Former UFC title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson fights the relatively unheralded Geoff Neal in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 42 tonight. The sport karate based Thompson is widely considered to be the best striker in the welterweight division, and Neal recently vowed to take that accolade.
I’m faster than most people think I am, I’m explosive, so I’ll have explosive movements going forward, said Neal to Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie on Friday. I’m strong, so he’s probably going to avoid my power more than he did previous opponents. I see him as the best striker, and I really want to fight the best striker in the division so I can take that title and carry it with me to the belt.
If I beat ‘Wonderboy’ I’m going to get ranked, I’ll be in like the top five at that point, especially if I do it in a dominating way. After that, in the interviews I’m going to have to start talking s*** and being more vocal because the reason I don’t have a big following is because I’m not vocal. I don’t post a lot, I don’t say a lot. But after this fight, I’m going to start – not running my mouth – but being more vocal and getting people behind me so I can get those fights I want.
In an interview with Farah Hannoun for MMA Junkie, Thompson said he expects Neal to eventually bail on the striking.
At some point, I think he’s gonna use his wrestling, said Thompson. He’s gonna use his strength against me, maybe get me up against the cage, use the cage to try and take me down or to use his dirty boxing. So I got great guys to help me prepare for this fight. Wherever the fight goes, I’m gonna be ready.
Thompson has a long history of reaching out from his base at Pitch Black Fight Sports in Simpsonville, SC to train with other fighters, including division GOAT Georges St-Pierre. For this fight, he training with longtime friend former UFC middleweight champion and two-time NCAA Division I All-American Chris “The All American” Weidman.
To have him in my corner, who’s just a massive 185’er to begin with and such a high-level wrestler, it’s just amazing to have him really right up the street, said Thompson. He lives in South Carolina now, right up the road, so I get him whenever I want him now. So it’s great just to be able to have him wrestle me and me trying to get back up.
In sparring, going from striking to wrestling with him – just extra confidence because that could be how the fight goes with Geoff Neal. I know he’s looking for that. I know he’s looking for a takedown at some point so like I said, it’s great to have him out here, and I’m ready wherever the fight goes.
