ve got. What I visualize is me getting my hand raised at the end of this fight with that belt wrapped around my waist.”

“Wonderboy” seems to have his head in the right place less than two weeks from the biggest fight of his mixed martial arts career – and so far, the biggest fight of 2017.

Weight cuts have been the bane of many a high-profile fighter as of late, however, so it remains to be seen if the extra added weight will help or hinder a fighter who relies on speed, movement, and angles to implement a flashy, rangy kicking game. Is it the right strategy to fend off the brutish assault of a power-hitting wrestler in Woodley?

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UFC 209: Dominick Cruz Joins Rogan and Anik as Three Man Commentating Team

Former bantamweight champion Cruz will form part of a three-man broadcast team with Joe Rogan and Jon Anik for the much anticipated UFC 209 card next month UFC’s second pay-per-view of 2017 takes place on March 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cruz is the second fighter to form such a triumvirate, following Daniel Cormier’s appearance as the […]